Our primary aims are to protect parents' rights to direct their children's education, to expand opportunities for home-educated students in Florida, and to keep the authority for educational decisions in the parents' hands. Here are the top issues we're working on for the 2025 Legislative Session. These are not in order of priority. All of these are important.
1002.395 - Digital Devices for PEP
Challenge: In order for parents to use the funds for computers or tablets to access the vast array of online virtual content, resources, and materials the student needs to have access via a digital device. Many homeschooling families are single-income families with very limited budgets, and purchasing a digital device is cost-prohibitive for these families.
1002.395 - Adjust Application Window PEP
Challenge: Feb 1 - April30 is an EXTREMELY TIGHT TIMELINE FOR APPLICATION TO PEP WINDOW. Many families are still making decisions at that time, and/or deciding whether to continue in public school. This would also make it so that no one could apply for PEP mid-year if they choose to change tracks during the school year due to bullying in the school system or any other reason.
1002.395 Payment date of August 1 for renewal students PEP
Challenge: This will ease the burden on the SFOs to track multi-varied timelines and responsibilities.
1002.395 - Add Tutoring Organizations to statute for streamlining reimbursement
Challenge: Processors have to individually establish the credentials of each tutor each time, regardless of whether the tutor has been vetted by the company or organization that they work for. This creates double work for the SFOs and slows the process. The burden of establishing credentials could rest on the shoulders of the nationally recognized tutoring organizations and companies to vet and allow the SFOs to process the reimbursement for any tutor in a timely manner once they have been added to the company’s list of approved tutors. This would help streamline this process and give parents access to the validation of their reimbursements.
Home Education Instructional Program Definition
Challenge: Home Education Instructional Programs are by definition different from drop-off programs or schools where the teachers, administrator, school, and staff make the plans, assign the grades, and perform the evaluations. Home Education Parents and PEP Parents in Home Education Instructional Programs remain the principal decision-makers for all of the education content, grade levels, and assessments. This distinction is critical to the home education community and preventing HEIPs from being targeted for restrictions unduly.
Home Education Instructional Program Typo
In s.1002.394(4)(b)4, Home Education Programs tuition and fees are an eligible expense. However, Home Education Programs do not have fees or tuition, but rather the Home Education Instructional Programs have the fees. The Home Education Program is a legal enrollment track in 1002.41, and does not include fees or tuition to access. So, this is a typo.
402.302(2) Home Education Instructional Program NOT INCLUDED in Childcare
Challenge: Home Education Instructional Programs are not childcare drop-off programs and should be excluded from regulations that apply to childcare programs.
1006.15(3)(c) (Craig Dickinson Act - Update Needed)
Challenge: Home Education students are allowed to select their zoned school, or a school they could choose pursuant to 1002.31 open enrollment statutes, for participation in interscholastic extracurricular student activities. The practical problem is that home education and PEP students are being denied access to athletics programs due to vague language. We aim to clarify that language to prevent this issue.
In the provider check-list provided on the Step-Up page and in the EMA platform it simply shows the more restrictive requirements (the ones required for core subjects). There is no option to select to create a profile as a part-time tutor of an ELECTIVE subject. When my tutors with 3 years of experience (fulfilling the reimbursement required from the parent handbook) tried to create an EMA profile with their CV demonstrating their 3 years of experience and uploaded the requirement page from the handbook, they were denied and told they had to meet the requirements as listed in the provider check-list. I have only been able to on-board Spanish language tutors who meet the more restrictive requirements such as having a Bachelor or Master's degree in Spanish. I have one tutor who still have not been approved, who did her undergraduate studies in Venezuela in Language Education with a focus on English. Granted, her focus was teaching English as a Foreign language, but she had training in teaching Spanish/French as well. But for crying out loud, she is a native speaker of the language, has nearly 10 years experience teaching Spanish/English/French and I still can't get her approved. They keep responding that the credentials are invalid.