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IMPORTANT UPDATE AS OF 10:30PM on February 10th, 2025:
The February 12th meeting has been canceled due to a special session being called. We will keep everyone updated if they reschedule this!
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Further update as of February 11th, 2025: Please email your testimonies to us in written form!
Jason can share them directly with the Subcommittee chair since the opportunity for parents to speak at the February 12th meeting was cancelled.
Email them to info@flhef.org!
(NOTE: We also intend to use these testimonies as part of a blog post on our website. Submitting them to us will be considered permission to use these stories on our blog, so that others beyond this session can benefit. Having the testimonies as shareable blog posts vastly expands the impact, as it enables other legislators to see them, and also gives us the ability to share these stories as a way of impacting the narrative surrounding home education and school choice in Florida.)
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We just heard that the Student Academic Success Subcommittee is planning to meet this coming Wednesday (February 12, 2025) from 9AM-11AM to discuss the school choice landscape and how families are using it.
THE NEED:
It is VERY IMPORTANT that we have families show up to this meeting in the Florida Capitol. We want to FILL THE ROOM with home education families and PEP families to show the legislature how important school choice is to us! (Home education and PEP both fall under "school choice"... home education was one of the earliest school choice options in Florida, even before "school choice" became the buzzword it is today!) We want not just parents, but STUDENTS to attend this meeting... We want to pack the room with families!
Parents (and students, if they wish to speak!) should come to the Student Academic Success Subcommittee prepared to share a brief (1-2 minute) testimony, if the subcommittee allows it. (Testimony about how YOUR family has utilized school choice, and why it matters to you.) But even if you don't want to speak, please come!
[IMPORTANT NOTE! There is some word that the Governor may schedule a Special Session for next week. If he does, then the planned subcommittees (including this one) may get rescheduled. So we are asking for families to plan to be there Wednesday, but please be willing to be flexible in case the time/date gets moved! We will send out word as soon as we can if that happens.]
Even if they do not allow a chance for parents and students to speak at this subcommittee, just having a huge room FULL of home education and PEP students would make a massive impact. We need them to know how many parents and students care about school choice freedoms!
Bring your kids, too! Let's FILL THE ROOM!
**If you're planning to attend, please let us know! We'd love to all meet up in the Capitol a little bit before the meeting to make sure everyone finds the correct room and that we show up in unity to represent home education and PEP well! We'll be coordinating the meetup details through THIS VERY FORUM POST. Just drop a comment on it to let us know if you plan to attend!
(You can also email us at info@flhef.org if you have any questions!)
(PS - In the future, we hope to send these notifications out in a private app to make it easier to coordinate. If you're interested in joining that when we have it ready, please email us at info@flhef.org and let us know so we can add you to the contact list!)
Thank you, and I hope to see you in the Capitol!
Sincerely,
Crystal Crawford
Community Manager
Home Education Foundation
UPDATE AS OF 2/10/25:
The meeting is at the Florida Capitol in the House -- Reed Hall (102 HOB). Attached is a map of the Capitol to help you find the location.
You should plan to arrive at least 30-45 minutes early, to allow time for parking and getting to the room. There is street parking available and also a parking garage.
Brenda and/or Jason/Crystal will meet parents outside the room before time to start to help everyone get situated.
Here is the official House calendar so you can see the time and details! https://www.flhouse.gov/Sections/HouseSchedule/houseschedule.aspx?calendarListType=Interim&date=2-12-2025
Further update as of February 11th, 2025: Please email your testimonies to us in written form!
Jason can share them directly with the Subcommittee chair since the opportunity for parents to speak at the February 12th meeting was cancelled.
Email them to info@flhef.org!
(NOTE: We also intend to use these testimonies as part of a blog post on our website. Submitting them to us will be considered permission to use these stories on our blog, so that others beyond this session can benefit. Having the testimonies as shareable blog posts vastly expands the impact, as it enables other legislators to see them, and also gives us the ability to share these stories as a way of impacting the narrative surrounding home education and school choice in Florida.) (copied from the update to the above forum post, to make sure everyone sees it!)
It looks like the meeting has been cancelled. Am I reading that correctly? Thank you! Dana
I will be there with my daughter. :)
I am attending with my 2 kids. I am open to possibly speaking
We are planning to attend with our 4 kids.
IMPORTANT: ABOVE POST JUST UPDATED WITH DETAILS!
Hi! If anyone is for sure planning to speak at the committee on Wednesday, please confirm ASAP ... The committee has asked us to provide speaker names for their docket. We will need to coordinate a phone call with you because we need to fill out a form for each speaker with the person's name and what they're planning to speak about.
Planning on it!
I’m interested!
I will be there!