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This Session (2019) there are two bills, House Bill 189 and Senate Bill 1342 both have dual enrollment language to specifically say a state college cannot charge private school students or their private school for dual enrollment tuition.  The House Bill 189 passed Monday, April 1, out of Higher Education Appropriations Committee.  Now it has to go to Full Appropriations, Rules and make it onto the Special Order Calendar.  SB 1342 passed out of the Senate Education Committee Tuesday, April 2, but there were a lot of questions by the Democrats on the committee about how those classes are going to be paid for. Sen. Stargel, the bill sponsor, who is the committee chair of Sen. Education Appropriation where SB 1342 goes next, said that they need to collect information on how many students will participate so that they can fund it in the future.  She also said there are other bills that provide performance funding and incentive funding to state colleges for students that complete their AA degrees. It appears there is a will in both chambers for this bill to pass this Session.  However, it is not guaranteed until the Governor signs one of the bills.   You can watch the Senate Committee at http://www.flsenate.gov/media/VideoPlayer?EventID=2443575804_2019041026 (and the SB 1342 presentation starts at 50:00 minutes). Hopefully, this bill will become law on July 1, but if it does not, here are some options that are available to parents if they want their children to earn college credit while still in high school. The student could be withdrawn from the private school and enrolled in a home education program under the school district.  Current law states that home education students cannot be charged tuition.  In addition, last year the Legislature allocated money to pay for home education students instructional materials for dual enrollment. The student could be in a private school and enroll in AP courses, where they may earn college credit, through the Florida Virtual School (FLVS).  The law states that home education and private school students can take FLVS courses free of charge since FLVS is a public school. AP courses are more rigorous than other high school courses because they are designed to be equivalent to the same college course.However, the big drawback to AP courses is that the student may pass the course with an A grade, but if the student does not pass the national AP exam with a 3, 4 or 5, they will not receive college credit.While the AP grade is almost always accepted by a college or university for college credit, not all will accept the same score on the AP exam.It is important to check this out with the college that your student may attend.Also, it is important to check with any out-of-state colleges or universities your student may plan to attend to determine if the institution will accept dual enrollment courses taken in Florida for credit.If you decide this route is a good one for your student, it is helpful to know that, FLVS students, based on the May 2018 AP Exams, outperformed state overall averages by 11.3 percent in comparing the 15 AP courses offered by FLVS, and they performed above the national overall average by 4.1 percent in comparing the 15 AP courses offered by FLVS. The student could be enrolled in FLVS Full-Time 9-12.  The student would then become a public school student but could do dual enrollment courses and earn a diploma.The drawback for this option would be that the student would have to take the Algebra I EOC and the English Language Arts FSA which is required to earn a standard high school diploma issued by the state of Florida.However, private school students could satisfy this requirement by scoring a concordant score on the SAT or ACT.See the Department of Education FAQ for more details. http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/5663/urlt/Rule6A109422Ann-FAQ.pdf  Florida Virtual School would use the Transfer of Credit Rule to grant credit for courses taken in a private school and students would get a high school transcript from FLVS.FLVS Full-Time 9-12 has articulation agreements for dual enrollment with Polk State College and Seminole State College. There is also a pilot program with the University of Florida.  Students who participate in the UF dual enrollment program would be hand-picked by FLVS-Full Time based on certain criteria and would have to be enrolled in FLVS Full-Time the semester prior to signing up for dual enrollment due to the college registration calendar. The application for FLVS Full-Time is open twice per year, and is currently open for Fall 2019. HEF is very dismayed that private school students have been denied access to free dual enrollment.  Brenda Dickinson has expended a great deal of time and energy trying to correct this problem. Hopefully, we can get it over the finish line this year.  HEF is not giving up!

Are you familiar with the opportunities afforded your child in the Career and Technical (CTE) fields? The Legislature has been working on creating and expanding these opportunities for over a decade.  Now that many avenues are available in both the Career and Technical Centers run by school districts and in the 28 State Colleges, the Legislature is focused on making sure that students know about these opportunities for their future. https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=66252&SessionId=87 In case you have not followed the legislation over the last few years, you may not be aware that career and technical pathways have been created in 18 career clusters.  These pathways are designed to allow a student to earn clock hours at a CTE Center (formerly called Vo-tech Schools or Centers) or through college career certificates and applied technology certificates at state colleges which would count toward an AA, AS, or AAS degree.  Colleges have been required to develop career pathways that would meet the needs of the industry in their geographical area.  Therefore, all the pathways are not the same at each state college although many offer some of the same pathways.  For example, a student could begin a nursing career at a CTE Center earning clock hours, take a licensing exam and become a CNA, then take additional hours in a Licensed Practical Nursing program, pass the licensing exam and begin a nursing degree at a state college with 13 college credits. The Legislature intends for students to begin thinking about a career as early as middle school so that they are learning with a purpose. The idea is not to pigeon hole students into a career but just to make them aware of all the possibilities and resources available to them in making a decision.  The new legislation requires middle school students to take one course in career and education planning in grades 6, 7, or 8.  The course must be internet-based and include researched-based assessments to assist students in determining educational and career options and goals.  Home educated and private school students have the opportunity to take this course through the Florida Virtual School and learn about all the resources available to them.  Another great resource for home education and private school students is FloridaShines.org which is Florida’s Student Hub of Innovative Educational Services.  It includes many resources to learn about different careers, assess your child’s strengths, interest and abilities, and learn about current and future needed occupations. Start including career and technical education now for your student.  It is never too early to begin looking at your child’s future.  In fact, many home education moms may be interested in starting a career themselves after they complete home educating.  Most moms are excited about learning and need some way to channel their energy, so you may want to educate yourself on the many possibilities and get excited about CTE.

As a child begins to express his or her interest, try to tailor the education around those interest by reading together about what the child is interested in. Talk about careers in their areas of interest. Take them on field trips to expose them to those occupations. Then, begin with your middle schoolers giving them a vision for their future by exposing them to resources which will help them see what types of careers would fit their interest and personality. A couple of free resources to help determine your child’s personality, strengths and suitable careers is The Jung Typology Test http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp and the NERIS Type Explorer https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test Another free resources is https://www.floridashines.org/  which is Florida’s Student Hub of Innovative Educational Services.  It includes many resources to learn about different careers, assess your child’s strengths, interests and abilities, and learn about current and future needed occupations. There are other personality and career assessment tools available for a fee.  The most well known are the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment and the Strong Interest Inventory Profile.  One source for these assessments are Discovery Your Personality https://www.discoveryourpersonality.com/strong-and-mbti-career.html Another free site to help you start a conversation about the training and skills needed for certain in-demand jobs in Florida is hosted by The Florida Chamber of Commerce at http://launchmycareerfl.org/ Florida Virtual School (FLVS.net) offers a free leadership course for Florida middle and high schoolers taught by Mawi Asgedom.  Mawi came to the United States as a refugee from Ethiopia, by way of the Sudan, not speaking a word of English.  His parents drilled into their children the need to get an education and to take ownership of their future.  His father continued to remind him to work hard and earn a scholarship.  Mawi developed a plan for his own future in high school, graduated from Harvard University and then earned a MBA from the Kellogg School of Management. While most children are naturally motivated to learn, some face challenges which are difficult to overcome.  Many young people lack vision, direction and a navigational map for their future. Mawi draws students in with his down-to-earth personal humor and his practical ways to help students focus on their own character, actions and goals.  He walks his audience through daily journaling, setting goals and establishing a plan to achieve those goals. He gives students hope through his own experience and helps them develop a personal plan to rise above their own circumstances.  He shows them how their choices determine their future and how to develop a roadmap for success. The Leadership Skills Development course opens for registration June 2019 to home educated students in the 8th grade and above.  This course could help shift the responsibility of education from the parent to the student as they learn to take responsibility for their own future. Here is a link to more information about Mawi Learning.  https://www.mawilearning.com/sites/default/files/Biography%20of%20Mawi%20Asgedom.pdf Look into the courses needed to major in a certain career.  If your child likes working with their hands, pushing them toward college may not be the best pathway.  Looking ahead and gathering the facts about a career pathway that fits your child’s interest and talents and gives them a vision for their own future.

There are many courses available through local school districts from aerospace academies to law academies, but most of them will require full-time enrollment in a public school.  There are also opportunities for a student to start down a career pathway or vocation at a career and technical center run by the school district, but a student would need to be fairly sure that welding, nursing, cosmetology or automotive technology is the career they wish to pursue. Home educated students have some other opportunities to explore a career pathway through the Florida Virtual School at home, online, and free of charge.  These courses will give students course credit and an opportunity to explore a career pathway. For example: Digital Information Technology explores emerging technologies, digital design, Microsoft Office online applications, operating systems, and much more! Students will learn their strengths and how they relate to potential career opportunities. Journalism explores a career in journalism, and students learn how to write a news story, a feature story, and an editorial. Throughout this course, students will learn researching skills and how to conduct interviews, analyze the reliability of sources, and self-editing techniques. Theater, Cinema and Film Production explores the elements of theater and cinematic techniques used by those who create performance productions. Criminal Justice Operations 1 explores the fields of law enforcement, the court system, and the correctional system. Students will acquire technical skill proficiency, industry knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, general employability skills, and occupation-specific skills needed in all aspects of law, public safety, and security careers. Creative Photography 1 exposes students to the basics of photography including lighting, shutter speed, and composition. The student will gain an understanding of professional photography, learn what creates an eye-catching photo, and build a portfolio of images. Also, the student will gain an understanding of professional photography, learn what creates an eye-catching photo, and build a portfolio of images. Art History and Criticism 1 will allow students to learn to critique and compare significant works of art and architecture from Prehistory through the 21st century. They will analyze art history and criticism methodologies, explore media and techniques used by artists from various cultures and time periods, and learn appropriate terminology for discussing artwork from around the world. Social Media 1 explores the history, developments, risks, and rewards of using social media. Discover how individual contributions and influence can be enhanced with the appropriate use of social media. Using their own social media account, they will examine how your interactions can generate change, inform others, and leave a lasting effect. Guitar 1 allows a student to explore their interest and talent in music. The course gives students a foundation in music skills by learning music notation, music styles, and full-strum chords. Students will play the guitar, learn practice skills, and perform for their teacher throughout the course. Although these courses are not intended to be the first step on a career pathway, they expose students to information that may help them determine if their interest lies in a particular field. Another way to explore careers is to arrange field trips to manufacturers through Made in Florida www.madeinflorida.org or arrange a field trip to your local state college or career and technical center to see what they have to offer. Then, there is always the possibility of volunteering at a veterinarian’s office, a nursing home, or a hospital. Exposing students to careers that align with their interests in junior high and high school may help them discover their passion and avoid wasting valuable time later on.

The 2019 Legislative Session ended on May 4 and the Governor was deciding on bills as late as mid-July.  During the Legislative Session, the governor has 7 days to sign a bill after it reaches his desk.  After Session the many bills which have passed the House and Senate have to be certified by the Legislature before they are sent to the Governor’s Office.  Following the Session, the Governor has 15 days after his office receives a bill to sign or veto or the bill or the bill goes into law without his signature. I It has taken some bills almost 2 months to reach the Governor’s office.  Depending on how controversial the bills are, lobbyists may still be trying to influence the Governor’s decision until he finally makes a decision.  With Committee meetings for the 2020 Legislative Session starting in September, lobbying is almost a year round job! Here is what happened during 2019 Session and what has been signed into law. The Gardiner Scholarship has been so popular with parents of children with certain disabilities that the Legislature has had to increase funding every year since it was created in order to cover the waiting list of applicants.  There were 1900 students on the waiting list and $23 million was added to the program in 2019 bringing the total allocation to $147,900,000.  This program allows parents of children with certain disabilities defined by law in s.1002.385(d) to use the funds (approximately $10,000) that would be spent on the child in a public school to customize the education for their child. This customization includes therapies, curriculum/instructional materials, tuition and fees and contributions to a college fund, tutoring services and many other ways. The disabilities covered by the Gardiner Scholarship for a 3 to 4-year-old child or for a student in kindergarten to grade 12 are: autism spectrum disorder, as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, published by the American Psychiatric Association; cerebral palsy, as defined in s. 393.063(6); Down syndrome, as defined in s.393.063(15); an intellectual disability, as defined in s.393.063(24); Phelan-McDermid syndrome, as defined in s.393.063(28); Prader-Willi syndrome, as defined in s.393.063(29); spina bifida, as defined in s.393.063(40); being a high-risk child, as defined in s.393.063(23)(a); muscular dystrophy; Williams syndrome; rare diseases which affect patient populations of fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States, as defined by the National Organization for Rare Disorders; anaphylaxis; deaf; visually impaired; traumatic brain injured; hospital or homebound; or identification as dual sensory impaired, as defined by rules of the State Board of Education and evidenced by reports from local school districts. Parents interested in this program for their child can apply to AAA Scholarships or Step Up For Students. Bright Futures Scholarship Changes The Legislature made several changes to the Bright Futures Scholarship Programs. The scores will no longer be set by the Legislature in law. For the school year 2020-21 the scores will be set by the FLDOE based on the previous year cohort scores of no lower than the 89th national percentile score for the Academic and no lower than the 75th national percentile for the Medallion. The scores are rising as a result of the test-makers removing the quarter-point penalty for wrong answers in 2016. Concordant scores will be set for the ACT. However, scores for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school year will remain the same which is 1290 on the SAT and 29 on the ACT for the Academic and 1170 SAT and 26 on the ACT for the Medallion. The projected scores for the Academic will rise from 1290 to around 1330. The projected scores for the Medallion will increase from 1170 to around 1200. Each year the FLDOE will publish any changes to the examination score requirements that apply to students graduating in the next 2 years. Other Significant changes made to the Bright Futures Scholarship Program: Students that graduate midyear must apply no later than December 31 of the student’s graduation year in order to receive an award for the current academic year. Private school students in the past had received the Bright Futures Scholarships, but some private schools had reported that they could not access the state data base to allow the school to report the students’ volunteer hours. Now private school students are specifically included in the statute, so hopefully the reporting problem will be resolved. Students who apply and meet eligibility requirement to receive an award by high school graduation but do not accept the award, may reapply for up to 5 years after high school graduation. The reapplication period was increased in 2019 from 2 years to 5 years. For students who enlist in the military, the reapplication period of 5 years begins upon the date of separation from active duty. For students who cannot accept the initial reward due to religious or service obligation lasting at least 18 months which begins within 1 year after completion of high school graduation the period of reapplication begins upon the completion of the obligation. Career and Technical Education The Legislature has been trying to create a robust career and technical program in Florida since 2006 when Sen. Don Gaetz came to Tallahassee with a vision.  He wanted to build an educational system that provided rigorous and relevant curriculum that leads to high-skill, high-wage careers that are in high demand in the workforce and that could articulate to post-secondary coursework and/or lead to industry certifications.  While some changes to the traditional public education system were made along the way, it wasn’t until 2013 when the Florida Career and Professional Education Act (CAPE) was passed that the opportunities for students exploded.  Now public schools are offering career-themed academies and post-secondary career dual enrollment courses. The old vocational schools (trade schools) have been transformed into foundational programs for many careers that can lead to industry certifications or articulate to post-secondary course credit. It has taken many years to build this system. Schools were initially required to offer digital materials, CAPE Digital Tool certificates and CAPE industry certifications for students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 to enable students to attain digital skills in order to provide students with the skills needed for the workforce.  Now there are more CAPE programs available throughout Florida than one can imagine. Students can begin coursework in high school through career dual enrollment that will lead to industry certifications, an AS degree or an AAS degree. Programs like Engineering Technology, automotive management and nursing are just a few. See the CAPE Industry Certification (Secondary) Funding List: http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/8904/urlt/1920icfl.pdf See the CAPE Postsecondary Funding List: http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/9946/urlt/1819icfl-ps.pdf Home education students can begin taking some of these courses in career dual enrollment and earn an industry certification while still in high school allowing them to work in their chosen field while continuing their education toward a higher degree. House Bill 7071 –  Relating to Workforce Education The 2019 Legislature passed HB 7071 which, among other things, requires school boards to incorporate the career and technical pathway into the student’s progression plan for graduation as part of a new standard high school diploma. It also requires middle school students to take one course in career and education planning in grades 6,7, or 8.  It helps students to begin focusing on and developing a vision for their future.  The Florida Legislature has funded a phenomenal website, free of charge, to anyone in the state of Florida beginning in middle school and going through college and the workforce. The site is: https://www.floridashines.org/find-a-career MyCareerShines is housed on the Floridashines.org platform and includes evidence-based and developmentally designed career assessments, occupational exploration, education planning tools, college and scholarship searches, job prep tools and tutorials, resume/cover letter builder, and four-year education planning tool.  It is so comprehensive and thorough that it will take a long time to completely explore this site https://www.floridashines.org/find-a-career In fact, you really need training to fully access all the information included on this site.  Home education and private schools can have training session set up online or in person by contacting: Paula Crutchley for the South Florida counties from Monroe County up to Collier, Lee and Hendry County.  Paula can be reached at (805) 208-7539 or crutchleyp@kuder.com Maggie Miller for the remaining counties in Florida.  Maggie can be reached at 863-279-8580 or millerm@kuder.com Additional graduation changes in House Bill (HB) 7071: It created a new diploma which requires students who are interested in a career or technical pathway to graduate to complete the following: (a) complete the required 18 hours for a standard high school diploma, (b) earn 2 credits in career and technical education which result in a program completion or an industry certification and (c) complete two credits in work-based learning programs. It now allows high school students to substitute a computer science credit for either a math or science credit after completing the required Algebra I, Biology and Geometry. It now allows high school students to satisfy 2 credits in math if they earn an industry certification in 3D rapid prototype printing. NOTE:  Bright Futures Gold Seal Vocational Scholars and Bright Futures Gold Seal CAPE Scholars Awards A high school student taking career, technical or CAPE courses who meet all the eligibility requirements may receive one of two Bright Futures Scholarships (a) Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholarship or (b) Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholarship These scholarships pay 100% of the credit hours or equivalent clock hours required to complete an Applied Technology Degree (ATP) program, technical degree education program or a career certificate program at a Florida public or nonpublic education institution that offers these specific programs and if the student transfers to another program level, the student is eligible for the higher of the two program credit hour limit. Dual Enrollment Dual enrollment for home education students is mandated in statute.  However, as laws change it sometimes creates unintended consequences.  This is what occurred in 2012 when the public schools were required to pay the tuition for public school students that take dual enrollment courses.  Although the law did not change for private school students, the Department of Education Division of State Colleges in the Q and A following the passage of the law allowing state colleges to use the articulation agreement to require private schools to pay the tuition for their dual enrolled students. HEF has been fighting since 2012 to correct this in statute, but we have been unsuccessful. Some of the larger private school associations joined in the effort last year to make dual enrollment available to private school students free of charge which helped the bill move closer to passing than one has in the past.  The problem is that state colleges want the funds for tuition. However, private schools cannot afford to pay the tuition and private school students are being denied access to dual enrollment.  This is completely unfair because these students are of compulsory attendance age and their parents pay taxes. Tthe Legislature has been unwilling to resolve this problem in the past. However, bills were filed in the 2019 Session by Rep Ardian Zika (HB 189) and Senator Kellie Stargel (SB 1342) to amend the law stating that neither private schools or private school students could be charged tuition for dual enrollment courses and to appropriate $550,000 in recurring funds to cover the cost of the tuition and fees.  Although the House bill passed and was sent to the Senate, both bills died in the Senate the last week of Session.  So, HEF will continue to lobby this issue.  It often takes years to bring about positive change in statute.  We will keep fighting. Dual enrollment Books for home education students .I am happy to report that the funding for instructional materials for home education students is recurring though it has been said that no one is safe when the Legislature is in Session.  This means that every year when the Appropriation Committee prepares the annual budget that this line item will start off in the budget.  While there is no guarantee that it will stay in the budget each year, the likelihood is that it will.  But, it requires constant vigilance to make sure that in the tiny print of the budget no language appears to change the law that places the $550,000 in the budget to pay for home education students instructional materials. For those of you who want to see the line item in the budget, it is Item 129 on page 39 http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2019/2500/Amendment/379320/pdf Immunization Registry House Bill 213 requires any health care practitioner that administers vaccinations or causes vaccinations to be administered to children from birth to 17 to report vaccination data to a central data bank at the Florida Department of Health. College and university health center practitioners are required to report immunizations administered to students ages 18-23. HEF worked with the opponents of this bill to create an opt-out provision for parents or students who refuse to have their information or their child’s information included in the registry.  However, it is up to the parent/student to obtain an opt-out form from the Department of Health and submit it to the health care practitioner at the time of the vaccination. That practitioner will then submit it to the Department or Health or the parent can submit it directly to the Department of Health.  It also requires the Department of Health to remove any information pertaining to the student from the registry upon receipt of the form. Senate Bill 64 has been filed for the 2020 Legislative Session by Sen. Lauren Book. It will remove the language allowing a parent to file a religious exemption to the required immunizations for a child.  It would require a newly created medical board to review any medical exemptions filed by a physician.  You can read SB 64 at:  http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2020/64/BillText/Filed/PDF Other Issues looming on the horizon are: High-stakes assessments for VPK students (that is for 4-year olds.) Background screening and/or abuse registry screening for parents who want to home educate their child(ren). Brenda Dickinson, your lobbyist, has been meeting with the proponents of this idea over the summer and this bill may not be filed this year. Time will tell. Mandatory vaccines by the US government. The Home Education Foundation (HEF) is your voice in the Florida Capitol and we will continue to fight for your rights.

HEF is excited to announce that we have arranged for Kuder to present the MyCareerShines webinar on two different dates so you can learn about this valuable resource. MyCareerShines is Florida’s comprehensive education and career planning system designed specifically for Florida’s middle and high school students. It is funded by the Florida Legislature, powered by Kuder, and is available at no cost to all students and adults in Florida. Recently, HEF sent out 2 newsletters detailing how parents could research career information for their students, but MyCareerShines combines all the resources we had been able to identify plus much more into one comprehensive online program. Highly customized for Florida, MyCareerShines includes evidence-based and developmentally designed career assessments, occupational exploration, career awareness, education planning tools, postsecondary institution information, scholarship searches, job prep tools and tutorials, a resume/cover letter builder, and 2-year, 4-year and industry certification education planning tools. This career planning system also contains many videos allowing students to explore different careers. You can access this fabulous resource on your own for your child and set up his/her own personal account at:  https://www.floridashines.org/find-a-career or join one of the webinars below and get a certified career planner to walk you through it. These webinars will be presented on: October 7th from 8:00- 9:00 pm   https://kuder.webex.com/kuder/onstage/g.php?MTID=e2afdc55ce591917aa2beb7e1b68e0262 October 17th from 8:00 – 9:00 pm.  https://kuder.webex.com/kuder/onstage/g.php?MTID=e91a5044fff479045d67e3d3baacaddb7 Paula Crutchley will present these webinars for HEF.  However, if you can’t join these webinars, you can schedule a webinar training or an in-person training at no cost with one of the two Florida trainers listed below. Maggie Miller is the Field Trainer in North Florida.  Maggie can be reached at 863-279-8580 or millerm@kuder.com Paula Crutchley is the Field Trainer in South Florida.  Paula can be reached at (805) 208-7539 or crutchleyp@kuder.com

Monday, October 28, 2019: 4:00 p.m. ET  –  Earn a Sunshine State Scholarship If you are a Florida resident and attend a Florida college or university, you might be eligible for a Bright Futures Scholarship. Learn how this Florida scholarship program can help you earn a college degree without a mountain of debt. 5:00 p.m. ET –  Get a Jump Start on College Did you know you can enroll in college courses while you’re still in high school? Dual enrollment allows you to earn credit towards both your high school diploma and your college degree. Learn how dual enrollment can get you started with completing your college degree. 6:00 p.m. ET – Make a Plan to Land Your Dream Job Get ready to shine. Learn how MyCareerShines, Florida’s free online education and career planning system, can help you find a rewarding career and make a plan to land your dream job Tuesday, October 29, 2019: 4:00 p.m. ET –  Succeed in School with Online Courses With today’s technology, you can finish college courses on your schedule – learning virtually anywhere, at any time. Learn how online courses can help you earn a college degree now. 5:00 p.m. ET –  Earn a Degree without Debt Don’t let the cost of college keep you from pursuing a degree. Learn how to apply for financial aid to reduce the cost of a college degree, starting with the FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid. 6:00 p.m. ET –  FloridaShines for You FloridaShines is Florida’s Student Hub of Innovative Educational Services. Learn what online educational services can help you shine in high school, college and your career. Wednesday, October 30, 2019: 4:00 p.m. ET – Prepare to Shine in Your Career Are you ready to pursue your career but need more training to qualify or a job? Learn how enrolling in a Technical Center can prepare you for success in your chosen field. 5:00 p.m. ET –  Navigate the Admissions Process Do you know where you want to go to college or are you still exploring options? Understanding each institution’s requirements will help you in your search. Learn about the requirements for Florida’s colleges and universities, and how to navigate the admissions process to get into the school of your choice. 6:00 p.m. ET – Finish Up Your College Degree Did you attend college but left before earning a degree? Complete Florida gives you the opportunity to finish your degree. Learn how the online courses and coaches at Complete Florida can help you complete your degree.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Most people think that once the Legislative Session has ended the work for HEF has ended. However, our work is never done. Threatening Legislation In June, 2019, I traveled to Jacksonville to meet with 3 pediatricians. Two are associated with the University of Florida and the other one is in private practice in Manatee county. These doctors had approached a Senator to sponsor a bill that they believed would protect home educated students from abuse. Since I am known as the voice for home educators in Florida, the Senator’s office called me and ask if I could meet with them to discuss the bill. The doctors wanted to ensure the safety of home educated children by requiring the names of their parent(s) and all persons over the age of 12 living in the household to be run through the child abuse register prior to being given permission to home educate their children. I listened to their arguments for the bill, then told them that we would fight any legislation that limited the ability of parents to home educate their children. I also told them that legislators passed a law in 1990 to do the exact same thing. Craig Dickinson, then President of HEF, was able to lessen the impact of the law by negotiating with the Department of Education on the implementation of the law which would require parents to sign an affidavit stating that they had never been convicted of child abuse. In 1994, Brenda was able to get the legislature to repeal that law. At the end of the meeting I asked if they had a draft of their bill. They gave me a copy of their draft bill written by the Coalition for Responsible Home Education. They said they wanted home education parents to meet the same requirements as public and private school teachers and be cleared through the Department of Children and Families’ child abuse registry. I studied the draft and it did not do what the pediatricians thought it did. We met again in July in the Senator’s office to discuss the draft bill. I explained to them that their draft bill would require all adults living in the household to have a Level Two (state and federal) criminal background screening, but not require them to be run through the child abuse register. I told them that public and private school teachers are not required to be cleared through the child abuse registry. They told me that I was wrong and asked the Legislative Assistant to contact the Department of Education to confirm whether teachers are cleared through the child abuse registry before being allowed to teach in a public or private school. The FLDOE confirmed what I had told them was correct. I think they dropped the issue, but HEF will continue to monitor the bills filed in this and future Sessions to make sure this does not become a barrier to home education in Florida.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_separator][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Polk County Also, in June, I was privileged to be on call with the district home education contacts from all over the state. During this call, the Home Education District Contacts from Polk and Duval complained that they did not have enough volunteers for the truancy portfolio review committees. I told them that I might be able to help them recruit volunteers. On Sept 26 I spoke at Lighthouse Home School Support group and told them of the need for volunteers for this committee. I asked Sylvana Spangler if she would set up a meeting with Polk County Home Education office and home education leaders in Polk County. There has not been a good relationship in this county for a few years so I wanted to try to build these relationships. On Oct.8, 2019, I met for over 2 ½ hours with Mr. Deron Williams, Carol Trudell and Lisa Street from the Polk County School District Home Education Office and 7 leaders representing 4 home education groups in the district. They stated that they had over 500 people referred to this committee each year. I could not believe that they were accurate with their number, but there was no way to confirm that number. We parted with a few suggestions to help with the Home Education Portfolio Review Committee (HEPRC), and the leaders stated they would try to find volunteers to help. I continued conversations with the volunteers who had served on the HEPRC over the next few weeks, and those discussions revealed more problems than just a lack of volunteers. Some of the problems were beyond the ability of the Home Education Office to solve. It appears that public schools in Polk, like some other counties, are encouraging and even helping parents of truants and students who may not be able to pass the state assessments to register their children in a home education program. A few parents told the committee that someone at the school filled out their letter of intent. After doing some research, I discovered that this was also happening in Leon County, and state auditors had seen this happen in Manatee county as well. When a student is “coded” in the district computer as a home education student that student does not bring down the school graduation rate or the school grade if they cannot pass the state assessment. So, basically the district is dumping their problem students into home education. Also, there were some major issues that needed to be addressed which violated federal law, and the process followed in Polk did not follow state law. It took a while to identify all the issues, put them in writing and seek help from the people in power who could bring about the changes needed. I believe that by the middle of January, the home educators in Polk County will see some much needed change.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_separator][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Florida School Music Association This kind of change, like the Polk County issues discussed above, takes months to implement. This kind of work requires relationship building, lots of discussion and a complete understanding of the complexity of the issues. Thus, HEF has been on the job working on your behalf for the last 6 months.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row bg_type=”bg_color” bg_color_value=”rgba(30,115,190,0.07)”][vc_column][vc_column_text] Session starts Jan 14, 2020, and HEF will be in the Capitol working to protect your rights. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text] MyCareerShines Training MyCareerShines is the missing piece for home educating parents and provides the student’s very own career guidance counselor. It is totally free thanks to the state of Florida. Don’t miss out on these trainings. Start in middle school with your child and spread the word to every home schooler you know. January 14 from 8-9pm Maggie Miller (host) https://kuder.webex.com/kuder/onstage/g.php?MTID=e6492df524422b932ddadac20066155ca February 11 from 8-9pm Paula Crutchely (host) https://kuder.webex.com/kuder/onstage/g.php?MTID=e7c8eac4adc6550946ac3763840c97698 March 17 from 8-9pm Maggie Miller (host) https://kuder.webex.com/kuder/onstage/g.php?MTID=ef4e9f49a838058f8031f3fb4e6a96325 April 14 from 8-9pm Paula Crutchley (host) https://kuder.webex.com/kuder/onstage/g.php?MTID=ec2e1f0015241129cc66360acc9fced85[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_separator][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Zeal For Learning, Inc. https://smile.amazon.com/ch/82-2811664 Zeal For Learning is a 501(c)(3) organization established by 3 of the HEF Board members to help home education students connect to industry. It is our hope that we can begin recruiting and advertising industries who might be willing to advertise their jobs which do not require a 4-year degree.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_separator][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] HEF needs your financial support

First, I need to let you know the policy of HEF and secondly to clarify current law regarding this issue. Policy of HEF:   HEF normally does not alert parents to bills that are filed that we do not believe will pass. We believe that parents only need to worry about the bills that have the possibility of passing. As your lobbyist, I use a strategic plan to oppose and hopefully defeat bills that have a potential to hurt home educators. Only after I have done my best to defeat or change a bill, I will reach out to the home education community.  We want home education families to be able to educate their children and not worry about bills that are unlikely to pass.  If you want to know which bills challenge your right to educate your children, please subscribe to our HEF newsletter at www.flhef.org where I will send out notifications as needed if I need your help to defeat threatening legislation. Clarification of the law:  This bill will not affect home educators signed under the county. There is no mention in these bills of home education programs.  However, parents who teach their children at home under an “umbrella” private school may be effected if the bill does move and we are not able to get it amended.  The Home Education Program, which applies to students signed up under the county is s.1002.41 FS and Private School law, which include “umbrella” private schools, is s.1002.42 FS. There are major differences in these two laws, and the legal status of each is important when dealing with Florida Statutes.  HEF is very aware of these differences, and, because I also lobby for an association of private schools and work together with a larger group of private schools (FAANS), I follow the private school laws carefully every Session and work to protect private school autonomy and independence.  Many times over the years, I have protected the rights of parents teaching through “umbrella” private schools as the laws have changed. I will continue to do so. Status of these Bills:  These bills are focused on private schools that take state scholarship students in s1002.421 FS. Since “umbrella” private schools are not allowed to take state scholarship students, these bills are unlikely to affect “umbrella” private schools.In the early 2000s when the state scholarships (John M. McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program and the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program) were created, I was lobbying for the Florida Association of Academic Non-Public Schools (FAANS) and fought with the Governor and the Department of Education to create a separate section of law which only pertains to private schools that participate in these scholarship programs. This section of law is 1002.421 FS. SB 632/HB 859 targets these schools that participate in the state scholarship programs. There are some changes proposed in these bills which would apply to all private schools in the Annual Database Survey section 1002.42 Florida Statutes.  If the bill passes, ‘umbrella” private schools would have to administer the Florida State Assessments (FSA) to their students.  “Brick-and-Mortar” Private schools would fight this infringement on their rights too. Therefore, I do not believe these changes would be implemented because it will be too expensive for the State to administer the state assessments in all private schools.  I think this would be easy to argue against since all private schools do not receive state funding. Also I believe these bills will not pass this Session because the Governor is placing emphasis on raising teacher’s salaries and has asked the Legislature to cut current programs in order to accomplish this.  It is likely that additional requests for appropriations will not be considered favorably, therefore, I am 95% sure this bill may not even be heard. So far neither of these bills have been put on a Committee agenda. Rest assured that you will hear from HEF if a bill threatens your rights.  Please make sure you subscribe to our newsletter at www.flhef.org in order to receive any notifications.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The number of sites won’t be as plentiful as usual. But for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered schools, Florida teens will have the chance to take the ACT test in June — even as campuses remain closed for summer course work. “We recognize that many students, including seniors, are in need of test scores for scholarship and admissions decisions. This requires us to provide flexible options for testing,” the ACT told the Tampa Bay Times via email. “We’re committed to working with test centers that can safely open and are prepared to follow CDC guidelines to provide a safe opportunity for students to test.” The ACT plans to alert students beginning this week if their testing center has canceled. If families feel uncomfortable going to an open center, they may request a refund or reschedule to a future testing date. Several schools that had planned to offer the test decided against it. But others — including Spoto and Durant in Hillsborough County, Hudson and Gulf in Pasco County, and Pinellas Park and Lakewood in Pinellas County — … [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title=”Read More…” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tampabay.com%2Fnews%2Fgradebook%2F2020%2F05%2F27%2Fin-person-act-testing-still-set-at-schools-in-june%2F||target:%20_blank|”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column].,m[vc_column_text] WHEREAS, due to the emergency, the spring and early summer administrations of the ACT and SAT test have been cancelled, impacting the ability of seniors graduating in the 2020 to qualify for Bright Futures Scholarship Awards; and, WHEREAS, the response to the emergency impacted the ability to some seniors graduating in the spring of2020 to complete their volunteer hours; NOW, THEREFORE, I, Richard Corcoran, Commissioner . . .[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title=”Read More…” color=”success” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fldoe.org%2Fcore%2Ffileparse.php%2F19861%2Furlt%2F2020-EO-05.pdf||target:%20_blank|”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

For 16 years, HEED, located in South Florida has served the home school community (grades 6-12) with a university model program. Students meet once a week in a classroom setting and receive their instruction for the week. They are then given assignments to complete during the week, with access to their teachers if they have questions. Parents play an important role of oversight and accountability for their students. These small, specialized, personal classes, interaction of professional experts in their subjects with the students, and the use of a college level learning management system to deliver information has been a successful solution to parents seeking help and guidance. The curriculum chosen includes Apologia Science, Saxon Math, Bob Jones History and Analytical Grammar for middle school just to name a few. The high school program is taught at a college prep level although accommodations are made for students working at a lower level. HEED is in a partnership with Palm Beach Atlantic University to offer their students 24 college credits during grades 11 and 12. HEED students have been accepted at colleges and universities around the country including The University of Florida, The University of North Carolina, the military academies and most recently Harvard. HEED offers families academic advising for high school and college information as well as SAT and Act prep classes. For the 2020-21 school year HEED is taking their classrooms online. They will still be live, but delivered on a secure college platform. The classrooms will still be small, 8-12. They will still be personal and have high accountability, but now they are available outside of the South Florida area to students around the world. HEED is excited to take their 16 years of experience and reach out to share with families facing this confusing and fearful time. This might be a great resource for your family or for you to share with families needing help. www.heedhomeschool.com HEED is presenting the USA Home School Expo on Saturday, August 1 from 9 – 5. This free, one-day event will have 15 sessions filled with encouragement and information for those contemplating Home schooling and even for the seasoned veteran. A vendor room will be open with lots of time to ask questions. There will even be a track for Spanish speaking parents and it’s all FREE! The work of HEF will be highlighted during the lunch hour when Brenda will be interviewed and will be sharing about the work of HEF, and how families can support their lobbyist. www.usahomeschoolexpo.com Please share the Expo information with your groups and your friends, neighbors and families. Stop in the Virtual HEF Vendor Hall to say hello. We missed seeing so many of you at the FPEA convention this summer!