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Florida's Groundbreaking Charter Bill Creates New Authorizer
June 26,2006
 Charter schools are logging significant achievement gains in Florida, and Governor Jeb Bush took another step towards improving school quality and accountability in the state by signing House Bill 135 into law. The bill creates the Florida Schools of Excellence Commission, a state-level charter school authorizer.
The Schools of Excellence Commission allows municipalities and universities to share in the chartering responsibility to help bring into existence new, quality charter schools. Legislators in Florida told CER "we couldn’t have done it without you," when they successfully passed legislation, and CER has been called on to continue that leading role in working with legislators and charter leaders in the ongoing development of the Commission.
"This new law ensures that more and better quality charter schools will evolve to serve students in Florida," said CER President Jeanne Allen. “The new authorizer is a groundbreaking development that draws on our best experiences nationwide and is likely to be a model for other states. It is no surprise that such innovation comes from a state that has led the way in all education reform."
At the signing of the bill by Governor Bush, pictured from left to right: Florida State Representative John K. Stargel, CER's Michael Musante, Florida State Senator Stephen R. Wise, Robert Haag, President of the Florida Consortium of Charter Schools, Fernando Zulueta, President Academica and chair of the Charter School Review Panel, and Vickie Marble of the Student Leadership Academy and newly appointed member of the Charter School Review Panel.
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