FCSA - Florida Charter School Alliance

Start a Charter School in Florida

If you are looking for information on how to start a charter school in the state of Florida, you have come to the right place. The Alliance supports charter school developers in every way, from getting your application approved to opening your school, and all the details in between.
Learn about our CharterStart program >

Read a testimonial from a start up charter school in Bay County, FL >

What’s New

The Florida Charter School Alliance has Partnered with the Association of American Educators to Benefit Our Member Teachers

The Association of American Educators (AAE) is the non-union professional option for educators throughout the country. AAE members are forward-thinking professionals who set high standards for themselves and their students. Members recognize their responsibility of providing the best possible education for their students. Learn more about the benefits for teachers here.

New Report from Florida Department of Education Finds Charter School Students Outperform Their Traditional District Peers on Statewide Assessments

A new report from the Florida Department of Education shows that students who attend charter schools outpace their traditional public school counterparts on state assessments. Required by state law, the report, Student Achievement in Florida's Charter Schools: A Comparison with Achievement in Traditional Public Schools, is a statewide analysis of student achievement in charter schools versus the achievement of comparable students in traditional public schools. Learn more here and download the report.

Every Student Needs a Hero. Now You Can Reward Your Best Teachers with The New American Hero Teacher Recognition Program.

Every student needs a hero who will champion their education. The New American Hero initiative is a joint effort of the Clarion Council for Educational Greatness and the Florida Charter School Alliance to identify and reward exceptional teachers who greatly impact students’ lives. Click here to learn how your school can participate.

Now It's Easier To Support Equitable Funding For Charter School Students

A new tool has been developed that makes it easier for you to support equitable funding for charter school students. Please visit http://www.supportourcharterschools.com/ and provide your name, age, email and zip code. With this information, an email will be sent to your legislator, expressing your support of our efforts to equitably fund public charter school students. We ask that you share this message with interested parents, teachers, and charter school supporters as well as share the link on your website and social media outlets, urging others to join the effort to advocate for equitable funding for Florida’s public charter school students.

New Study Released by Florida TaxWatch - How Charter School Funding Compares

In an effort to better inform Florida's policymakers as the Legislative Session hits its mid-point, Florida TaxWatch released "How Charter School Funding Compares," which examines the inequities between charter and traditional public school funding levels, and offers suggestions on how to make the levels more equitable.

Download the report here

Legislation

Some of the victories in school choice legislation this session include expanding online learning options, providing a one-time bump in the state tax-credit to businesses who donate scholarships to low income students and the opportunity for high school students who want to graduate in less than four years to do so.

Specifically for charter schools, there were bills introduced that would hold charter schools more accountable, create a more equitable funding environment and allow parents to have a voice when it comes to turning around failing public schools.

Progress has been made and a conversation has been started with regard to funding equity. Lawmakers are beginning to understand that public resources should be fairly distributed among all public schools. There has even been a task force assigned to take a closer look at how we can make sure all public schools are funded equitably.