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Florida's children need your advocacy today!

As the 60-day legislative session winds down, budget talks have stalled over how to spend the $12 billion federal stimulus money earmarked for public schools. School districts desperately need this money to provide essential supports for students and to cover COVID related expenses from the past year.

We must advocate for students, educators and public schools and tell Tallahassee to release the funds.

To learn more about the budget and other issues you care about, read the update below and visit the Advocacy Dashboard to take action for students. We make it easy to identify and contact your legislators via email, phone, and/or social media. Together, we can advocate for policies that invest in children and support their future.

Tell Tallahassee to release the funds

The pandemic has had an incredible impact on children, teachers and public schools. Yet, Florida lawmakers have tied up $12 billion in federal COVID relief funds earmarked for public schools. Tell the governor and your legislators to release the funds to school districts today.

Educators need our support

An emergency order issued last week waived many of the harmful impacts from state testing. However, the order did not go far enough to protect educators who have gone above and beyond for children. Unreliable student test results may still be included in their performance evaluations. Tell the governor and lawmakers educators deserve protection, too.

School vouchers set to pass

The Senate and House are poised to pass different versions of a bill that drastically expands voucher programs. These programs drain millions of dollars from public schools, colleges and universities every year by paying for children to attend unregulated, privately owned schools with no accountability or oversight. Tell the governor and your elected officials to support Florida's students by investing in public schools, colleges and universities.

TAKE ACTION

Bright Futures stalled in the House

A bill to change Bright Futures as we know it passed the Senate and is waiting for action by the House. This bill eliminates Bright Futures and Benaquisto scholarship funding guarantees so the monies may be diverted for other items like the expensive voucher bill (see above). We can still kill this bad bill. Tell Gov. DeSantis and House representatives that Florida's best and brightest deserve better.