FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 6, 2011

Tallahassee, Fla. - The National Coalition for Public School Options (NCPSO) applauds the Florida Senate Pre-K-12 Education Committee for passing Senate Bill 1620 with a unanimous vote. SB 1620 provides students with a full-time online education program tailored to their specific learning needs that is available to Florida students statewide.

"As our world continues to speed down a digitally connected path, our students must be equipped with an education that will allow them to be successful in the 21st century and beyond," said Wendy Howard, NCPSO board member. "As we all know, children learn in unique and individualized ways. Passing SB 1620 is a momentous step forward for the future of our Sunshine state children. Allowing parents the opportunity to provide their children with customized learning tools needed to excel in their choice of school is the right leap ahead.

"We applaud Senator Flores for her tireless work to expand access to full-time online schools and guarantee all Florida families are able to choose the best school that fits their child's needs to receive the highest quality education. NCPSO is also grateful for the outstanding support of the Associated Industries of Florida, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, ITFlorida, Florida Virtual School, Foundation for Florida's Future and Step Up For Students that want to see Florida continue to be a leader on the education front."

NCPSO looks forward to working with members of the Florida Legislature to turn this bill in to law. We will continue this tremendous effort to bring more options to families looking to provide their children with the best education possible in a format that works well for their child.

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