I am a Florida resident largely because of the education opportunities available for my children.
If the Florida Education Association succeeds in its lawsuit against Florida’s scholarship programs and charter schools, families like mine could lose the very options that brought us here.
That lawsuit seeks to dismantle education choice programs that have existed in Florida for more than two decades. If successful, it could impact nearly 1 million K–12 students across Florida.
I moved to Florida from Indiana in July 2021 with my two children because I was searching for a better educational environment for them.
I fostered Rian and her brother Lincoln for nearly three years before adopting them.
I was their fifth foster placement in eight months, and by the time they came to me – at just 3 years old and 15 months old, respectively – they had already experienced more instability than many children face in a lifetime.
When they reached school age, I knew they would need strong educational support and stability.
Unfortunately, I knew my children needed a different kind of educational environment than what was available to us locally in Indiana.
A friend living in the Sarasota area told me about Florida’s education scholarship programs and how they made different educational models accessible for families.
So we packed up and moved to the Sunshine State.
Enrolling my children at The Classical Academy of Sarasota through Florida education choice scholarships felt like an absolute answer to our prayers.
Different children have different needs
The school aligned with our values through its technology-free environment, encouraged parental involvement, emphasized classical education with a strong focus on history and literature, and provided the kind of environment I had long hoped for my children.
It is truly a special place where childhood is cherished.
One of the things I have learned as a parent is that no single educational setting is perfect for every child at every stage.
While The Classical Academy of Sarasota has been wonderful for Lincoln, my daughter Rian began struggling academically.
With her unique abilities, Rian needed time to reset and discover new tools to support her learning.
It was not because the school failed her; in fact, they cared deeply for her and worked hard to support her.
She simply needed a different environment with more individualized instruction and flexibility to accommodate her needs.
In January, after many tearful moments, I made the difficult decision to homeschool Rian.
Stepping away from her friends and the school community was incredibly difficult, yet it has turned out to be exactly what she needed.
Today Rian is thriving. Her confidence has grown. She is making academic progress.
As a work-from-home mother, homeschooling allows us to create a schedule that better fits her learning style and emotional needs.
Let families have educational freedom
Through Florida’s Personalized Education Program (PEP) scholarship, I’ve also been able to hire a math tutor and reading specialist to help carry some of the areas where she needs additional support.
Although Indiana has a tuition scholarship program, it has nothing like the PEP program.
That spending flexibility has changed our lives.
What I appreciate most about Florida’s education system is not that it pushes one model over another. It’s that families are free to pursue the environment that best serves their child – whether that is a district school, charter school, private school, homeschooling, or even a combination of those.
For us, those options have made all the difference.
When I learned about the teachers union lawsuit, my first thought was not political.
It was personal.
I thought about the families whose children are finally thriving after years of struggle, transition or educational setbacks. Why would we want to disrupt environments where children are succeeding?
I honestly do not know how the existing school system could absorb the number of students who would suddenly be displaced if those options disappeared.
Education should remain centered on students, not systems.
Our hope is for Rian to eventually return to The Classical Academy of Sarasota by middle school.
She simply needs time, support and space to regroup academically before taking that next step.
When that day comes, I sincerely pray these opportunities still exist for families like mine.
Holly Dunn resides in Sarasota.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: I’m a Sarasota mom. Protect school choice for kids like mine | Opinion
Reporting by Holly Dunn Guest columnist, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Holly Dunn Guest columnist, Sarasota Herald-Tribune | USA TODAY Network
