About NextSteps

Florida is a leader in making the new definition of public education a reality.

Hundreds of thousands of families now use flexible scholarships to access learning opportunities of their choice. Many pockets of the state have seen explosions of teacher-led innovations, as educators launch innovative schools, create new learning environments that stretch existing definitions of what even means school, and offer students learning experiences that aren’t confined to school at all.

New learning options have proliferated outside the public education system even as the system itself has improved, increasing learning outcomes for students and creating more options for families. Over time, the boundaries between improvements inside the system and innovations outside it will continue to blur. The array of learning options available to students and families will continue to grow.

But as these positive trends gain momentum, growing pains are inevitable, and new obstacles become clear.

The goal of NextSteps is to identify those new challenges, highlight potential solutions, and shine a light on the families and educators who stand to benefit.

This blog is an effort of Step Up For Students, the organization that administers education choice scholarships on behalf of Florida families. It exists to give a voice to the families, educators, advocates and leaders who are committed to making the future of education a reality for families, all over the country.

We will focus on telling the Florida story, because that is the state where we are based.

But we will also turn our eyes to other states that can learn lessons from Florida, and look to other states for lessons that can inform our work in Florida.