VPSC FRIENDS AND FAMILY

By Rose Raynak

 I hope everyone is having a fun and safe summer.   It is dry and hot up in Tallahassee with no ocean breezes to cool us down like some of you folks have.   Many new things are happening around the Department.   We are excited about the Department receiving a renewal of the Voluntary Public School Choice grant for another 5-year period.   The management of the new grant will be housed in the Office of Independent Education and Parental Options.   That office has many innovative plans to build on the first 5-year VPSC grant so that all parents in Florida are aware of the school choice options available for their children and are able to take advantage of them.   Stay tuned for lots of good things happening in school choice for our children.

A simple 'thank you' can't even begin to express my gratitude to all of you who I have worked with over the past three years on this project.   We have opened many doors for our children and we have helped to ensure that our school choice policies are equitable and allow for maximum diversity in our schools.    Florida has come a long way from early days of court orders for desegregation of our schools and the first VPSC project has helped that process tremendously.   While our first VPSC project may be winding down, there is still much to be done for parental awareness and school choice.   We are looking for a lot more progress to be made over the next 5 years as we unfold the new VPSC project.

In the upcoming months I will be working to finalize summative and financial reports that will be due to USDE about the progress we have made on the first VPSC project.   I will be available to assist any of you with your final reporting when the project ends. I will remain available to provide any assistance I can to support the Department and its many initiatives in the future if you need my help.  

Meanwhile, I wish all of you the best in your current and future endeavors and I extend a heartfelt THANK YOU for all the things you do for our children.   You are the supporting hands on that ladder of their future success.   Keep up the great work!!!