U.S. Department of Education Honors Four Member Schools of the Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools (FCPCS)

FCPCS Congratulates its Member Schools Honored as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C., (October 7, 2019) -- Four member schools of the Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools have been recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2019 by the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C.

Three of the award-winning schools are located in Miami.  They are Mater Academy East Charter Middle School, Mater Academy East Elementary Charter School and Pinecrest Academy (North Campus).  The fourth school is Choices in Learning Elementary Charter School in Winter Springs, Fla.

The four Florida charter schools were among 362 public and private schools recognized for their overall academic performance or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.

"The Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools congratulates the winning schools,” said Robert Haag, President of FCPCS.  “We are proud of their accomplishments and of their membership in FCPCS.”

Each winning school receives a flag that identifies that school as a National Blue Ribbon School for 2019.  According to the U.S. Department of Education, the flags “affirm the hard work of students, educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging content.”

The winning schools are:

  • Mater Academy East Charter Middle School, Miami, offers first-class academic programs to enable students to become productive citizens who are prepared to address the challenges of the twenty-first century.
  • Mater Academy East Elementary Charter School, Miami, provides a loving, caring, and supportive educational environment that furthers a philosophy of respect and high expectations for all students, parents, teachers and staff.  The school's mission is to accomplish this by providing students with the necessary skills to reach their highest potential. 
  • Pinecrest Academy (North Campus), Miami, provides a challenging curriculum where academic excellence, character development, and individual growth are nurtured in a safe environment that involves the active participation of students, teachers, parents and community members. 
  • Choices in Learning Elementary Charter School, Winter Springs.  It is the mission of Choices in Learning Elementary Charter School to inspire and educate lifelong learners through a cooperative learning community. 

About the Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools

Celebrating its 20th Anniversary as an organization driving the charter school movement in Florida, the Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools (FCPCS) is the leading charter school membership association in the state, with a membership of nearly 75 percent of all operating charter schools.  Since its inception in 1999, FCPCS has been dedicated to creating a national model of high quality, accredited public charter schools that are student-centered and performance-driven.  FCPCS provides a wide array of technical support, mentoring, training, networking, and purchasing services to its membership, as well as serving as an advocate for all Florida public charter schools.