Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools (FCPCS) Celebrates 25 Years of Sharing and Service for Florida’s Charter Schools

Since the late 1990s, Florida’s leading organization dedicated to public charter schools in Florida has propelled the movement from a few schools serving several dozen students to a 2024 total of 739 schools serving 396,522 students. 

Sherard Parker, Director of Member Services for the Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools (FCPCS), welcomes all attendees in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of FCPCS at the 2024 Florida Charter School Conference + School Choice Summit.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (December 5, 2024) – The Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools (FCPCS) marked its 25^th Anniversary by continuing to build meaningful connections with representatives of its member schools at the recent 2024 Florida Charter School Conference + School Choice Summit. 

Held at the Caribe Royale Orlando, the Conference brought together hundreds of charter school educators for training and networking opportunities.  FCPCS members participated in general sessions and breakout programs, plus they toured a packed exhibit hall, where FCPCS was represented at its 25th Anniversary booth by Director of Member Services Sherard Parker, among others. 

It was a fitting focus on building relationships for networking and training at the Conference for FCPCS member school representatives.  The organization was founded 25 years ago based on the idea of sharing information among Florida’s charter schools to help increase their success, according to Robert Haag, FCPCS President. 

“We realized if we were going to have a strong movement, we had to have strong relationships,” said Haag.  “We built those relationships with leaders and members of the Florida Legislature, with representatives of the school districts, and with other charter school innovators.  If one of us had an issue, we would pick up the phone and call each other.” 

Since then, Florida’s charter school movement has mushroomed to reach 739 schools serving 396,522 students in 48 of Florida’s 67 counties.  And FCPCS, which began in the late 1990s as a loose affiliation of several South Florida charter schools, has paved the way for Florida charter schools as the leading charter school membership organization in the state. 

Since its founding, FCPCS has been a driving force in charter school innovation, with early private financial support through the Walton Family Foundation and the South Florida Annenberg Challenge.  It created the FCPCS Quality Standards for Florida Public Charter Schools and published the first FCPCS Florida Charter Schools Fact Sheet. 

In 2008, FCPCS established the Dr. Carlo Rodriguez Scholarships for graduates of Florida charter high schools.  In 2012, the Charter School Champions Award program was launched, presenting 178 awards over more than a decade.  Both are active programs to this day. 

FCPCS created Evaluation Systems for Charter School Administrators and Instructional Personnel in 2013.  It added a Governance Board Training Program in 2014, as well as the Florida Principal & Teacher Academy.  

In 2015, FCPCS launched Teachers for Charter Schools.  The Teach in Florida website was created in 2023 to support the demand for more charter school teachers in the state.  

FCPCS innovations continue in 2024, with the establishment of the FCPCS Clinical Teaching and Field Experience Program. 

“Florida’s public charter schools offer incredible opportunities for their students,” said Haag.  “That’s an important reason why the number of students attending Florida public charter schools continues to increase.” 

About the Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools

The Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools (FCPCS) is the leading charter school membership association in the state.  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.