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

FCPCS Congratulates its Member Schools Honored as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C., (September 24, 2021) -- Two member schools of the Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools have been recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2021 by the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C.

The two award-winning schools are located in South Florida.  They are Somerset Academy Silver Palms in Homestead, Fla., and Charter School of Excellence in Davie, Fla.  

The two schools are among 325 public and private schools recognized this year for their overall academic performance or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.

"The Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools congratulates our newest National Blue Ribbon Schools,” said Robert Haag, President of FCPCS.  “We are proud of their accomplishments and of their membership in FCPCS.”

Each award-winning school receives a flag that identifies that school as a National Blue Ribbon School for 2021.  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.” 

• Somerset Academy Silver Palms, Homestead, was nominated as a National Blue Ribbon School in the category of Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools.  It offers kindergarten through twelfth grade education and serves 1,955 students. 

• Charter School of Excellence at Davie also was nominated as a National Blue Ribbon School in the category of Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools.  It serves 289 elementary school students. 

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, 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. 

Is the Worst Over?  Modelers Predict Steady Decline in Covid Cases Through March

From Health News Florida/NPR
By Rob Stein, Carmel Wroth
Published September 22, 2021

Though infections are still sky-high, the U.S. may be turning a corner, according to a consortium of researchers who forecast the pandemic. And we may well be spared a winter surge. READ MORE

New K-12 Charter School for Children and Young Adults with Autism Opens in Miami-Dade County

From Local 10 News
By Nicole Lopez-Alvar, Digital Journalist, Liane Morejon, Reporter
September 17, 2021

The first tuition-free charter school for students diagnosed with autism in South Florida
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – South Florida Autism Charter Schools (SFACS) for children and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in West Miami-Dade has officially held its ribbon-cutting ceremony with school staff, students, Miami-Dade County government officials, and dignitaries. READ MORE

Charter Schools are Good for Our Community

From Jacksonville.com | The Florida Times-Union

By Tunji Williams, Guest Columnist
Published Sept 14, 2021

In a recent column, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor from Tampa bemoaned the rise of public charter schools in Florida, claiming they undermine traditional district schools.
I understand her fears. Back in the late 1990s, when charter schools were new in Florida thanks to legislation signed into law by Gov. Lawton Chiles, I was also concerned. I didn’t understand them.  READ MORE