Florida favors charter schools over any other education method

Gulf Life | By Jennifer Torres | March 14, 2024

With concerns ranging from excessive testing to low teacher wages, book bans and underfunded programs, the public school system in Florida often faces significant criticism — and it’s in this environment of discontent that alternative schools have found an opportunity to thrive.

Long viewed as one size fits all, the public education system in America now finds itself challenged by alternative education philosophies that argue the cookie cutter approach to education overlooks the diverse ingredients that make up each child’s potential.

By analyzing Google search volumes, proportioned against population size, new research from Witherow Brooke revealed the most popular options to traditional schooling across the country — and in Florida, the data shows more parents are choosing charter schools, followed by Montessori schools and then Waldorf & Steiner programs, as their top three choices for alternative education.

Florida favors charter schools

Charter schools have surged in popularity across the Sunshine State. The research shows that in Florida, charter schools emerge as the favored alternative education option, with 40.3 charter school searches per 1,000 Floridians.

Whether it’s because parents are dissatisfied with traditional schools or seeking specialized education options, the Florida Charter School Alliance reports that over 397,000 students are enrolled in approximately 726 public charter schools across the state, constituting 14% of Florida’s entire K-12 public school population.

To put this into perspective, if charter schools were considered a single district, they would rank as Florida’s second largest school district.

Charter schools are public schools that are part of the state’s public education program. Many have themed approaches with a focus on art, science or technology. They are tuition free and exempt from many regulations that apply to traditional public schools, but they often have higher standards of accountability.

One example is Rising Leaders Academy, a K-12 public charter school in Panama City, Florida, where the focus is on entrepreneurship.

By restructuring the school as a microcosm of society, governed by its students, it encompasses all facets characteristic of adult communities, complete with an economic infrastructure featuring its own currency, banks and enterprises. Students earn income through various tasks and utilize their earnings to purchase goods and services offered by their peers. As students take on greater responsibilities, teachers transition into facilitators and advisors, to closely mirror real-world scenarios, with collaborative support from community organizations.

Montessori gains momentum in the Sunshine State

Florida’s second most popular education option in the study is Montessori. On average there were 38.5 searches for Montessori schools and methods for every 1,000 residents in the state.

Pioneered by Maria Montessori, Montessori education emphasizes self directed learning and collaborative play in carefully prepared environments, to foster independence and exploration.

In Florida, publicly funded, tuition free Montessori schools fall under the category of charter schools, like Mi Escuela Montessori, a bilingual (Spanish and English) public charter Montessori school, in Lakeland, Florida, for students in K-8.

The school provides a curriculum delivered in both English and Spanish with the goal of developing bilingualism and cultural competence in both languages for all students, including those who speak only Spanish, some Spanish or no Spanish at all.

There are also private Montessori programs and according to Private School Review, for the 2024 school year, there are currently 166 Montessori private schools serving 15,869 students in Florida.

For example, Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic, all-girls Montessori school in Florida for K-12, with an annual tuition ranging from $32,980 to $46,800.

Waldorf & Steiner

According to the study, Waldorf & Steiner schools and methods were the third most searched educational option in Florida, averaging 34.0 searches for every 1,000 residents.

Also known as Waldorf education, it was founded by Rudolf Steiner and emphasizes holistic development, creativity and the arts alongside academics.

For the 2024 school year, there are only three private schools in Florida belonging to association of Waldorf Schools of North America, and they serve approximately 320 students.

At the Waldorf School of Palm Beach, annual tuition ranges from $17,120 to $17,800 — and they offer programs for students in pre-K through eighth grade. Nature plays a major role in the curriculum and daily lessons incorporate the philosophy that “education is an art form.”

Education alternatives across the country

The study finds that across the U.S., Montessori education is the most sought after philosophy, with 27 states showing the highest search volume per population. Homeschooling and charter schools follow closely, with 10 states favoring homeschooling and nine states leaning towards charter schools.

While Waldorf methods have achieved some popularity across the world, in the U.S. only 4 states had Waldorf as their most searched education practice.