Today, Florida TaxWatch announced this year’s top performing principals, who help students achieve in Florida’s high-risk public schools. These nine principals will be recognized on November 17th, 2016 at the 4th Annual Florida TaxWatch Principal Leadership Awards in Orlando. At this ceremony, three will take home top honors and an additional cash prize for their work with Florida students.
This annual publication takes a look at how Florida stacks up to the nation in terms of educational enrollment, outcomes, and investment.
Principals are second only to teachers in their impact on student learning—and in Florida’s highest-need schools, effective leadership is the catalyst for outsize gains. Florida TaxWatch convened a roundtable on May 14, 2025 with the latest Principal Leadership Awards (PLA) winners to surface the strategies behind sustained improvement. Drawing on data-driven selection (FL-VAM) and firsthand practice, this summary distills what works and why it matters for schools serving predominantly at-risk students.
Where and how well our school districts spend our education dollars can have a profound impact on student academic achievement and success. Historically, education makes up about one-fourth of Florida’s total budget. Florida TaxWatch believes that shifting education spending away from administrative and other expenses and toward classroom/instructional expenses is beneficial.
As the federal government continues to negotiate another round of fiscal stimulus, chances are you have heard the term “K-shaped recovery” thrown around. The issue became a common talking point during last year’s presidential election as some candidates discussed their plans to heal the economy. But what exactly is a K-shaped recovery and what does it have to do with the economy?
The CRC is considering an amendment to allow class size to be measured at school level
According to a July 2017 report by the Foundation for Excellence in Education, Florida’s charter school sector is one of the largest and fastest-improving in the nation.
Florida’s education system is facing a crisis that will affect our children and our future. Teachers have been leaving schools at alarming rates with no one to replace them. Low pay and the stress associated with teaching have driven many college students away from the profession, leaving a shallow talent pool of highly qualified teachers. Additionally, Florida TaxWatch research has found that Constitutionally-mandated class size limits in Florida have led to higher demand for teachers, resulting in under-qualified individuals being hired or schools not being able to fill the position as the pool of teachers shrinks.
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