From exciting pre-session workshops to the closing general session, the 2022 Florida Charter School Conference did not disappoint. Educators, school leaders, and #SchoolChoice advocates from around the state gathered to discuss what’s working in classrooms, and share best practices and charter school successes. At the opening session, #schoolchoice mavericks and diehard advocates participated in a panel discussion on the state of the charter school sector in Florida. Panelists included Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr.; Julio Robaina, the Chief Academic Officer of Academica; John Kirtley, chairman of Step Up For Students; Mike Bileca, former legislator and founder of True North Charter Schools; and Madeline Pumariega, the president of Miami-Dade College. FCSA board member and former Education Commissioner Jim Horne moderated the discussion.

FCSA Educator Named a 2027 Florida Teacher of the Year Finalist
Press Release from FLDOE Tallahassee, Fla., May 13, 2026 – Today, the Florida Department of Education announced Nicole Leon, a sixth-grade

















