Florida

The Florida Department of Education has established its vision of serving students through one seamless, world-class system that engages and prepares all students to compete globally for college and careers. Public education in Florida serves approximately 2.8 million students across 67 traditional school districts and 6 special school districts, including 4 university lab schools, the Florida School for the Deaf & the Blind, and the Florida Virtual School. In 2020, Florida rolled out its redesigned English Language Arts and Mathematics standards called the Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards. These standards are aligned with the strategic goal of ensuring the highest student achievement as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). In 2023, the passage of House Bill 7039 further supported the push for the highest student achievement by requiring instructional materials for reading to be based on the science of reading, with the primary focus on phonics instruction. Florida also remains committed to expanding and strengthening its educator workforce. As part of this effort, the state has implemented innovative programs like the Teacher Apprenticeship Program (2023) to provide additional pathways for teachers to enter the profession. House Bill 875 (2025) further promotes the development of the educator workforce by strengthening and aligning how teachers are trained, certified, and receive professional learning. These collective measures indicate Florida’s commitment to fostering a pipeline of high-quality teachers delivering impactful instruction to all students across the state.