This is part of an ongoing volunteer Advocacy cause where I am attempting to share with others as I learn.

I just did something I’ve never done before - I submitted:

Written Testimony to the Members of the: Appropriations Committee

On Monday, November 6th, the house is meeting as part of their November special session. One of the planned discussion items is the Family Empowerment Scholarship. The agenda item specifically is to discuss adding more funding to clear the waitlist of special needs kids who need funding as part of the school choice laws.

That is an awesome agenda item. I hope it passes.

However, for the current students and providers utilizing the scholarship - the reality of actually getting this funding - that is a train wreck of a program. The idea of the school choice laws are great. But carrying out the actual program is not happening well. at all. A company called Step Up For Students manages 99% of the money and they fail at distributing the money. Fail in big ways everyday.

This Monday’s meeting is an IDEAL time to have our voices heard.

And we don’t have to actually drive to Tallahassee - we have the option to submit a letter! (Although showing up would be fabulous if you are available to do that). Every single letter gets submitted to all members of the committee. Every single voice matters.

If you are a family utilizing the Family Empowerment scholarship and you would like to raise your voice - NOW is the time!

Here are the steps I followed to submit my letter:

Link to the Florida House of Representatives Meeting Testimony website

STEP 1: From the Florida House of Representatives Meeting Testimony website,

Find the “Appropriations Committee” meeting and click “Appear at Meeting” (you will get to select appear by written testimony soon…)

STEP 2: Complete the form with your Name, Address, etc (I’m betting you can put “No” for being a lobbyist)

STEP 3: Select the appropriate Agenda Item and Bill as shown in the screenshot

STEP 4: Click “add”

STEP 5: Affirm your human-ness

STEP 6: Click Submit-Print

STEP 7: Read the pop-up note (your letter is emailed to committee members, not necessarily read aloud) and SUBMIT WRITTEN TESTIMONY!

STEP 8: From the dropdown box, Choose HB 3C Family Empowerment Scholarship Program (yes, again)

STEP 9: NOW write your letter! or copy and paste if you typed your letter in a different program

STEP 10: Click Add

STEP 11: Another click to affirm human-ness (then I had to do one of those confusing puzzles, “find all the bicycles” I generally fail those a few times

STEP 12: SEND WRITTEN TESTIMONY!!!!!

Letter suggestions:

• Be clear, concise, and brief

• communicate your support of school choice

• your personal experiences with the scholarship

• specific, brief examples of scholarship funding delays, denials, misinformation, etc

• Ask for oversight / accountability for the SFOs (Scholarship Funding Organizations)

Of course it is a twelve step program. :)

Please email me with any questions, I try my best to answer your questions!