Florida lawmakers' wives on new charter school boards

TALLAHASSEE -- Though far removed geographically from each other, two new Florida charter schools share an uncommon feature: Each has a board member who is married to a state lawmaker heavily involved in crafting state policy on charter schools.

Anne Corcoran, the founder of a charter school in Pasco County, is assisting with a new Tallahassee school. She's married to Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O'Lakes.

Erika Donalds, the founder of a charter school in Collier County, is leading the effort to open a new Martin County school. Her husband is Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Naples, who shepherded Speaker Corcoran's bill on vouchers for bullied students through the House.

Their involvement is a reminder of how Florida Republicans legislating the public school system hold deep convictions that charter schools and other school choice programs are the future of Florida education -- and how the lines between public policy and personal ties can get blurred.

Neither Corcoran nor Donalds is paid for her role in helping develop the new schools. Both women said they were approached by the founders of these new schools because of their expertise in opening one.

When asked about the school choice debate, Anne Corcoran said, "It's not my fight."

"He (the speaker) has been for school choice for a long time. I'm not against school choice, but my passion is liberal arts education and it just happens to be a charter," said Corcoran, a lawyer who has six children with the speaker.

She said she decided to open her liberal arts charter in Pasco County after her children's private school was boarded up, saying the specialized curriculum is "a broader and more beautiful understanding of education."

She dismissed previous allegations that her husband has a conflict of interest, saying her family likely loses money for the unpaid time she dedicates to her charter school.

Democrats have long taken issue with lawmakers being so closely involved with school choice programs and schools. Most Democrats oppose directing public dollars to fund the state's proliferation of public charter schools.

This year's funding increase for normal school operations was 47 cents per student, far below what it had been in previous years. That does nothing to ease anxiety of districts and teachers who feel they are being asked to continually do more with less at the same time more dollars get steered toward school vouchers each year.

"Richard Corcoran's education policies and the cuts to public schools have hurt millions of Florida's children while his own family and corporate donors have benefited from the state-sponsored expansion of charter schools," Gwen Graham, a Democratic candidate for governor, said in a statement. She has been vocal about the speaker's charter connections in the past.

Richard Corcoran has long been considering a run for governor and is expected to announce his decision next month.

Graham also criticized Corcoran for his brother's employment as a lobbyist who works for the Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools, according to the state's lobbyist directory.

Richard Corcoran did not respond to requests for comment.

Both proposed schools would teach a "classical" curriculum, focused on teaching philosophy, classic literature and even Latin. State Rep. Michael Bileca, R-Miami, is also a supporter of classical charter schools, as he runs a foundation that has granted money to True North Classical Academy in Miami.

Donalds also said she got involved with charter schools because her kids needed more than what the public school in Naples provided. She eventually moved one of her children to a private classical school to try it out, which inspired her to launch her own public charter school in the same mold.

"It was night and day from our experience in public school system … he's getting in the car and instead of crying, he's telling me about what he learned all day about the Crusades and Benjamin Franklin," Donalds said of the switch.

Donalds is a prominent advocate for school choice throughout the state. She's a member of this year's Constitution Revision Commission, a powerful 37-member council that meets every two decades to decide on amendments to Florida's constitution that will be put on the November ballot.

Donalds said her husband's beliefs about school choice are undoubtedly fueled by their family's experience and by the passion she has for her work founding her school.

"No one would question any parent who has a child in a traditional public school when they advocate for more funding. No one calls that a conflict of interest," she said. "People say all kinds of crazy stuff about us. If you only knew the sacrifice and how much we spend and give up -- we'd have to be passionate or there's no way we'd do all of this."

The applications for both the new schools in Leon and Martin counties were recently recommended for approval by their local committees. The official approvals by the school districts are expected to be handed down in mid April, and the schools are scheduled to open in 2019.

Contact Emily L. Mahoney at emahoney@tampabay.com. Follow @mahoneysthename.