--- title: The Florida Story | Ron Matus description: Ron Matus is director of Research & Special Projects at Step Up For Students and a former editor of redefinED. He joined Step Up in February 2012 after 20 years in journalism, including eight years as an education reporter with the Tampa Bay Times (formerly the St. Petersburg Times). --- [![SUFS-LOGO\_circle-1](https://go.stepupforstudents.org/hs-fs/hubfs/SUFS-LOGO_circle-1.png?width=150&height=150&name=SUFS-LOGO_circle-1.png "SUFS-LOGO_circle-1")](https://www.stepupforstudents.org/) English × # The Florida Story Browse By: Everything ## Posts by Ron Matus: [![](https://nextstepsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2241.jpeg)](https://go.stepupforstudents.org/the-florida-story/moving-to-florida-to-start-a-school-thanks-to-school-choice) ## [Moving to Florida to start a school, thanks to school choice](https://go.stepupforstudents.org/the-florida-story/moving-to-florida-to-start-a-school-thanks-to-school-choice) FREEPORT, Fla. – When Lindy Wood first heard about school choice in Florida, she was living in her... [![](https://nextstepsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Bee-hive-Florida-Wild-School-no-faces.jpg)](https://go.stepupforstudents.org/the-florida-story/school-choice-helps-a-wild-school-put-down-new-roots-in-florida) ## [School choice helps a wild school put down new roots in Florida](https://go.stepupforstudents.org/the-florida-story/school-choice-helps-a-wild-school-put-down-new-roots-in-florida) BROOKSVILLE, Fla. – Once they decided to sell their teaching farm in Indiana, Amanda Jo and John... [![](https://nextstepsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Wagyumama-Ranch-Schoolhouse-1.jpg)](https://go.stepupforstudents.org/the-florida-story/at-the-ranch-school-core-academics-come-with-cows-and-confidence) ## [At the ranch school, core academics come with cows and confidence](https://go.stepupforstudents.org/the-florida-story/at-the-ranch-school-core-academics-come-with-cows-and-confidence) LAUREL HILL, Fla. – Bryan and Laine Baker didn’t set out to start a school. They were focused on... [![](https://nextstepsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloyd-School-1.jpg)](https://go.stepupforstudents.org/the-florida-story/cultivating-skilled-hands-and-wise-hearts) ## [Cultivating ‘skilled hands and wise hearts’](https://go.stepupforstudents.org/the-florida-story/cultivating-skilled-hands-and-wise-hearts) *This à la carte learning provider uses woodwork to instill deeper lessons*  [![](https://nextstepsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Baker-County-Christian-Co-op-students.jpg)](https://go.stepupforstudents.org/the-florida-story/school-choice-and-innovation-in-small-town-u-s-a) ## [School choice and innovation in small-town U.S.A.](https://go.stepupforstudents.org/the-florida-story/school-choice-and-innovation-in-small-town-u-s-a) GLEN ST. MARY, Fla. – Baker County is in a piney corner of North Florida that hugs the Georgia line... [![](https://nextstepsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/stcecelia_221213-46.jpg)](https://go.stepupforstudents.org/the-florida-story/more-bright-spots-for-catholic-schools-in-america) ## [More bright spots for Catholic schools in America](https://go.stepupforstudents.org/the-florida-story/more-bright-spots-for-catholic-schools-in-america) By Lauren May and Ron Matus [![](https://nextstepsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The-Goldenbergs-at-Tampa-Torah-Academy-sign-pic.jpg)](https://go.stepupforstudents.org/the-florida-story/from-new-york-to-florida-for-jewish-school-perfection) ## [From New York to Florida for Jewish school ‘perfection’](https://go.stepupforstudents.org/the-florida-story/from-new-york-to-florida-for-jewish-school-perfection) TAMPA, Fla. – Shuli Goldenberg didn’t need to see [Tampa Torah Academy](https://tampatorahacademy.org/) to know it would be just... [![](https://nextstepsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Florida-Farm-School-2.jpg)](https://go.stepupforstudents.org/the-florida-story/livestock-life-lessons-and-a-la-carte-learning) ## [Livestock, life lessons and à la carte learning](https://go.stepupforstudents.org/the-florida-story/livestock-life-lessons-and-a-la-carte-learning) DADE CITY, Fla. – A friend told Sarah Jones a few years ago she should open her new petting zoo to... [![](https://nextstepsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Putnam-Classical-Academy-1-cropped.jpg)](https://go.stepupforstudents.org/the-florida-story/in-this-small-town-a-classical-school-is-rising-and-families-are-signing-up-in-droves) ## [In this small town, a classical school is rising, and families are signing up in droves](https://go.stepupforstudents.org/the-florida-story/in-this-small-town-a-classical-school-is-rising-and-families-are-signing-up-in-droves) PALATKA, Fla. — All Risa Byrd wanted to do was start a little preschool. That’s it. But then the... [![](https://nextstepsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Mickelsons-Ave-Maria-2-cropped.jpg)](https://go.stepupforstudents.org/the-florida-story/from-minnesota-to-florida-for-catholic-schools-and-school-choice-1) ## [From Minnesota to Florida, for Catholic schools and school choice](https://go.stepupforstudents.org/the-florida-story/from-minnesota-to-florida-for-catholic-schools-and-school-choice-1) AVE MARIA, Fla. – Toby and Nicole Mickelson were thinking about moving from Minnesota even before... 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