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Diverted Dollar$  The Real Cost of School Choice
AUG 13,
Doors open 10:30am
The August Hot Topics will look at Florida’s recent voucher law that helps parents pay for homeschooling or private schools and how the money is being diverted from public schools. Already the effects are being felt locally. Orange County Public Schools have announced a projected loss of 3,130 students in the 2025-26 year, which will result in a $27.8 million loss in state funding and require cutbacks in all departments.
The moderator is Beth Kassab, editor of the Winter Park Voice.

  • Stephanie Vanos, member of the OCPS School Board
  • Annie Martin, an investigative reporter for the Orlando Sentinel who has worked extensively on education
    stories
  • Dr. Norín Dollard, Senior Policy Analyst with Florida Policy Institute



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Panelists

 

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Moderator: Beth Kassab
Moderator: Beth Kassab

MODERATOR: Beth Kassab


Beth Kassab is a Central Florida native and long-time journalist who has devoted her career to local news. She arrived at the Winter Park Voice in 2023 with a strong passion for telling the stories of the people and organizations who help define this region.

Beth spent 20 years at the Orlando Sentinel where she covered politics, education, courts, business and local government and also wrote a popular column. She has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, NBC Nightly News, WMFE, WUCF and Fox35.


Beth graduated from the University of Florida, where she was editor-in-chief of the Independent Florida Alligator and served as chairwoman of UF’s Department of Journalism Advisory Board from 2018-2020.


In 2018, she was a finalist for the Scripps Howard First Amendment Award and has been recognized for her body of work by the Florida Society of News Editors.



Beth volunteers as a peer mentor for patients and caregivers at the American Brain Tumor Association.

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Annie Martin
Annie Martin

Annie Martin


Investigative journalist for the Orlando Sentinel


A Washington state native, Annie graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.


She previously worked for the Daytona Beach News-Journal and the Battle Creek Enquirer in Michigan. Annie is an avid runner and reader. She loves exploring all of Florida’s natural wonders.

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Stephanie Vanos
Stephanie Vanos

Stephanie Vanos


OCPS School Board Member


Stephanie Vanos is a mom to three girls in Orange County Public Schools and a volunteer public education advocate. She was elected as the school board member for District 6 in 2024. A graduate of K-12 public schools, Stephanie graduated magna cum laude from Northwestern University and earned her law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she graduated with honors.


Stephanie began her involvement with public education advocacy when her oldest daughter started kindergarten. She actively volunteered at her daughters’ schools and served on multiple school advisory councils. She graduated with the 2017 class of the OCPS Leadership Orange program. Stephanie is a member of the Education Committee of the League of Women Voters of Orange County, serving as the co-chair for two years.


In 2021, she joined a statewide public education caucus and ultimately became the vice president. In that role, she advocated for pro-public education bills and issues in the Florida Legislature and helped to build grassroots, pro-public education coalition across the state. Stephanie has also advocated at the national level with the Network for Public Education and was invited to discuss a series of papers under development by the National Academy of Education.


Stephanie has been active in the community since she moved to Orlando in 2003, serving on the Board of Directors for the Pace Center for Girls Orange and Girls on the Run Central Florida, where she also served as the board chair. She is currently a Trustee for the Track Shack Youth Foundation and also served on the OCPS Reapportionment Advisory Committee in 2021.

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Dr. Norín Dollard
Dr. Norín Dollard

Dr. Norín Dollard


Senior Policy Analyst with Florida Policy Institute


Dollard has more than 30 years of health services research and evaluation experience in Florida and New York in behavioral health needs of children and families across child-serving systems. She has been responsible for or directed all aspects of the research process including design, implementation, analysis, interpretation and dissemination, typically using a mixed methods approach to data collection and analysis. Dollard has directed both federally funded and state funded evaluation and research

projects.


As director of the KIDS COUNT data center, sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, she leverages her experience with large administrative data sets to inform child and family policy with data.


She holds a doctorate in education from the University of South Florida and a master’s of public administration from the University at Albany-State University of New York.

2025 Hot Topics RECAP


Read the complete RECAP for JUNE 11 event.


If you attended the event or watched it on our Facebook Live stream or YouTube, please consider completing a short evaluation that will take 5 minutes or less to complete:
JUNE 11 Event Evaluation
Slideshow
2025 Hot Topics June: Defending LGBTQ+ Rights

MAY 11 RECAP
Unkindest Cuts: The Cost of Government Downsizing

APR 9 RECAP
Annual Meeting with guest speaker,
SOE, Dr. Karen Castor Dentel

MAR 12 RECAP
Unsheltered: Criminalized and Cast Aside

FEB 12 RECAP
Voices of Labor: The African American Journey

JAN 8 RECAP
Immigration: What is next for central Florida?

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2024 Hot Topics RECAP

November RECAP
How FL Can Reduce Gun Violence
October RECAP
Hispanic Heritage Month
September RECAP
State Attorney Candidate Forum
August RECAP
Civil Discourse, not Civil War 

July RECAP
Judicial Candidate Forum
June RECAP
SOE Candidate Forum
MAY Recap
Abortion in Florida
APR Recap
The Unshine State: FL Open Records


MAR Recap
Running in Place: Legislative Session Review
FEB Recap
Black History Month
JAN Recap
Healthy Communities

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Parking Options

PLEASE NOTE: If you have a disability or any additional needs and require assistance in order to fully participate in League activities, please email lwvpat.grierson@gmail.com
You will be contacted to discuss your specific needs.

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Sponsors are vital to our work to empower voters by providing timely information for the benefit of non-partisan civic engagement in our community. To further explore how becoming a Hot Topics Sponsor can align with your business goals, please contact LWVOC Vice President, Lee Rambeau Kemp HERE

A range of sponsorship levels are available.

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