Florida Gov. Rick Scott touted school choice Monday during a bill-signing ceremony intended to praise programs that offer parents options for their children outside traditional public schools.

The event at North Broward Academy of Excellence in North Lauderdale was one of three appearances Monday in which Scott signed five education bills passed by the Legislature this spring. The bills aim to expand charter schools, virtual schools, school vouchers and a program that allows students to transfer out of failing public schools.

Flanked by six students of the North Lauderdale charter school, each of whom received one of the signing pens afterward, Scott said his goal is to make sure "everyone has the opportunity for a great education."

But Pat Santeramo, president of the Broward Teachers Union, blasted the laws, calling them "shameful," and said the state's limited resources should be invested in traditional public schools.

Santeramo said Scott and conservative politicians are "doing everything they can to bleed public schools dry so their big business campaign supporters can privatize traditional public schools and begin profiting off the backs of our children."

Scott responded to the criticism, saying "competition makes everybody better. Charter schools are public schools run by outside groups."

Among the supporters of the bills is Peter Deutsch, founder of the Ben Gamla charter schools which has three schools in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, with another three scheduled to open in the fall, including in Palm Beach County.

"I'm a big believer that charter schools provide big opportunity for choice," Deutsch said. "This legislation really continues in that direction."

The five bills that did pass allow:

"High-performing" charter schools — public schools freed from some state rules — to increase their enrollment by adding additional grades or opening additional branches without local school board approval. Charter schools now serve about 6 percent of Florida's 2.6 million public school students. Advocates say 32,000 students are on waiting lists for A-and-B rated charters.

The Florida Virtual School to expand its offerings and other virtual providers to offer programs in Florida. The state virtual school, which now offers online middle and high school classes, can provide elementary school offerings. Kindergarten and first-graders can enroll without any prior public school experience.

It requires all students to take an online course to earn a high school diploma and guarantees that high-performing fourth- and fifth-graders can take middle school courses; and for the first time, charter schools can provide online instruction.

Palm Beach County public school officials are preparing for an increase of students enrolling in online courses, said Debra Johnson, principal of Palm Beach Virtual School. "It's all about choice and enhancing opportunities for parents," she said.

The McKay Scholarship program to offer tuition vouchers to a bigger pool of youngsters with disabilities. The program now provides taxpayer-financed scholarships, or tuition vouchers, to students with disabilities in the state's "exceptional education" program and lets them leave a public school for a private one.

The new law allows students with "504 plans" to also apply. These students have a disability as defined under federal law but do not typically need the kinds of interventions or accommodations that students in the state's "exceptional education" program need. There are more than 51,000 students with 504 plans in Florida schools.

The Opportunity Scholarship program to expand its definition of "failing school," giving more students the chance to transfer to better-performing public schools. The program allows transfers out of schools graded F two of the past four years.

The Florida Tax-Credit Scholarship program to seek more contributions from corporations that would then be used to give private-school tuition vouchers to youngsters from low-income families. The program served more than 32,000 students this year.

lhuriash@tribune.com or 954-572-2008