“It Will Hurt Children Like Mine”: Parents and Students Take Center Stage to Defend School Choice at Miami Press Conference

Yonah Schwartz speaks at the Teach Florida press conference at the Lubavitch Educational Center in Miami. Photo courtesy: Teach Florida

MIAMI, FL – June 12, 2026 – Local families, students, and education advocates gathered Thursday for a press conference organized by Teach Florida at the Lubavitch Educational Center, the largest Jewish day school in Florida, to unite against a new lawsuit aimed at blocking school choice in Florida. The event highlighted the deeply personal stakes of a Florida Education Association lawsuit that threatens vital scholarship programs relied upon by an estimated 900,000 students across the state.

Instead of policy debates, the heart of the conference belonged to the families whose educational futures hang in the balance. Audrey Maman Bensoussan, a mother of four, delivered an emotional speech explaining how scholarships made Jewish education financially possible for her family. “Without that support, I simply would not have been able to give my children the Jewish education they are receiving today,” Bensoussan said. “It will hurt families like mine. It will hurt children like mine.”

Yonah Schwartz, an 11-year-old student, shared that he is set to transfer to a new school next year, a transition that will be completely impossible if his scholarship is blocked. “Not every kid learns the same way,” Schwartz told the crowd. “For me, changing schools means getting the chance to learn in a place that’s a better fit for me.”

Lily Glaser, a 10-year-old student at Brauser Maimonides Academy who hopes to one day become a city mayor, emphasized how the program allows her to connect with her heritage every day. “At my school, I get to learn about my Jewish heritage, traditions, and values,” Glaser shared. “Every child is different, and every family is different. That’s why parents should be able to choose the educational environment that helps their child succeed.”

Lily Glaser speaks at the Teach Florida press conference at the Lubavitch Educational Center in Miami. Photo courtesy: Teach Florida.

The theme of empowerment was echoed by other parents who refuse to let these opportunities slip away. Ailyn Weisleder, a mother of three who described her kids’ school community as an extension of her own family. Weisleder emphasized how school choice uplifts everyday communities. “Universal School Choice has made that possible for our family,” Weisleder stated. “It gave us, and thousands of families across Florida, the ability to choose the education that fits our children, not just the school assigned to us by a zip code.”

Dr. Jim Rigg, representing the Archdiocese of Miami, focused his remarks on the human impact of the legal battle. “At its heart, this issue is not about institutions. It is about children and families,” Dr. Rigg noted. “We should be asking how to expand opportunities for these students, not how to take them away.”

Melissa Glaser, Executive Director of Teach Florida, which organized the event, summarized the collective mission of the day. “This is about protecting families, protecting opportunity, and protecting a parent’s fundamental right to choose the best educational path for their child,” Glaser stated.

Melissa Glaser, Executive Director of Teach Florida, at the press conference at the Lubavitch Educational Center in Miami. Photo courtesy: Teach Florida.

The event also featured solidarity remarks from Rabbi Benzion Korf of the Lubavitch Educational Center and former Congressman Peter Deutsch, who also founded one of Florida’s largest charter school networks. Advocates at the conference made it clear that this was just the beginning of the community’s efforts to ensure that no lawsuit strips families of their right to guide their children’s education.

About Teach Florida

Teach Florida, part of the Teach Coalition network, champions policies that strengthen and expand access to Jewish education across the state. Teach Florida serves as a leading voice for Jewish day schools and the families they serve throughout Florida.