About Teach FL
Member Schools
Leadership Circle
Board Members
Our Partners
Teach FL- Bais Yaakov of Boca Raton
- Beth Emet Elementary School
- Beth Torah Adath Yeshurun
- Brauser Maimonides Academy
- Cheder Chabad Florida
- Donna Klein Jewish Academy
- Gan Katan Miami
- Hadar High School for Girls
- Hebrew Academy Miami (RASG)
- Hollywood Preschool
- Jewish Cooperative School
- Jewish Culture High School
- Jewish Leadership Academy
- JIT Chabad Preschool
- Katz Hillel Day School
- Katz Yeshiva High School
- Lanaar Elementary School
- Lehrman Community Day School
- Lubavitch Educational Center
- Lubavitch Hebrew Academy
- Meoros High School
- Mizrahi Torah Academy
- Ohr HaTorah
- Orlando Torah Academy
- Posnack School
- Scheck Hillel Community School
- Sha’arei Bina Torah Academy for Girls
- Shorashim Academy
- South Florida Jewish Academy
- TAG Academy
- The Jewish Academy
- The Nurtury
- Torah Academy of Boca Raton (TABR)
- Yeshivas Beis Ahron
- Yeshiva Elementary
- Yeshiva Tiferes Torah of Boca Raton
- Yeshivas Toras Chaim and Toras Emes
- Yotzer Ohr Miami
Leadership Circle
- Jessica and Joe Schwartz
- Lilliand and Moris Tabacinic
- Sandy and Allan Jacob
- Erica and Joshua Legum
- Racheli and Shlomo Lobell
- Evelyn and Shmuel Katz
- Anne and Joseph Gontownik
- Elisheva and Meir Meystel
- Dorit and Ben J. Genet
- Martine and Steven Newman
- Rachel and Alexander Rindner
- Lilly and Ezra Gontownik
- Aviva and Gershon Distenfeld
- Yochi and Alex Mitchell
- Mor and Benjamin Shapiro
- Debra and Avi Naider
- Caroline and Daniel Katz
- Liora and Daniel Adler
- Chava and Ashi Weisstuch
- Caroline and Aaron Weisman
- The Gisela and Daniel Ades Foundation
- Zipora and Lazer Milstein
- Nicole and Jordan Kavana
- Rachelle and Zev Stern
- Yaffa and Moshe Popack
- Carol Lasek and Howard Bienenfeld
- Tova and Zalmi Kahn
- Mimi and Akiva Friend
- Michelle and Michael Citron
- Linda and Ted Struhl
- Deborah and Neil Cohen
- Batya and Meir Cosiol
- Arielle and Donny Rosenberg
- Lonnie Richardson
- Dena and Howard Seif
- Tammy Stern
- Diana and Daniel Sragowicz
- Tirtza and Danny Vizel
- Talia and Chesky Eisenberger
- Lauren and Eitan Friedman
- Miriam Ungar
- Daniel Vizel
- Myra Shulkes
- Dana and Adam Sasouness
- Cheryl and Ari Pearl
- Rafael Zakinov
- Jayne Shapiro
- The Milk Money Foundation
- Chanie and Sholom Minkowitz
- Gabrielle and Avi Kuzniecky
- Juliana and Elan Rosenblat
- Ilana and Raphael Rosenzweig
- Jeni Chokron
- Jean and Marc Lehmann
- Aliza and Alex Markovich
- Heather and Eric N. Andron
- Deborah and Daniel Aqua
- Danielle and Ben Jaffe
- Miriam and Dani Ross
- Sima and Jonathan Burstein
- Shoshana and Daniel Robbin
- Melissa and Josh Glaser
- Joel and Liz Brauser
- Amber and Joseph Schwarz
- Hillel Feuerman
- Tzivia Reiter
- Pamela and Glenn Graber
- Chaim Nash
- Christel Reaves
- Alex Brecher
- Learn It Systems, LLC
- Jeffrey Gallagher
- David Kunchal
- Marcey Ayers
- Dean and David Abrams
- Rachel and Akiva Wolk
- Raizie and Noam Weissman
- Perla and Adam Pollock
- Nietzah Benbenishti
- Eliana and Moises Gilinski
- Rachel and Andrew Bronfeld
- Elisa Roumani and Andrew Septimus
- Shani and Eli Hagler
- Isaac Marcushamer
- Sara and Avi Wargon
- Danna and Joseph Averbook
- Sharona and Joshua Whisler
- Flo and Danny Kawelblum
- Raya and Lev Kandinov
- Lisa and Phil Baratz
- Jennifer and Jason Eichenholz
- Michelle and Todd Slesinger
- Gabrielle and Joshua Gold
- Leora and Akiva Marcus
- Heather and Jamie Hoffman
- Denise and Adam Snow
- Dorith and Daniel Gittler
- Kevin Jacobs
- Arielle and Aryeh Kieffer
- Andrea and Jordan Desnick
- Alissa and Meir Kroll
- Reina and Elie Mendelson
- Deena and Joshua Weisfeld
- Eleanor Cohen
- Marsha and Ira Sussman
- Michael Goldstein
- Diana Taub
- Arin and Mickey Taillard
- Janine and Max Klein
- Stacey and Yaakov Waldman
- Heather and Sam Sered
- Rachel and Jeremy White
- David Huebner
- Chaya Sara and Mordechai Gibber
- Tzvia and Josh Orbach
- Nicholas Wigoda
- Esti and Chaim Bareli
- Emely and Danny Aghion
- Dahlia and Benjy Miller
- Melissa and Avidan Rommer
- Talia and Ari Lamet
- Rachel and Rabbi Yoni Fein
- Ricie and Brian Sanders
- Bair and Ryan Girnun
- Rochel and Josh Kon
- Marisa Kessler and Aaron Flajsing
- Ashley and Glenn Weiss
- Brenda and Jeff Eisner
- Simone and Joshua Broide
- Miriam and Mully Fein
- Judy and Uri Aqua
- Avi Hack
- Elysa and Gil Stein
- Judy and Avi Baitner
- Aliza Septimus and Alan Berger
- Natalie and Etan Marks
- Rachel and David Greenbaum
- Ellen and Jay Adler
- Elana and Matthew Grauer
- Ivette and Joseph Woldenberg
- Leah and Patrick Amar
- Adam and Meira Weiss
- David Kovacs
- Esther and Shmuel Rogatinsky
- Nicole and Geremy Jordan
- Talia and Ricardo Berner
- Lauren and Joel Berley
- Sharon and Brian Ferber
- Alana and Dov Tepper
- Farrah and Yossi Izsak
- Randi and Steve Zombek
- Shani and Naftali Herrmann
- Leora and Jason Cohen
- Elise and David Askenazi
- Zisa and Yitz Levin
- Miriam and Daniel Oppenheimer
- Rebecca and Craig Lustman
- Elisheva and Seth Heller
- Elanna and Gary Rosenbaum
- Rachel and Cory Harow
- Yossi Rabinowitz
- Jessica and Dovid Kutoff
- Ilan and Stephanie Ulmer
- Nahva and Isaac Maman
- Adina and Joseph Landsberg
- Yael and Michael Schertz
- Genet and Larry Genet
- Miriam Sussman
- Danny Krasna
- Jamie and Menashe Frank
- Annette and Irwin Raij
- Stacey and Phillip Lieberman
- Deanna and Eliezer Casper
- Naomi and Michael Nudell
- Sheryl and Ernest Elias
- Maggie and Jason Listhaus
- Ally and David Steinberg
- Samantha and Joshua Fischler
- Melissa and Jeffrey Schachar
- Ilana and Dovi Lamet
- Marybeth Jones
- Mandy and Allen Davoudpour
- Margo and Yechiel Rosman
- Jackie and Michael Estreicher
- Avivit and Dror Ben-Aharon
- Jayne Schapiro
Board Members
- Allan Jacob, Chair
- Steven Jacoby
- Yossi Rosengarten
- Yossi Rabinowitz
- Stephen Lobell
- Alex Rindner
Teach FL, a division of Teach Coalition, was founded in 2016 to advocate on behalf of Florida’s nonpublic schools and parents. Our advocacy has helped Florida become the national leader in school choice. With a projected 240,000 state scholarships in 2022-2023, more than a quarter of the country’s nonpublic school scholarships will be in Florida. Florida offers two primary scholarship programs:
- Private School Scholarships: Florida Tax Credit Scholarship and The Family Empowerment Educational Options (FTC/FES-EO), are for students K-12 in the amount of approximately $7,800 for nonpublic school students attending an eligible private school.
- The Family Empowerment Unique Abilities Scholarship (FES-UA), is for private school and homeschool students ages 3-22 who have a qualifying disability in the amount of approximately $9,800.
Accomplishments
$98.7M Total in Government Funding
$30M in Emergency Security Funds for Our Schools
$10M Pilot Transportation Program
Get Involved
Latest Updates
All Teach FL UpdatesAugust 26, 2024
Florida Jewish Day Schools Experiencing Unprecedented Growth, Attracting Major Influx of Families from Other States, According to New Study
November 15, 2023
Teach Florida Applauds Signing of Bill Providing an Additional $25 Million in Security Funding for Yeshivas and Jewish Day...
November 9, 2023
Teach Florida Applauds Passing of Increased Security Funding for Jewish Institutions Amidst Rise in Antisemitism
April 4, 2023
Jewish Day Schools Pledge to Support Tuition Affordability Following School Choice Expansion at Teach Florida Focus Group
Our Team
Melissa Glaser
Executive Director, Teach FL
Melissa Glaser
Prior to joining Teach FL, Melissa created a shampoo company and worked as in house lawyer for Total Relief Skincare. She is actively involved in the Hollywood Jewish community and has worked for the past three summers in Camp Kfir Katan's day camp, running programming and communications. Melissa has a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Yeshiva University's Stern College for Women and received her J.D. from Touro Law Center. Melissa is a native Floridian who returned to Florida after law school with her husband Josh. They have three children and live in Hollywood, Florida.
Melissa brings passion, a strong work ethic and a deep belief that every child deserves a Jewish education. Melissa will be working to grow our advocacy program by strengthening old relationships and building new ones.
Daniel Aqua
Director of Special Projects
Daniel Aqua
Danny Aqua is an impassioned advocate for educational opportunities for children, parents and schools. As Field Director at Teach Florida, Danny built a grassroots initiative that engaged parents in the legislative process. In addition to trips to Tallahassee, petition signings and traditional advocacy, Danny has been an integral part in Teach Florida’s get-out-the-vote program that has resulted in doubling and sometimes tripling voter turnout in the Jewish day school community over multiple elections.
Danny’s work at Teach Florida enables him to use skills from his two prior careers – law and teaching. Prior to working at Teach Florida, Danny practiced real estate law as an Associate at Blank Rome, LLP and then taught both in elementary and middle schools.
Danny received his Bachelor Degree in Political Science from Baruch College magna cum laude, his Juris Doctor from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School Order of the Coif and his Masters Degree in Education from Azrieli Graduate School of Education.
Adina Landsberg
Director of Communications, Teach FL
Adina Landsberg
Over the last ten years, Adina has played a valuable role in various non-profit institutions, with a specialty in management, operations and administrative leadership. Originally from New Jersey, she earned a B.B.A. in Economics from Baruch College (CUNY) and later an M.A. in Events & Conference Management from the University of Westminster in London, England. For the last six years, Adina served as the Director of Business and Donor Development at Hadar High School for Girls in Boca Raton. Adina is passionate about using her skills to help manage institutional processes to ensure progress and success. As a Scholarship Funding Specialist, she is dedicated to providing support to schools and parents as part of the Teach FL GovMax team.
Jason Grossman
Advocacy and Security Director, Teach FL
Jason Grossman
Jason Grossman has been working in the Jewish community advocacy space for the last six years and focusing on Jewish community security for the past four. After earning a bachelor’s in political science and a master’s in project management, Jason worked as a political staffer and founded a craft whisky company. In January 2024, Jason transitioned from the OU Advocacy Center in Washington, D.C., to Teach FL, where he serves as the director of Advocacy, Security, and Voting. He enjoys collaborating with community partners to ensure their voices are heard through Teach’s advocacy work.
Malka Kownat-Rhodes
Director of Government Programs, Teach Florida
Malka Kownat-Rhodes
Malka Kownat-Rhodes is a long-time professional in the field of special education, with over 10 years of experience working in a large school district in Ohio. Malka graduated cum laude from Brooklyn College with a BA in Psychology, and then earned a master's degree in Education from Notre Dame College in Ohio. Most recently, Malka worked as the Director of Student Support for The Torah Academy of Boca Raton in South Florida. Malka has a history of successfully partnering with government agencies and school districts, and with non-profit organizations like The Jewish Federation and Jewish Family Services, to procure funding for educational initiatives. Malka’s years of experience working with families struggling with the cost of private school tuition combined with the cost of services for children with special needs, has led to her joining Teach Coalition. In her new capacity as a funding specialist, she helps families access funding for both specialized services and private school tuition.
Kelly Walker
Services For All Liaison, Teach Florida
Kelly Walker
Kelly Walker is the Services for All / Child Find School Liaison. With over 24 years of school-related experience, she has worked as a teacher, special education director, and college faculty member training hundreds of pre-service special education teachers with an emphasis on law and compliance. As a mother of a child with a language-based learning disability, Kelly learned to navigate the public and private school systems while advocating for her own daughter. She enjoys assisting other parents by helping them work through the systemic barriers they often face when seeking educational services for their children. Additionally, Kelly serves as a subject matter expert for the Florida teacher licensure exam, an expert witness in due process and other special education-related court cases, and is an active member of the Broward ESE Advisory Council.
Eda Steinberg
Government Programs Consultant, Teach FL
Eda Steinberg
Eda Steinberg joined Teach Florida to help schools and parents navigate the complexities of government programs. She started her professional journey in the art world, receiving a BFA from Brooklyn College and then a master’s degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology in Gallery and Retail Administration. Eda worked for several years at Christie’s Auction House in client relations before moving to public relations and marketing. For more than two decades, she served as a marketing executive, developing and executing marketing campaigns, writing and submitting articles to the press, and organizing events. Her experience in client relations in both art and marketing serves as a great asset in helping support parents and schools as part of the Teach Florida team.