Florida Education Choice Supporters Rally Against Teachers Union Lawsuit

Nine days after Florida's state teachers union filed a lawsuit seeking to eliminate K-12 education choice scholarship programs and charter school funding, supporters of educational alternatives began mobilizing in opposition. The initial protest took place in Tallahassee on the steps of the Old State Capitol, followed by demonstrations in the Tampa Bay area and Miami. Most recently, students, parents, charter school leaders, and private school administrators gathered outside Lubavitch Educational Center, Florida's largest Jewish day school, to defend decades-old policies they say have empowered families to choose educational options suited to their children's needs.

The lawsuit, filed May 5, asks a Florida court to eliminate the state's education choice scholarship programs based on language in the Florida Constitution requiring the state to provide "a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high-quality system of free public schools." The legal challenge also seeks to end state funding for charter schools. Supporters argue these programs have transformed educational access for families who cannot afford private tuition or whose assigned district schools may not meet their children's learning needs.

Parents and students testified to the programs' impact on their lives. Ailyn Weisleder, whose three sons attend a Jewish day school, said universal school choice "made it possible" for her family to access private education. Audrey Maman Bensoussan stated her family could not afford to give her four children a Jewish education without the scholarships. Yonah Schwartz, an 11-year-old student, explained that without these programs, he would be unable to transfer to a school better suited to his learning style. Charter school leaders highlighted benefits for low-income students, while faith leaders emphasized how their schools welcome students with special needs and strengthen communities.

More than $130 million annually in state scholarship funding supports Jewish education alone across Florida, according to Teach Florida, a nonprofit school choice advocacy organization that organized the Miami event. The Archdiocese of Miami reported that 37,000 students attend Catholic schools in its three counties. Major supporters of the protests include Step Up For Students, the nation's largest education choice scholarship funding organization; former Florida Governor Jeb Bush's Foundation for Florida's Future; and numerous faith leaders and school administrators who have participated in news conferences. Protesters have displayed signs reading "My Child, My Choice" and "Just Drop It," urging the teachers union to withdraw its legal challenge.