Still Undecided? Compare the 2026 Candidates Running to Represent Florida’s Congressional District 24

EDUCATION AND SCHOOLS

QUESTION: Many educators and advocates are sounding the alarm about the state of public education. District 24 has experienced the closure or consolidation of several traditional public schools while charter schools have expanded rapidly. Parents want access to high-quality schools, but many educators worry about declining enrollment, teacher shortages, unequal access to educational opportunities, and the long-term sustainability of neighborhood public schools. What is your stance on this issue and how have you supported parents, students, teachers and educators in your work?

Te Mayonna Brown: “Every child deserves access to a high-quality education regardless of their zip code or the type of school they attend. I don’t believe this should be a fight between traditional public schools, charter schools, private schools, or homeschooling. I believe parents should have the freedom to choose the educational environment that best meets their child’s needs. As a homeschool mom, I know firsthand that every child learns differently. Parents know their children better than any government agency and they should be empowered, not limited when making educational decisions. At the same time, I deeply respect our teachers as I am a former traditional educator. They are on the front lines every day, and they deserve safe, classrooms, the resources they need to teach effectively and less unnecessary bureaucracy that takes time away from educating students. We also need to address teacher retention by creating an environment, where great educators want to stay in the profession. As a businesswoman and the founder of several schools academies and Montessori schools, I’ve always believed education should prepare students for success that means strengthening careers and technical education, apprenticeship, skill, trades and partnerships with local businesses. Schools should also offer students multiple pathways to high-paying careers, not just one size fits all approach. In Congress I’ll support policies that put students first, empower parents, respect teachers and ensure federal education dollars are used effectively and transparently. My goal is not to protect a system but to make sure every child has the opportunity to succeed.”

Marshall Davis: “Taxpayer dollars should support the operations and staff of public schools.  Parents should expect quality preschool and K-12 education, and the federal government should earmark funds for prognostic testing to assess students and create individualized development pathways. Prognostic testing should be mandated over current post-testing methods, which often provide unreliable measures of future success. Prioritizing the daily development of children is the defining element that turns a municipal building into a thriving cultural community institution. This is the secret sauce of the successful sequential learning system that is a model for the nation. The benefits are worth the return on the investment as they provide a resolve to infrastructure through multi-generational community ownership, upward economic mobility, public safety  and crime prevention. I wholeheartedly believe a system of sequential learning and testing would better support student development and reduce the stress associated with “teaching the tests.” Secondary education can be enhanced through interest assessment testing. By incorporating basic skills into practical experiences—i.e, arts, sciences, technology, STEAM activities, and vocational instruction—we can engage students and prepare them for meaningful careers. The federal government’s role should be to support the development of every child, ensuring students gain the essential skills necessary for life, liberty, and a productive future. This commitment should carry through to those seeking higher education.  As a voice in Washington, I would advocate for those that desire to earn a degree, multiple degrees or invest in vocational training. Student loans would be capped at a 3% interest rate and 3% capped interest rate to repay the loan based on the students net salary.  Measures would also be in place to provide full loan forgiveness for first responders, teachers  and public service workers after 10 years of qualifying employment.”

Oliver Gilbert: “My mother was a teacher. I’m a product of Parkview Elementary, Parkway Middle, and Miami Norland Senior High. Neighborhood public schools didn’t just educate me. They anchored my community. When a neighborhood loses its school, it loses a piece of itself. Here’s my stance. I will never oppose a good school, and parents in this district deserve high-quality options. But we can’t dismantle the neighborhood public school to get there. What’s driving closures and consolidations isn’t parents’ choices alone. It’s years of policy, written in Tallahassee, that drains money out of public education. What will I fight for instead? Fully funding ESSA, because federal investment is what pushes back against unequal outcomes by zip code. Raising pay for teachers and school staff, the teachers, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, and counselors we underpay for the most important work there is. And rewarding districts that invest in teacher compensation, mentoring, and retention, which is at the heart of my BUILD Act education plan. Teachers are America’s first responders for the future. My support isn’t theoretical. Since my council days, we’ve put laptops in the hands of graduating seniors at Carol City, Norland, Northwestern, and Dr. Krop — thousands of students over the years. I taught as an adjunct professor at Miami Dade College. And I’m proud to be endorsed by United Teachers of Dade and the United Faculty of Miami-Dade College, the people who do this work every day.”

Shevrin Jones: “I am a former AP Chemistry teacher, and my position starts from one truth, neighborhood public schools cannot turn a child away, so they must never be starved of the resources to serve every child who walks in. My proudest legislative win requires schools, with parent consent, to build a real individualized progression plan, including intensive reading help, for students with disabilities starting in kindergarten, so children who learn differently are not pushed along until they fall through the cracks. It passed without a single no vote. My teacher-mentor law places experienced, highly rated educators into the lowest-graded schools, which are schools disproportionately in communities like ours, so new teachers stay in the classrooms where they matter most. I passed the Teddy Bridgewater Act to clear the path for coaches and mentors who support our kids, raised the age cutoff for developmental-delay assessments so more children are caught and helped in time, and helped make financial literacy a graduation requirement. I have consistently opposed draining public dollars away from the public schools that serve every child while asking little accountability of the programs receiving them. In Congress, I will defend federal funding for schools serving low-income students and students with disabilities, and pair it with the Federal Childcare Affordability and Access Act, because education begins long before kindergarten. Parents deserve quality schools, educators deserve respect and support, and District 24’s neighborhood schools deserve a fighter.”

Kendrick Meek Jr.: “Traditional public education is the foundation of a democratic society, and the systematic defunding and dismantling of our neighborhood schools is a crisis we must stop. In District 24, we are watching traditional schools close or consolidate while corporate charter networks expand without adequate public accountability. This shift leaves our neighborhood schools under-resourced, accelerates severe teacher shortages, and leaves vulnerable students behind. As a proud product of public education and an advocate for civil equity, I have used my platform to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with teachers, parents, and students. I have actively supported local labor actions, participated in forums defending honest and complete history curricula, and worked with civic groups to push back against state-level policies that strip resources away from public classrooms. In Congress, I will use federal policy to protect and revitalize public education: Fully Funding Title I and IDEA: I will fight to dramatically increase federal funding for Title I schools and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The federal government has never met its promise to fund 40% of the extra cost of special education; I will work to close that gap so local schools don’t have to pull funds from general classrooms. Federal Teacher Retention Grants: I will sponsor legislation to establish federal grants aimed at raising baseline teacher salaries and providing tax credits for educators working in high-turnover, under-resourced zip codes, treating teaching like the critical profession it is. Strict Accountability for Federal Charter Funds: I will mandate that any charter school receiving federal expansion dollars must meet the exact same transparency, civil rights, and special education standards as traditional public schools. We must end the practice of public dollars funding private profits.”

Jean Monestime: “I am also an educator and I support increasing teacher pay.”