PCTA FYRE Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with Eileen Long to discuss her achievements as the elected board member of Pinellas County School District 4 and her plans if re-elected for another term. Eileen is endorsed by PCTA for the upcoming August 20th election. Her opponent is proudly supported by Moms for Liberty. You can find more information about Eileen at EileenLong2024.com.

We're joined by fellow FYRE activists Emily Griest and Heather Fox to talk about their recent lobbying efforts in Tallahassee. During our conversation, we hear some funny stories while questioning the importance of the teacher's voice while the legislature is in session.

On this episode of the podcast, the gang takes on the role of film critics to analyze "Lean on Me," starring Morgan Freeman, exploring its message on the career of teaching and the underappreciation of educators in late-stage capitalist society. Join us as we make some laughs, gaffes, oopsies and daisies while losing our minds to this 1980s classic. This one's for you, Gen X.

Happy New Year, everyone!  Philip and Brennen are joined by PCTA President Lee Bryant and Executive Director Lindsey Blankenbaker for another important update regarding union leadership, union recertification, and our collaboration with the Common Good Campaign.  The state of our union is stronger than ever as we enter 2024.

Brennen and Philip meet with two fellow executive board members, Paula Stephens and Tracey McConnell, to discuss behavior problems and discipline procedures that happen in the Pinellas County School District. During the discussion, we look at behavior issues as they apply to K-12 students, talk about why it is overwhelming to instructional and administrative staff on school sites, and reflect on h...

On this State of the Union, Brennen and Lee discuss some critical action steps all members and nonmembers need to follow through to save the PCTA from decertifying in January. In what may seem like another doomsday message is actually some really great news about our union's plan to remain active all the way throughout this next school year. We're not going anywhere. Tune in to find out ho...

In this episode, we interview executive producer Jeff Mann about the inspiration behind his latest documentary, "Americonned": a "David vs. Goliath story" that pits the working class against corporate giants. During our discussion, we reflect on the documentary's relevance in regard to recurring inequality and inflation plaguing the country, significant movements of the pas...

Brennen, Philip, and Dr. Anna get together with PCTA President Lee Bryant for their monthly update. Tune in for for updates concerning our membership deadlines and progress in bargaining. Also, stick around to hear about local community outreach events PCTA has participated in to spread awareness about what's happening in public schools. At the end, we have a quick FAQ with the Bin Questions f...

After a hellish School Board meeting in August, the hobbits organized with their union and marched onward to get to the meeting an hour early; thus, finally destroying the one ring of power into the fiery depths of Mount Doom... ...Or at least before the Mom's for Liberty could arrive and not have a seat at the meeting... Here's our report of the September 12 school board meeting at the Pi...

**STIRKING IS NOT ENDORSED BY PCTA OR FEA** Brennen, Ramsey, Kelsey, Anna, and Philip debate about the history and concept of striking in Florida. During this episode we discuss the nuances and common frustrations that anyone would hear a young educator air out about their standing in the profession. Special thanks to Philip Belcastro, Artifact, and Danya Vodovoz for allowing their music to air on...

Welcome to the State of the "Union"! Word play... get it? Join Brennen Pickett, Dr. Anna Margiotta (they/them), and Ramsey Aziz as they talk about the current state of affairs of the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association with the president himself, Mr. Lee Bryant. In this series, Lee will provide updates and answer the important questions our members have left us. Do you have any press...

It's time for our school year kick off! We're back with Dr. Anna Margiotta (they/them), Philip Belcastro, Ramsey Aziz, and Kelsey Donegan to discuss the recent school board meeting on August 1st as well as reflect on where we are, mentally, as educators. Spoilers: Florida is a dumpster fire being railroaded by the true believers. Thank you to the following monthly supporters: Misha Chernov...

This is part 2 of a multipart mini-series. Join Brennen Pickett (he/him), Dr. Anna Margiotta (they/them), and Kelsey Donegan (he/him) travel to the National Education Association Representative Assembly and share their experiences as first-time delegates. In this series, we are centered around explaining the following questions: What are union conventions and why do we go to them? Learn about how...

In this mini-series, Brennen Pickett (he/him), Dr. Anna Margiotta (they/them), and Kelsey Donegan (he/him) travel to the National Education Association Representative Assembly and share their experiences as first-time delegates. In this series, we are centered around explaining the following questions: What are union conventions and why do we go to them? Learn about how unions work and join us as...

Small man, big mouth. In this episode, we are joined by alumni Brandi (she/her) and student activist Josh Epstein (he/him) to discuss the ongoing challenges faced by faculty and students at New College of Florida, located in Sarasota, since Governor DeSantis's overhaul of the board of directors on January 6th, 2023. We primarily explore the impact these changes have had on campus culture and s...

In this episode, we are joined by Rob Kriete (he/him), President of the Hillsborough Classroom Teacher Association, along with our friend from across the bay, Emily Griest (she/her). During our discussion, Kriete and Griest enlighten us on the details of their recent labor victory—a two-year struggle with a contractual impasse. Together, explore the pros and cons of this commonly feared union chal...

In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Anna Margiotta (they/them) to interview Abby Lawlor (she/her), co-author of the bestselling book "Rules to Win By: Power & Participation in Union Negotiations." During our discussion, we explore various strategies and approaches that unions can adopt to bolster membership through activism and foster member engagement during Collective Bargaini...

What do a couple of Schmoes and a cop think about gun violence? In this episode, we're joined by Ken Afienko (he/him) and Lee Bryant (he/him) to discuss gun violence in American culture. We touch on gun safety, mental health, and the role of public servants in addressing mass shootings. While delving into the importance of responsible firearm ownership, we also emphasize the importance of proper t...

What's the state of our "union"? In this episode, we examine the existential crisis teachers face in organized labor with the president of the Florida Education Association, Andrew Spar (he/him) and the president of the Pinellas Classroom Teacher Association, Nancy Velardi (she/her). During our discussion we shed light on a multitude of challenges, achievements, and ongoing impact on...

*EXPLICIT LANGUAGE AND MATURE THEMES ARE DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE* Surprise! We have a "lost episode" for you today. Enjoy an unedited conversation we have with the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association's finest, Emily Griest (she/her) and Rob Kriete (he/him). Our discussion floats around a couple different tangents that loosely answer some questions provided by Orlando Weekly's McKenna Sch...

The band is back together! In this episode, we're joined by our friends Dr. Anna Margiotta (they/them) and Kelsey Donegan (he/him) to discuss the recent school board meeting on April 25th. During our discussion we delve into the nuances of the recent business conducted concerning the district wide bus shortage as well as the heated public comments that shortly followed. The teacher's ralli...

Gotta go F.A.S.T! In this episode, we're joined by Tracey McConnell (she/her) and Ramsey Aziz (he/him) to discuss the role of standardized testing in elementary schools, with a particular focus on the new roll out of the Florida Assessment for Student Thinking (FAST). We explore the social and emotional effects that testing has on students, and how this may contribute to apathy towards education i...

"Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees" or WOKE or "We Thought of a buzzword First" or WTF? Uhh... In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Anna Margiotta (they/them) and the United Faculty of Florida's UCF President, Robert Cassanello (he/him), as we discuss the decades long "History Wars" in the state of Florida and the controversial HB 7, also known as the "Stop WOKE Act." During the show, we speculate...

We've heard of Florida's teacher shortage, but what does this look like in practice? In this episode, we are joined by mathematics teacher Stephanie Rozell (she/her) and ESE support Mary Gressle (she/her) to discuss the impact of the lack of personnel in their field on their day-to-day work. We hope to shed some more light on how this shortage of professional support can contribute to overall stud...

The Educator Strikes Back! In this episode, Ramsey Aziz (he/him) hits the streets once again to interview a variety of demonstrators at "The Rally to Defend Public Education" in St. Petersburg that took place on April 1st. We reflect on the demonstration with Stephanie Rozell (she/her) while discussing the significance of the teacher unions as it advocates for the rights of educators and students....