PCTA FYRE Podcast

PCTA FYRE Podcast

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PCTA FYRE Podcast episodes

  • Ep. 17 - Nobody Cares About the Woods Anymore

    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 rallied. Hear all about it.

    1 hr 3 min
  • Ep. 16 - Only Alphas and Chads
    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 in later years. We also question the effectiveness of standardized testing as a means of educating young children and debate the usefulness of the data collected from these tests, considering the stress and anxiety they may cause.
    Tune in and find out if cool rebranding solves the system issues behind standardized testing!
    40 min
  • Ep. 15 - Nothing is Real
    "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 on the far-reaching implications of this legislation for educators, students, and parents across the state, while also examining the true intentions of the state legislature. As always, we emphasize the importance of solidarity and highlight the crucial role that teachers unions play in defending public institutions from attacks on academic freedom - from K-12 schools to the university level.
    It makes you think, are we counteracting or heightening the "Wrongs"?
    We highly appreciate your feedback and would love to hear your opinions and ideas. You can reach out to us at [email protected].
    41 min
  • Ep. 14 - Because the Governor Said So
    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 student performance and behavior on campus. Furthermore, we reflect and speculate on the recent signing of HB 1 into law by Ron DeSantis, which will divert billions of taxpayer dollars away from public schools and into private and charter voucher programs.
    You think it's bad now? This is just the tip of the iceberg.
    We highly appreciate your feedback and would love to hear your opinions and ideas. You can reach out to us at [email protected].
    35 min
  • Ep. 13 - Aziz on the Streets 2: The Electric Boogaloo
    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. We also examine the effectiveness of this demonstration as well as speculate on its potential to influence legislators in Tallahassee.
    We highly appreciate your feedback and would love to hear your opinions and ideas. You can reach out to us at [email protected].
    40 min
  • Ep. 12 - A Good Guy With a Drone

    When will it end?

    In this episode, we are joined by Hayley Hamblin (she/her) and Emily de la Paz (she/her) to discuss the issue of gun violence in schools. Hayley shares her personal experience as a witness to the 1988 shooting at Pinellas Park High School, where an assistant principal was shot and killed. We gear our discussion around how the incident affected Hayley both as a student and later as a mother. Finally, we end our conversation by speculating on why this issue keeps occurring in America and brainstorming potential solutions.

    We highly appreciate your feedback and would love to hear your opinions and ideas. You can reach out to us at [email protected].

    40 min
  • Ep. 11 - I Would Be a Happy Sheep Farmer

    Kids these days... Am I right?

    Brennen and Philip continue their discussion on teacher burnout by exploring the cultural apathy that is developing within the public school system. They are joined by Shannon Vincent (she/her) and Dr. Anna Margiotta (they/them), who share their own experiences with apathy within schools. Together, they examine the challenges that overwhelm teachers on a daily basis and reflect on possible remedies from both the past and present.

    We highly appreciate your feedback and would love to hear your opinions and ideas. You can reach out to us at [email protected].

    43 min
  • Ep. 10 - Bilbo Bargains

    In this episode, we are joined by former PCTA President Mike Gandolfo (he/him) and Ramsey Aziz (he/his) to discuss role unions play in collective bargaining for teachers. 

    We explore the definition and legislative history of collective bargaining in Florida and discuss the benefits of union representation in negotiating for teachers, with a focus on the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association (PCTA). We also examine the potential impact of Senate Bill 256 on collective bargaining in education and what happens when teachers lack union representation in collective bargaining.

    We highly appreciate your feedback and would love to hear your opinions and ideas. You can reach out to us at [email protected].

    36 min
  • Ep. 9 - We Do It For The Kids

    In this episode, we're joined by two HCTA teachers, Emily Griest (she/her) and Nicole Teagarden (she/her), to discuss the harmful impact of the "do it for the kids" mentality on teacher burnout and the exacerbation of the teacher shortage crisis. 

    We delve into what this mentality entails and why it is detrimental to teachers' wellbeing and job satisfaction. We also explore how state, district, and administration's actions in circumventing or exploiting class size amendment laws add to the complexity of a teacher's job. Lastly, we provide a call to action, discussing the physical and mental consequences of the frustration and stress resulting from large class sizes and how unions can use this to channel productive organizing techniques.

    We highly appreciate your feedback and would love to hear your opinions and ideas. You can reach out to us at [email protected].

    42 min
  • Ep. 8 - Approaching Eyeroll Status

    In this episode, we will be joined by returning guests, Kelsey Donegan (he/his) and Dr. Anna Margiotta (they/them), to give a wrap-up of the school board meeting that took place on February 28th.

    During our discussion, we will explore the various agendas from the interest groups and stakeholders who participated in the meeting such as the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association (PCTA), Families for Strong Public Schools, and the Mom's for Liberty. Additionally, we will express our concerns about recent legislation moving quickly through Tallahassee, such as HB 1, the universal voucher bill proposed by the Republican supermajority, as well as other district initiatives surrounding potential budget cuts and book banning.

    We highly appreciate your feedback and would love to hear your opinions and ideas. You can reach out to us at [email protected].

    43 min

About PCTA FYRE Podcast

From the publisher's feed

The Florida’s Young Remarkable Educators discuss ways to organize, communicate news, and encourage their colleagues to join and get involved with their local union. Solidarity is fine and all, but…