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Unions back newcomers in school races

With its endorsements, a PAC representing two unions with about 11,000 members signals its displeasure with three School Board incumbents.

By THOMAS C. TOBIN
Published July 29, 2006

The Pinellas County School District's biggest employee unions on Friday endorsed a math teacher and a former principal in two School Board races.

In doing so, they snubbed three board members running for re-election.

A political action committee for the teachers and support employees unions endorsed Countryside High teacher Chris Hardman in the District 2 race over board members Nancy Bostock and Mary Russell. The group also endorsed retired principal Ray Tampa for the District 7 seat over board member Mary Brown.

District 2 covers the entire county. District 7 covers St. Petersburg roughly south of 54th Avenue N as well as Kenneth City, Gulfport and South Pasadena.

The PAC represents the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association and the Pinellas Educational Support Professionals Association. Because the unions represent about 11,000 district employees, most candidates consider their endorsement a big advantage.

Hardman, 53, "has a good heart and he seems to be interested in the system," said Jade Moore, executive director of the teachers union. "He takes a calm and business-like approach to the School Board, and calm and business-like would be good right now."

He called Hardman a "thoughtful guy" with an "interesting background," having worked as a medical and pharmaceutical salesman for 20 years before becoming a teacher in 2002.

"We're willing to give him a chance," said Moore, who does not sit on the committee.

He said the panel also was impressed with Tampa, a veteran administrator who retired in 2004 after 31 years with the system. At the time, he was principal of Lakewood Elementary in St. Petersburg. He took a job with a private educational company in Atlanta.

"We really think he's going to be a good connector to the community," Moore said. "He knows schools and how they run."

Tampa also "understands the tyranny of the FCAT," Moore said.

The PAC, he has said, did not like Russell's style or Bostock's politics.

The group liked Brown, Moore said, but felt she had not been a strong enough advocate for "a change agenda for our poverty kids. ... She kind of fit in too much with the rest of the board."

The PAC previously endorsed board member Linda Lerner and retired school administrator Lew Williams in the two other School Board races.

[Last modified July 29, 2006, 02:25:58]