Here is an article in the Tampa Tribune that is remarkably supportive of public education.
This writer, Steve Otto, understands that the Florida legislature is determined to dismantle public education in Florida.
At the same time, he notes that the school board in Hillsborough County (where Bill Gates dropped a hundred million or so to push teacher evaluation) is engaged in its own shenanigans. In this reported episode, a member of the board got up and publicly denounced a teacher who happened to be running for her seat. He was non-renewed, and she thought it was important to read his letter of non-renewal into the record in the midst of a discussion of protecting the privacy of teachers.
Shenanigans aside, imagine an article that begins with a recognition that our nation’s investment in a strong public school system helped to grow our middle class. And a recognition that the parent trigger is a cruel hoax against parents that will help grow corporate profits.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Thank you Diane! Tampa teachers truly have no voice. Our union (our association) is so tied up with the district. Teachers are afraid to speak. It is a sad state of affairs. There is no true conversation going on… I hope someone will publish the whole story here. It is a story of intimidation. Thank you for your voice!
Thank you for sharing this, Diane. I resigned from my position as a teacher in good standing with Hillsborough County last summer for several reasons, but the biggest one is that I cannot work in a climate that is so hostile to teachers. I got out with my reputation intact, but I fear that those who speak out will be vilified and slandered in order to invalidate their criticisms.
Diane,
My name is Ian Kay. I would like to send you my book called “New Money For Old Rope.”
Unfortunately, the file is too large to transfer via e-mail. I validated my career, and committed the ultimate sin. I told the truth. It’s the first of several books that will reveal the shenanigans of administrators and of the school boards. It’s the message that counts, and I’m hoping to start a movement to take back education for teachers and their students, and put an end to the for-profit motive, and the intrusion of big business in the process of education. If I had written this book during my teaching years, I would have been a pariah in the educational community. It’s available on Amazon, and shortly as an i-book with audio examples of my career as a teacher and professional musician.
A sample is available at the Amazon site.
Respectfully, Ian Kay
The teacher referenced is Michael Weston. He is virtually the only teacher who has stood up at board meetings and accused the School District of selling out their teachers and students for corporate deform money. They are now mounting a smear campaign to screw with his candidacy. With a 3 billion dollar budget, you can buy a lot of smear. It is revolting.
That school board member should be thrown out and if legal action is possible sued. What a hypocrite. It takes nerve and arrogance to talk about protecting rights at the same time taking them away.
The Parent Trigger in California does not preclude parents, teachers and the community from “Pulling the Trigger.” Who says you have to let the corporate privatizers be the only ones to do it? Get it together people. No wonder they are crushing you. You do not think outside of the box. Politics is the “Art of the Possible.” This is all we do. That is how we get outcomes. It is hard work. It takes a lot of thought, knowing the interworkings of politics and how to make things happen along with the requirements of knowledge of the subject and gathering the documentary evidence. I read a lot of the bills and analyze them and do the preliminary work on writing our opposition or support of bills based on facts. We then tune them to the political reality of the moment for maximum effect. This is very hard to do if you do not have someone there all the time. We happen to have that. It can be done. Look at your state “Parent Trigger” Laws and see if they preclude you, the public not the corporate privatizers from “Pulling the Trigger.” Why not use it for your and your childrens benefit. Do you really believe you could do a better job than them? Well, then build the support and do it while eliminating the corporate privatizers who will only peel off a percentage of the revenue in top level salaries, benefits and profits. Do you really want to win?
As far as I know every medium to large school district teachers union except for CTU is bought and sold by the district and their puppet masters. CTU is the “Last Chance Saloon” so to speak.