Where I Stand: Fine, Here Are My Talking Points

Candidate for Pinellas County School Board, District 3 (At Large)

I will be honest.

The title of this blog is a little sarcastic.

When someone asks a candidate, “What’s your platform?” they are usually hoping for a quick answer. Maybe a slogan. Maybe three talking points.

And I understand that.

People are busy. They want to understand where someone stands without reading a 20-page policy document.

To be honest, though, I would much rather sit down with someone for 45 minutes, an hour, or even two hours and have a real conversation.

Because if you do that, you will get a pretty clear sense of who I am.

You will hear about my experiences as a director and business owner, working with children and families, running programs, collaborating with schools, serving on boards, and raising two kids who are currently in the public school system here in Pinellas County.

In fact, that is why I often tell people to simply Google my name.

And I do not mean that in a conceited way. I mean it as an honest suggestion. Search my name and see what comes up.

What you will find is a pretty consistent story.

This campaign did not create my values. It simply gave them another microphone.

The work I have done, the conversations I have had, and the values I talk about today are not new ideas I suddenly developed because I am running for office. These are things I have been working on and speaking about for years.

Still, ask me to summarize all of that in two minutes, and I will admit it can feel a little strange.

That said, I understand the question.

Voters deserve to know who they are supporting and what kind of leadership they can expect.

So, fine.

I give in.

Here are three parts of my platform.

1. I Stand With Teachers

If you talk to teachers long enough, you will hear the same themes over and over again.

They love their students.

They care deeply about the work.

But it is hard to ignore the reality that Florida continues to rank near the bottom nationally in teacher pay.

That is simply not a sustainable direction if we want to attract and retain excellent educators.

Great schools require great teachers, and great teachers deserve to feel respected both professionally and financially.

And by the way, it is not lost on me that this same argument can be made for many helping professions that support children and families, such as case managers, probation officers, behavioral health professionals, and social workers who show up every day to support young people.

But beyond compensation, one thing remains consistently true in my conversations with educators.

Teachers want to feel heard.

In fact, many of the frustrations teachers describe have very little to do with spreadsheets or budgets.

They simply want to feel like their voices matter.

When policies are made about curriculum, testing, discipline, or classroom expectations, teachers should not feel as though those decisions are being made to them.

They should feel like they are part of the conversation.

One simple way to improve that is something I have done throughout my career in workforce and youth programs. Before implementing major changes, leadership brings frontline staff into the conversation early. Not after the decision is made. Before.

That kind of collaboration builds trust.

Nothing in any system will ever be perfect, and that is okay.

But if teachers in Pinellas County can say something simple like this:

“Nothing is perfect, but I feel heard. I feel supported. And I believe we are headed in the right direction.”

Then we are moving in the right direction.

Because when teachers feel supported, students benefit.

2. I Lead With Logical Consistency and Empathy

One phrase I hear often is this:

“Keep politics out of our schools.”

Most people say that with good intentions. But if we are honest, that phrase can mean very different things depending on who you ask.

Recently, during an interview on SVA Live with Senior Voice America, the host asked a question that really stuck with me.

Everyone says they want “safe schools.”

But what does that actually mean?

It is a fair question, because phrases like “safe schools,” “parental rights,” or “keep politics out of schools” can easily become slogans if we do not take the time to define them.

That is why one of my guiding principles is logical consistency.

If we apply a certain logic when we evaluate a book removal in a school library, are we applying that same logic across the board?

If we make decisions about student activities or organizations, are we applying consistent standards to everyone?

Logical consistency means applying the same reasoning fairly, even when the outcome might not perfectly match our personal preferences.

Consistency does not mean everyone agrees. It means everyone understands the reasoning.

At the same time, empathy matters.

Parents, teachers, and students come to these conversations with different experiences, different fears, and different hopes for their children.

One practical way to encourage both empathy and logical consistency is greater transparency around how decisions are made.

For example, I believe board members should regularly explain their reasoning to the public in more detail than a short vote explanation during a meeting. That could take the form of written reflections or blog-style updates where board members outline why they voted a certain way, how the decision aligns with their previous positions, and even where their own reasoning might have limitations.

I also believe the board could benefit from dedicating time each quarter for a public discussion focused specifically on decision-making consistency. Not a debate over individual policies, but a conversation about how we evaluate issues.

Are we applying the same standards across similar situations?

Are we learning from previous decisions?

I am not suggesting these ideas are perfect solutions. But if we want to move conversations away from slogans and toward real problem-solving, we need more clarity about how decisions are being made.

Because when reasoning is transparent and consistent, it becomes easier for communities to disagree respectfully and still move forward together.

Look, we will not always agree on everything.

And honestly, that is healthy.

But when we approach problems with empathy and consistent reasoning, we can move conversations away from division and toward solutions.

3. I Want to Plant Trees for Shade I May Never Sit In

Some of the most important decisions leaders make are the ones they will never personally get credit for.

That is something I have learned throughout my career working in programs that serve families and youth.

Real change often takes years.

When I think about serving on the school board, I think about my own kids.

Right now, they are young.

But one day they will be in high school in this district.

When that day comes, I want to know that the decisions we made years earlier helped shape a stronger system for them and for every student who comes after them.

That might mean investing in programs or innovations that do not produce immediate headlines.

It might mean creating nontraditional partnerships between schools, communities, and employers so students are better prepared for the future.

It might mean proactively addressing long-term challenges such as enrollment changes, workforce pathways, and the role new technologies will play in education.

There is an old phrase that says:

“A society grows great when people plant trees whose shade they know they will never sit in.”

That is how I think about leadership.

I want to make decisions today that help shape the schools my kids will experience when they reach high school, even if those decisions do not bring recognition right away.

I want to plant trees for shade I may never see.

So… Where Do I Stand?

I stand with teachers.

I lead with logical consistency and empathy.

And I want to make decisions today that strengthen our schools for the students who will walk through these doors years from now, including my own kids.

And yes, I understand the irony of writing this blog because people want short talking points… only to write a much longer explanation of those talking points.

But these are values that have shaped my work, my career, and my life as a parent.

If you want to understand who I am as a candidate, I encourage you to research me, learn about my background, and listen to the conversations I am having in the community.

And I encourage you to do the same with every candidate in this race.

Because elections should not be about slogans.

They should be about values.

And choosing the leader whose values best align with your own vision for our schools.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely those of Curtis Campogni, Candidate for Pinellas County School Board, District 3 (At Large), and do not represent the official position of any organization or governing body.