Gorham, Valdes endorsed by teachers union

Stephen Gorham is picking up steam in his bid to unseat 16-year veteran School Board member Carol Kurdell.

Last night, he won the endorsement of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association. The teachers union also threw its support behind Susan Valdes, the only other incumbent being challenged this season. Board members Doretha Edgecomb and Jack Lamb were re-elected without competition. For what it's worth, they also received the union's endorsements.

Gorham is being backed by both of Hillsborough's major unions. He established himself as a politician not to be underestimated as a novice running against Ronda Storms for the state senate. But Kurdell is a familiar name to many voters. She has drawn two challengers this year in a countywide race that promises to be more exciting than the standard School Board fodder.

(Photos: Gorham, left, Kurdell, right.)

Comments

[Chris W]

Carol Kurdell is familiar, all right. I remember her as being rude, dismissive and patronizing to affected parents during the school boundary redrawing debacle. I also remember her as being as active as a store mannequin until just before election time, when she'd scramble to look busy long enough to get back into office. After that it seemed to be nap time.

[Timmy!]

BULLS-EYE!, Chris

[Chris W]

Glad someone else remembers this, too. I've known Stephen Gorham since he ran against (and almost beat) Ronda Storms, and there are few things about him everyone needs to know:

1) He's very unpretentious; what you see is exactly what you get.

2) He's very smart and technology-savvy.

3) He's very respectful, but he's also tough-minded and hard to snow.

4) He's politically astute but very honest.

5) He does his homework and bothers to learn about *all* of the issues facing Hillsborough schools, not just his cause or things people have told him he needs to act concerned about.

He's also married to a teacher, and his oldest is about to enter the public schools. That gives parents and teachers one more voice on the board to balance out the heavy hand of the district administration.

[jwt]

OK-- Let's use correct terminology, here!!!! Lamb and Edgecomb did NOT WIN anything!!!! Therer were simply no othere qualifiers in their respective districts!!! That's a BIG difference !!! My neighbor's cat could have run in my district and I would've voted that direction rather than for Lamb!!! I suspect, from speaking with others, that it's the case for Edgecomb. also.

[Mencken Jr]

jwt - Neither of them is known for bold leadership or good innovative ideas. If you can stay awake through the televised School Board meetings, Lamb and Edgecomb are a wonder to behold. Such stunning circumlocution and utter undeserved self-satisfaction are not to be found anywhere but here and, if you're a connoisseur of such things you will have found a feast in Lamb and Edgecomb.

Of course, to truly get the School Board experience you need to look to Jennifer Faliero. For sheer gall and "big brass ones" you only need to look to her admonishment of the one independent voice on the board to "get with the program" while she was sneaking out of her district to live (by rumor, to live near her lover whose marriage she helped break up). *That* is a small-time politician writ smaller (by the moving middle finger, I warrant).

[Kenny]

We need to clean out the dead wood.

Having a vested interest, I watched a few board meetings and was amazed at the antics.

[Michelle from Tampa]

Go Stephen for School Board!

Michelle from Tampa (mom of 2 in Hillsborough public schools)

[Chris W]

If April Griffin hadn't beaten Ken Allen last go-round, there wouldn't *be* an independent voice on the board. You can't provide effective oversight of the district administration if you've spent your whole career in that administration.

[Francine]

I support Stephen Gorham for Hillsborough School District.

It will be nice to have another voice on the School Board actually thinking for the children and teachers. And with Stephen's wife as a teacher, she'll be able to pinpoint exactly where the Board and administrations have neglected the classrooms.

Isn't that what the School Board should be focussed on - the classroom.? Rather than who's pockets are being lined for great land deals, long standing book deals and horrendous "teaching for the tests" attitudes that are rampant by our school administrators.

Stephen Gorham - a true public servant.

[Mencken Jr]

Francine:

Stephen Gorham is a good choice. He seems to have a very practical turn of mind and he isn't easily intimidated by people with titles. He is courtly and polite in person, and is happy to work with people to further a common goal or to lead them himself if need be.

[Barbara .]

Gorham's wife being a teacher and his having a child about to enter public school is a BIG NEGATIVE. Will he RAISE our property taxes to pay for his brat in public school and give his wife a raise? NOTHING is ever done about the bloated educational bureaucracy staff soaking the taxpayer from the Jimmy Carter created Dept of Education to all the state/local educational staff and their support staff so only a small amount of money ever reaches the children. A bureaucracy will never dismantle itself so there should be a ballot to the voting asking them if they want to dismember EVERYTHING, throw everyone out of a job and go to charter schools for 2 years. At the end of 2 years, EASE back into public schools but eliminate all the STATE and FEDERAL educational departments and staff and keep only a few local staff. Until this happens, I do not support ANY PUBLIC SCHOOLS as it just feeds the beast.

[Chris W]

12:39 - It sounds like you need to eat more fiber... it will help you clean out what you seem to be full of.