E4: Dr. Inika Williams on Attendance
Sunday August 30, 2026. We sit down with Dr. Inika Williams to discuss attendance, Leon County School policies, and the effects of district and school choices on our students and families.
Outsourcing Educators Leon County School Board Favors Staffing Contract Over Local Labor Solutions
By Jade DiGirolamoJuly 23, 2026 Leon County Schools did not “stumble” into the controversial arrangement with TPG Cultural Exchange. The school board approved the contract on the argument that it fills classroom vacancies the district could not otherwise staff. That argument treats the staffing shortage as the problem when, in actuality, it is a symptom. […]
FLCapitalTea Endorsement of Local City Elections 2026
This political season is ripe with drama. Despite our name having “tea” in it, we prefer our leaders remain above the drama. Since our first election year, our team has grown and we decided to create an endorsement team with some team members abstaining while others agreeing to take on the responsibility of watching/attending debates, […]
Behind Closed Doors: The Julie Lawson Investigation
Content Notice: Our team received the investigation report concerning Mrs. Julie Lawson, former principal of Kate Sullivan Elementary School. This post discusses reported physical contact involving a student, failures in parental notification, alleged sexual assault, and alleged retaliation against school employees. Readers should use discretion. A History of Retaliation, Harassment, and Questions About What District […]
TPD’s Fitness, Favoritism, and a Six Figure Salary
For some, the City of Tallahassee (COT) is just a job, but for Chief Revell, it’s an opportunity to give his cousin an approximately $100,000 salary as a wellness coordinator. We obtained a public records request that confirms the expected pay for this position and the applicants’ information. The public records request received substantiates the […]
James Billingsley, Leon County Schools District 1
You can find out more about James Billingsley through his Facebook page. Why are you running for school board and what do you plan to accomplish? I’m running because I have two kids in the school system. The School Board is in need of fresh members with new ideas. Many neighbors in our community […]
James Reilly, Leon County School Board District 5
You can visit James Reilly’s Facebook page to learn more about him. His page highlights everyday people getting involved in the decision making process. You can also find his email and phone number listed publicly on his page. Why are you running for school board and what do you plan to accomplish? I actually considered […]
MOI: Mechanism of Increase, A Predictor of Patterned Corruption
Property taxes are increasing and the state has proposed a solution (to reduce or eliminate the property tax, an item appearing on local ballots this November) without first identifying the true cause of the increase. In the medical field, we learn from day one to identify the mechanism of injury. Our local and state governments […]
A Small Investment, A Big Difference: Why to Say Yes at Ballot Box In November
By Sierra Bush Rester As a lifelong Tallahasseean, parent to several children (who attend Leon CountySchools), and a Leon County school teacher, I have always hoped for an opportunity in which Icould put my money where my mouth is and use my tax dollars to support our community publicschools. Luckily for me and people like […]
Teacher Pay Shouldn’t Be a Cover for a Tax Grab
By Dr. Inika Williams When you read the actual ballot language line by line, you realize the proposal is not just about teacher pay. It is a long list of other priorities bundled into one tax request. Let’s look at the words. “In order to increase teacher pay…” This is the strongest part of the […]
The Truth About Public Education That Many Don’t Want to Discuss
Daniel Zeruto, May 29, 2026 What is happening in the Leon County School District reflects a deeper issue that many parents have experienced firsthand, but too few leaders are willing to openly discuss, much less address. This week, during a public school board meeting, a board member openly stated she was asking questions publicly because […]
Don’t Compare Yourself To Others, Unless You Are A Municipality
The city recently voted to offer current employees the opportunity to quit and receive $20,000 or 12 weeks of pay (whichever is greater). This comes at the direction of the State’s legislation HB1329 (Local Government Financial Transparency and Accountability ACT). The city is interpreting the section 166.241 as required to implement a 10% budget reduction. […]
ABC, 123, Baby $2.5 Million
We’ve all seen the headlines for the new state-of-the-art VPK facility. However, state-of-the-art comes at a hefty price tag: $2,538,993 to be exact. This new facility is being touted as bringing all of Leon County Schools VPK under one roof. Early learning is important and this is why our elected officials should work to get […]
To Vote Or Not To Vote For Consolidation, That Is The Question
On Tuesday March 10, 2026, the county commission approved a straw poll vote on the ballet for this election cycle. For clarity, a straw poll is to assess the interest of the community. This does not mean that a majority vote will result in consolidation but what it would accomplish is a direction for our […]
Norm Roche, City Commission Seat 3
You can visit Norm Roche’s campaign website HERE. You will find an “about” page, a “focus” page which explains his objectives, a “media” page which links various articles about his candidacy for city commission, and a “hot takes” page where he will share his thoughts on various issues in city government. Where are you from […]
Tifany Hill, City Commission- Seat 5
You can visit Tifnay Hill’s campaign website HERE. You will find more information about her as well as ways to contribute or volunteer with her campaign. We encourage all our neighbors to view her website to learn more about her. Website: t4tally.com FB: Tifany For Tally IG: @Tifany4Tallahassee Email: info@t4tally.com PH: 850.903.4255 Where are you from and […]
Tom Derzypolski, City Commission-Seat 3
You can visit Tom Derzypolski’s campaign website HERE. We encourage all our neighbors to view his website to learn more about him. Where are you from and how do you feel that impacts or influences your decision to run? I was born at TMH – right here in Tallahassee. My father’s work meant that we […]
Mike Foust, Mayor-Seat 4
You can visit Mike Foust’s campaign website HERE. On his website you will find information about Foust and ways to help his campaign. We encourage all our neighbors to view his website to learn more about him. Where are you from and how do you feel that impacts or influences your decision to run? I […]
Max Herrle, City Commission-Seat 3
You can visit Max Herrle’s campaign website HERE. On his website you will find an “about” page, a “podcast” and “blog” tab where Herrle is discusses multiple topics and issues in Tallahassee. We encourage all our neighbors to view his website to learn more about him. Where are you from and how do you feel […]
Jeremy Matlow, Mayor-Seat 4
You can visit Jeremy Matlow’s campaign website HERE. On his website you can find various tabs ranging from “internship” where College neighbors can work on his campaign, “Meet Jeremy” where we can read about Jeremy Matlow, “Events” page, and “issues” page where Jeremy discusses what he identifies as the issues in Tallahassee. We encourage all […]
