Deep Something

Daniela Simic Has Been Preparing for This Job for Years

September 8, 2026September 8, 2026 B. John 105 Views 0 Comments District 2, Brittany Lyssy, Campaign Finance, Hillsborough County School Board, community leadership, Daniela Simic, classroom experience, teacher endorsements, Public Education

This entry is in the series 2026 Elections

Daniela Simic’s campaign is built around something school board races could use more of: deep experience with schools themselves. She has spent about 25 years in education, from the classroom to district leadership, with years of PTA and community work layered on top of it.

Her fundraising tells its own story. Simic and Brittany Lyssy have raised roughly the same amount from outside donors, but Simic reached that total through far more contribution transactions, a lower median donation, and broader support from individuals, educators, labor groups, and community organizations.

The race gives District 2 voters a clear factual comparison in background, donor base, and connection to Hillsborough’s schools. The full piece looks at Simic’s record, the people backing her, and the experience she brings to one of the largest school systems in the country.

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Ambition, Attendance, and the Race for HCSB District 2

August 31, 2026 B. John 145 Views 0 Comments Brittany Lyssy, Local Governance, Public Education, Hillsborough County, Tampa Politics, Hillsborough School Board, District 2

This entry is in the series 2026 Elections

When someone wants to lead a multi-billion-dollar school district, authenticity comes first. Brittany Lyssy’s campaign for Hillsborough School Board District 2 asks voters to believe that a family of five lives in a 680-square-foot, one-bedroom condo while also keeping a homesteaded home in Manatee County. From barely attending advisory board meetings to repeating national talking points, District 2 voters deserve real community representation, not a staged political act.

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Would This Resume Get the Job?

August 1, 2026August 1, 2026 B. John 265 Views 0 Comments education policy, Brittany Lyssy, Campaign Finance, Hillsborough County School Board, Hillsborough County Public Schools, School Board Election, Leadership Experience, Local Politics

This entry is in the series 2026 Elections

Would this resume get the job? That’s the question every voter should ask before electing someone to help govern the seventh-largest school district in the nation. Hillsborough County Public Schools oversees more than 218,000 students, employs over 23,000 people, and manages a budget exceeding $4 billion. If this were a private company, would this résumé earn a seat in the boardroom?

This article examines Brittany Lyssy’s publicly presented qualifications alongside her campaign finance reports, which show that, excluding a personal loan to her campaign, nearly four out of every ten identifiable donor dollars came from outside Hillsborough County. It’s not a partisan argument. It’s a hiring question. Before entrusting someone with one of the most consequential governing positions in our community, voters deserve to ask whether the experience matches the responsibility.

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Hillsborough School Board District 2: The Choice Between Proven Dedication and Outside Ambition

May 13, 2026May 13, 2026 B. John 922 Views 0 Comments Campaign Finance, Local Governance, Tallahassee Influence, Education Leadership, Public Education, Hillsborough School Board, District 2, Chris Taylor, Brittany Lyssy

Is a seat on our local school board up for grabs by the highest out-of-county bidder? For months, the District 2 race was a focused contest between candidates with deep, functional ties to our classroom, including professionals like veteran educator Chris Taylor, who has spent years in the trenches of our district. Chris understands student achievement because he has managed it from the front lines, and his commitment is rooted in the actual lives of the students he has taught and the teachers he has led. His vision is focused on stability, inclusivity, and the professional integrity our schools need to thrive.

In sharp contrast, the late entry of attorney Brittany Lyssy introduces a jarring shift toward outside influence and corporate-backed interests. While Chris Taylor’s support is local and organic, an analysis of Lyssy’s campaign finance reports reveals that nearly 45% of her total donations—excluding personal loans—flow from outside Hillsborough County. Backed by Tallahassee-based PACs and out-of-county law firms, her candidacy suggests an agenda more beholden to a state-level political machine than to our community. Hillsborough deserves a board member whose only “client” is the child in the classroom, not a strategist using our schools as a policy laboratory.