School leaders filled the Hillsborough High School auditorium Thursday to hear pitches from two of this year's Democratic candidates for governor.
They were a study in contrasts as they addressed the Hillsborough Association of School Administrators: Andrew Gillum, the Tallahassee mayor who credited the public schools for enabling him to transcend his working class background; and Philip Levine, the Miami Beach mayor who said he's the only one strong enough to best Trump surrogate Ron DeSantis.
Gillum said he intends to "pay teachers what they're worth" while Levine was specific, calling for a $10,000, across-the-board pay raise.
Gillum also said he would veto any budget that gives public education dollars to private sector interests, such as charter management firms.