Sure, calling Senate Bill 6 “the teacher tenure bill” is a snappy, alliterative way for the media to refer to the sweeping education reform measure Gov. Charlie Crist is now contemplating, but the phrase sure does make teachers mad.

A teacher at Brooksville Elementary in Hernando County refused to give an on-the-record comment to a St. Petersburg Times reporter who visited the school on Monday because she continues to see the word "tenure" in print. 

“Teachers do not have tenure in Florida,” she said. “We have multi-year professional contracts and we can be fired for just cause after due process. People don't understand that.”

On Tuesday, after the story appeared about Hernando teachers donning black to protest SB 6, the Brooksville Elementary teacher sent the reporter an e-mail with the subject line: “Hurrah! You are getting there!”

The message: “Liked your article, the word tenure didn't appear in it. It was in the caption of (the) picture, though. Thank you for listening to us!”

--Tony Marrero