Q&A: Daniela Simic, Hillsborough County School Board District 2 Candidate

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — Voters in the Nov. 3 general election will decide between Brittany Lyssy and Daniela Simic in the race for the Hillsborough County School Board District 2 seat.

They were the top two vote-getters in the Aug. 17 primary, which sent them to the Nov. 3 runoff.

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Simic earned nearly 39 percent of the vote in the primary, while Lyssy took home nearly 37 percent, according to the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections office. A third candidate, Chris Taylor, earned more than 24 percent of the vote.

District 2 represents southern and southwestern portions of Hillsborough County, including areas like South Tampa, Apollo Beach, Riverview, and Gibsonton.

Patch sent a candidate questionnaire to both Lyssy and Simic. Below are Simic's unedited responses.

• Name:

Daniela Simic

• Office Sought:

Hillsborough County School Board, District 2

• Political Party Affiliation:

Registered Democrat. The Hillsborough County School Board race is nonpartisan.

• Age:

48

• City or Town of Residence:

Tampa, Florida

• Education:

B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Delaware and M.S.Ed. in Educational Policy and Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania.

• Occupation:

Education and community advocate. I currently serve as Vice President of Advocacy for the Hillsborough County Council PTA and as PTA President at my son's public elementary school. I previously spent more than 25 years working in education, including as a classroom teacher and in district- and state-level leadership roles.

• Family Background:

I was raised in a family that placed a strong value on education, hard work and service. My father came to the United States for education and opportunity, and my mother built a small business. Today, I am raising my 10-year-old son, Roman, in Tampa, where he attends public school. I am also a widow and have raised Roman as an only parent.

• Does anyone in your family work in politics or government

No.

• Previous public office, appointive or elective:

None. This is my first run for public office. My public service has been through education and community leadership, including serving as PTA President at my son's public elementary school and as Vice President of Advocacy for the Hillsborough County Council PTA.

• Campaign website and social media:

Website: danielaforschools.com
Facebook: facebook.com/danielaforschools
Instagram: @danielaforschools

• Why are you seeking this office?

I have spent more than 25 years working in public education, from the classroom to district and state leadership, and today I am also the mother of a child in Hillsborough County Public Schools. I have seen what works, where families and educators encounter unnecessary roadblocks, and how decisions made at the district level ultimately affect classrooms. I am running because I believe experience matters when governing a large, complex school system. I want to help ensure every child has access to strong academics, early support, great teachers and multiple pathways to a successful future, regardless of ZIP code, family circumstance or individual need.

• What sets you apart from the other candidates seeking this post?

I bring more than 25 years of experience in public education, from the classroom to the Florida Department of Education and senior leadership roles in large school districts, including Hillsborough. I understand curriculum, school improvement, budgets, contracts, policy and how a complex school system operates. But I also know those decisions cannot be viewed only as numbers on a spreadsheet or legal language on a page. There are students, families, teachers and classrooms behind every decision. As a current Hillsborough public school parent, I have also personally navigated the system for a child who requires special services. That combination of professional expertise and firsthand parent experience gives me a perspective grounded both in how the system works and how its decisions affect children and families every day.

• What issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

My priorities are improving student achievement, supporting and retaining great teachers and staff, keeping schools safe, strengthening communication with families, and making sure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly. I want greater emphasis on early literacy and intervention before students fall behind, strong services for students with disabilities and learning differences, and meaningful pathways through AP, IB, AICE, career and technical education, college, career and military preparation. I also believe families and educators should be included earlier when major changes are being considered and that the district should clearly report whether programs and spending are actually producing results.

• What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Throughout my career, I have managed large teams, curriculum, budgets, professional learning and districtwide initiatives affecting thousands of students and educators. In my most recent role as Hillsborough's Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, I helped bring explicit phonics instruction and the science of reading back into the district's early literacy work, strengthening the focus on foundational reading skills. During the pandemic, I also helped lead the development of digital curriculum so teachers and students could continue learning when schools shifted rapidly to virtual instruction. Those experiences required both long-term vision and the ability to respond quickly when circumstances changed, while keeping the needs of students and teachers at the center of the work.

• What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

One piece of advice I have carried with me throughout my career is that good leaders do not have to pretend they know everything. They have to listen carefully, surround themselves with people who understand the work, ask good questions and be willing to change course when the facts tell them something is not working. That has shaped the way I have approached leadership throughout my career and the way I would approach service on the School Board.

• Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I believe deeply in public education because I have seen what it can make possible for children. Our schools are not perfect, and we should be honest about where improvement is needed, but I also believe strongly in protecting and strengthening them. A child's future should not be determined by ZIP code, family circumstance or individual need. I want Hillsborough County Public Schools to be a system families are proud to choose, educators want to work in and students leave prepared for whatever path comes next. Public education remains one of the strongest ways we can expand what is possible for a child, and I want to help make sure that promise reaches every student.