The PCTA FYRE podcast is a collaborative forum of St. Petersburg High School teachers that are members of the Pinellas County teacher’s union discussing their opinions and perspectives as public school instructors facing the pressure of current legislation. The history of the union is far more complex than one may expect; in fact, the PCTA was the first union in Florida to go on strike in 1968. Currently, their affairs focus more on creating private contracts and negotiating the best deal for the teachers involved. 

The podcast was co-created by Mr. Belcasto and Mr. Pickett to share their perspective on teaching publicly. It has since acquired episodes with many recurring members of PCTA discussing their feelings. The podcast has been a productive way for members of the school board and authoritative figures within the school system to hear and understand teachers’ ongoing concerns. Mr. Belcastro has a personal teaching philosophy of students being his boss, and he stated, “I answer to them every day… I don’t personally fund this classroom because their parent’s taxes do.” It is possible that his beloved reputation can be attributed to the compassionate position he takes in the classroom. However, other members don’t hold the same beliefs as Belcastro, making their classrooms focus on authority and mutual respect.  

The reputation of the podcast has stayed “overwhelmingly positive,” and the students weren’t ever a point of concern when creating it. When asked if either felt fearful of their words being taken out of context, they both claimed that they are articulate with what they say; they don’t have any other choice in the current climate. The goal is to bring everyone into the fold throughout the podcast’s thirteen episodes. There is no sign of these modern-day muckrakers ending their goal soon, and St. Pete High is proud of yet another piece of history being claimed.