My name is Chloe. I am in 7th grade and attend Asheville Middle School like 700-800 other students. In my class, there has been a very sad event. My language arts and social studies teacher is resigning from his post. He has a wife and three small children to support, and the pay he has been making, even with two jobs, does not cover his needs. He has been stretched financially for some time now, and finally, could not hold on any longer. He truly loves his job and the students he teaches, and we feel the same way. But because of the little pay teachers are given nowadays, he will be moving to Ohio in search of a better-paying job. He told us this the day after Halloween, and it shook me and my classmates up quite a bit. Some of us were crying before we left school.
It makes me very angry that most of the politicians in North Carolina have such little respect for the teachers who guide the future generation. I fear that if people do not do something about the teachers' situation, my fellow students and I may lose more great teachers. I am writing this letter to open the eyes of people to the financial crisis that teachers are facing. My classmates and I wish this tragedy had not taken place, but it shows me what people are facing in everyday life now.
Many of my family members are or were educators, and I worry that the ones in the field now may soon face the same situation as my teacher. I do not want this to happen to other teachers either. Someday soon, the state will wake up and realize that what is happening to our teachers is flat-out wrong, as some people already are. I sincerely hope that I can be a part of a movement that should take place in North Carolina to value our teachers. I write this letter in hopes that I may persuade people with more power than I, to help make this change.
— Chloe Singleton
Asheville
Well said, Chloe! Your voice and perspective are especially important on this issue, and you are using the power of your words to make a better community. Thank you for your support!