Dear North Carolina,
I have been a teacher for 25 years. I decided to become a teacher at the age of 28 after working in the car business, insurance business and the investment business. I went back to school at 28 — with a husband, 2-year-old and a mortgage and gained a degree in mathematics and a certification to teach grades 9-12.
I paid my student loans off over 10 years and I worked two jobs for all of those years to make ends meet. During some of that time, you have “loved” me and “respected” me. In the past, you have treated me with respect and attempted to reward me for my efforts.
I have lived through ABC’s, endless EOCs, No Child Left Behind and now Common Core. I have always tried my best to educate “our” children to the best of my ability.
How have you repaid me for my efforts? You have denied me a living wage. You have taken my longevity, incorporated it into my pay, and told the public that you gave me a “raise.” You have put a piece into my evaluation that includes my students’ test scores as a measure of my “effectiveness.”
But you don’t know my students! You don’t know the ones who have missed 60 days this year, the ones whose parents were murdered, the ones who had a friend commit suicide. You don’t know what they have fought just to BE at school — hungry, without supplies — who didn’t have a ride, who have no parents or parents who don’t care.
You don’t know how I have fought to get a young man or woman to look you in the eye when they speak, to shake your hand firmly. You don’t know how much I’ve had to teach them about life before I can teach them math!
You don’t know how hard I have worked to build their self-esteem, to teach them to react appropriately to criticism, to walk away when they are confronted by those who want to cause trouble.
I have taken this responsibility very seriously, and I have honored it. I challenge you to ask any student I have taught over the years, especially the ones I have battled.
They have never let me down. But you, North Carolina, have.
You have told me by your actions that you don’t value my service. You are taking away benefits I thought that — even though my pay was less than that of my peers in other careers — I could count on.
You’ve revoked the benefits of future teachers — longevity, possible health care, tenure. You’re working on mine even as I approach retirement and have counted on those things.
North Carolina, you want to bring in jobs. I get that. But we can’t build an educated, well-paid workforce if our education system is No. 49 in the nation.
Please understand that making business “attractive” in North Carolina with tax breaks will NOT work if the businesses see that North Carolina’s education system is deficient. No business will move their workers here if they feel that THEIR children cannot get a good education here or that they can’t find educated workers here.
North Carolina, I love you. I’ve spent my whole life with you. But I fear that we’re gonna have to break up.
You don’t care about me anymore. You don’t care about anyone who is in public service below the legislative level — and, as Dr. Phil says, “The only thing worse than spending 25 years with someone who abuses you is spending 25 years and one day.”
Think about it, North Carolina. Is this what you want?
Love,
Blaine
Blaine Maples lives in Rockingham and teaches at Anson New Tech High School in Wadesboro. She previously taught at Richmond Senior High School and Scotland High School.