Hi, I’m a middle school student. I recently read a very profound article concerning teacher salaries, by The Washington Post, and it inspired me to write this letter, in hopes that people would truly realize how little teachers earn, specifically in NC. The article’s author shared the same views with me, that teachers need fairer pay, and more funding.
Although North Carolina teachers can be considered lucky compared to educators in other states, they all don’t earn much. In March, a News Observer article stated that the average NC teacher earns approximately $50,000 annually, although many earn less than that amount. It also said that this was the first time teachers’ pay exceeded $50,000.
Teachers do so much for this mass population of people, who were once all kids, and had a teacher. They inspire, care for, and nurture their students, and create a magical learning environment for them. They devote their time, money, and life to teaching kids, and on top of all of that, they have personal lives too. They use their measly paychecks to pay for school supplies, students’ lunches, and for their own essential products. A poll from May of 2018 revealed that teachers dig out $200 to $500 of their own wallet to pay for school supplies, without reimbursement.
They do this, not because they want to, but because they don’t get enough funds to pay for school related items.
There have been many teacher uprisings over the last few years, demanding better pay and more funds, and one close to home was last year, when teachers marched through downtown Raleigh. For instance, Ms. Lisa Ashworth, one of my elementary school teachers was one of them. I truly admire their perseverance and wholeheartedly hope that they’ll get higher pay, as they deserve so much more. I may not be old enough to be a public advocate, but I hope you’ll think twice before forgetting that teachers earn very little, for how hard they work.
Sincerely,
A User
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