First Posted: 9/16/2013

To the Editor,

As a proud teacher, I would like to express my gratitude to the legislators of Robeson, Hoke, Cumberland, Scotland and Richmond counties and to Erick Guckian, education advisor to Gov. McCrory, for attending a town hall forum recently sponsored by District 5B of the North Carolina Association of Educators.

It was a small token of concern for those who have already tried to help make education better for the young people in Southeastern North Carolina. While I was pleased at the turnout from our elected and appointed state officials, I want to urge them to take our concerns back to the General Assembly, where real change can occur. I also want to urge our teachers, teacher assistants, and all others employed in the education of young people to rally the troops. If we are going to make positive change in North Carolina, we must start by campaigning for that needed change.

One legislator expressed it best when he said, get your family to come out with you. If each person employed in the Public Schools of Robeson County would call and have one family member to call to tell their stories about how cuts to public education have affected their daily lives and how they have hurt the children in our state, legislators not on the side of public education will be forced to listen.

Hopefully, telling our stories with all due diligence will work, but if not, one thing will work — vote them out of office. Recently, we celebrated Constitution Day at my school — Fairmont Middle School — by discussing the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Be a good citizen by peacefully assembling, by expressing your grievances with your legislators, and by voting to help public education.

Education is the cornerstone of American democracy. If we allow others to abuse it, certainly we will lose it. I urge the citizens of North Carolina to stand proud with educators to improve the plight of public education for us and our posterity.

Jamie Burney

Teacher

Fairmont Middle School