In one way or another, all politicians in North Carolina emphasize the importance of quality education in our public schools. But after the elections, that issue loses importance and is put on the back burner. Teachers and families are the ones who suffer the consequences.
North Carolina is among the states with the lowest teachers’ salaries in the country, according to a study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), which analyzes figures from the Department of Education.
What is the reason for this? The mantra of some conservative politicians is to reduce taxes, especially on corporations, regardless of whether the most vulnerable sectors of our society will be impacted.
North Carolina is among the seven states that most reduced education funding and cut income taxes, which has impacted teachers’ salaries, according to the CBPP.
According to the organization Progress NC Action, from 2008 the state spent 40% less on textbooks and 44% less on technology. In addition, it is ranked 43 (out of 50) for the amount that it spends per student.
We urgently need to inject funds into education, for decent salaries for our teachers, supplies, and infrastructure. This is not a luxury, nor is it an unnecessary expense; it is a vital investment.
How can we attract highly qualified teachers to our schools if we cannot provide them with a decent salary? If this career seems unattractive, how can we motivate young Latinos to become teachers?
The truth is that we need Latino teachers. Although the Latino community in North Carolina has grown from 75,000 people in 1990 to more than one million today, Latinos are underrepresented in the faculty of schools. Latinos make up 17% of the student body, while only 4.9% of teachers are Latino.
The challenges are far from over in the schools. As part of the state budget for the 2017-18 school year, there was aprovision to reduce the maximum number of students from 24 to 21, from kindergarten through third grade. This involves the creation of new classrooms. In order to fund this, schools must eliminate art, music, and physical education classes, as well as lay off thousands of assistant teachers. However, due to a last minute legislative change, this plan was postponed until the next school year.
State politicians pay lip service to the idea that children are the future, and they go on about the importance of education, but their actions show a suspicious disdain for the welfare of teachers.
It is inevitable to recall the words spoken by Donald Trump in 2016 during the campaign for the Republican primary elections in the state of Nevada. Amid loud applause he said: “I love the poorly educated.” The election results showed that this feeling is mutual.
According to the analysis website FiveThirtyEight from the renowned statistician Nate Silver, a low level of education (not income) was one of the main indicators of electoral support for Trump.
Could it be that some politicians in North Carolina also benefit from having a community awash with ignorance?