Teachers need candidates who support our public schools

Teachers and school support professionals represent a large percentage of voters in this county. Many in the community seem to agree that teachers and schools need more funding, yet we continue to vote for people who don’t prioritize our schools. The last time I attended a meeting of our county commissioners was the meeting regarding the school board’s request to grant teachers a 10-percent local supplement. It was clear that every commissioner did not read the proposal and that Craig Pierce didn’t care about the future of public schools. He claimed that the future of this state’s education system is vouchers and charter schools, so why bother funding public schools any longer? That’s a future that doesn’t seem to bother him but that’s not one that I can support. In a time where teachers no longer receive higher pay for master’s degrees and will retire with no health insurance, we need to support teachers locally in any way that we can. Alissa Redmond’s continued support of teachers through community events, discounts and book donations through South Main Book Company highlights her commitment to our teachers and students. If we continue to elect people who refuse to stand up for our public schools and teachers, we can expect to see an increase in teacher turnover, more under-qualified teachers and more struggling schools in general. If we truly acknowledge our children as our future, we need to elect candidates who are invested in their education.

— Rena Taylor
Salisbury