I’d like to put out a call to every politician who had a hand in passing NC’s new budget. To every policy maker who thinks this is a good (or even just acceptable) idea. To every parent forsaking public education. To every taxpayer lamenting the “waste” of money that our schools are in their minds. I’d like to challenge you to walk a day in our shoes.

Walk the halls in the scuffed up loafers of the high school teacher who has been required to write his own textbook, because there’s no money to buy them.

Sit on the carpet in the polka dotted flats of the 2nd grade teacher tasked with teaching 25 students all day with no teacher assistant. Oh, and did I mention that 4 are gifted, 5 have disabilities, 8 speak English as a second language, and 15 live in poverty?

Follow a child with behavioral problems down the hallway in the well-worn Keds of the special ed teacher who fights for appropriate services for her students, because the law says they are entitled to a “free and appropriate public education,” but the people with the money just keep saying they can’t fund what she needs.

Conduct awhile in the shiny black shoes of the band teacher purchasing sheet music and instrument repairs with his own paycheck.

Clean the green slime off of the Sperrys of the middle school teacher who has to stop his after school science club because there are no funds for materials.

Walk out the door at 6pm in the sandals of the third year teacher, still bright-eyed and hopeful that her 55 hour week makes a difference. Then, kick them off as she sits down for two hours of research and paper-writing, diligently putting in the work to earn an advanced degree that will no longer provide her any hope of increasing her $32,000 salary.

Please, come find us. Come walk in our shoes. See what you’ve left us with, and let’s see if YOU can ensure that every third grader can read, that every student graduates high school college and career ready. Because we can’t. And we aren’t a group people that often admit there’s something we can’t do. We can cause light bulbs to turn on inside little minds. We can inspire a love of historical facts. We can make any math concept relevant to real life. We can love a child who doesn’t know what that feels like, and we can show them that they can learn. But to do all of this without sufficient funds, sufficient staff, and, most of all, sufficient appreciation and respect, is simply becoming too tall of an order. So you give it a try. Then let’s talk.