The Elephant in the Classroom

To most people public education is a privilege, but to a member of the teaching

community it is a lifestyle. Many within this profession are more committed to their students

than they are to their paychecks. It is no secret that those working as educators in the state of

North Carolina are underpaid and at times, over-worked. There is no doubt that educators put in

endless hours to ensure the success of their students as well as their districts. Teaching in the

state of North Carolina alone consists of constant budget cuts, limited resources, outdated tactics,

low pay, and underappreciation.

Public Education in North Carolina resembles a rough draft, an assignment needing a large deal

of work and change. Issues do vary from district to district, but money consistently plays the

biggest role. Money runs many operations in this world and public education specifically is one

of them. If you were to evaluate North Carolina public schools on a broad scale, it would be very

evident that some have a surplus of funds and some do not have enough. The access that these

schools have to money and funding affects the teachers, students, and overall quality of the

education there. The success of the school largely relies on the well-being and the performance

of the students. If you students do well, score high, and show growth, the school has a chance of

not only gaining recognition, but funding as well. In other words, high scores and growth can

mean more money!

Within most school systems, teaching positions heavily depend on the data produced by the

students. A large portion of the staff meetings that will occur over the school year address data

concerns. This is of course very common sense; it is the schools job to ensure the success and

prosperity of every student. According to The Charlotte Observer, several court filings claim

that students in North Carolina are not receiving a quality education (Stancill par. 1) This claim
is based upon the testing results from students throughout the state. Student growth does not only

prove that the efficiency of the school, but the teachers and resources used as well. Many schools

that lack or are limited in resources can be commonly seen performing below the benchmark.

These teachers and resources greatly impact how well students retain the information they are to

be tested on. Funding has always been an issue in addition to the quality of the education

provided. In many cases, the schools producing low test scores are the schools within low-

income districts. The issue many lawmakers have with this claim is that very little is being done

to assist these schools in providing an equally fulfilling education for their students. The quality

and value of education has been deteriorating for years, and North Carolina is rarely ever praised

for its public education system. It is not the childs fault that they occupy a low-income area, so it

is easy to see why this ongoing issue has raised some brows. Public Education in North Carolina

not only lacks quality but equality as well.

Automatically, we all know what it takes to educate children: resources. These

resources go beyond textbooks and computer programs, they begin with teachers. It has been

said that teachers are the backbone of America. Teachers are the engine and the fuel. It is because

of teachers that you can read the words I type. I could go on and on about the importance of

teachers but their value is very self explanatory. There would be no such thing as education

without teachers. In an accredited book entitled Top 20 Teachers, a quote reads, Clearly, a

teacher was a transmitter of information (Bernabei, Cody, Sweeney, Mary Cole, and Michael

Cole par. 1) Education is a system and teachers play the role of a vital organ. It is important to

remember that teaching is a calling and not a last resort. During the interview I conducted, I

asked the question, When did you decide that you wanted to be a teacher? The answer I

received was, Teaching chose me. (Fetterson par. 1) Simply sitting in a classroom is different
than observing one. In the midst of my observation, I verified what I already knew, those who

teach are here out of passion. Teaching is much more than just a career, it is a lifestyle and leaves

a lasting impact on anyone and everyone involved. As Piper said good-bye to her students on

the last day of school, she criedIts because I was finally able to connect with these children.

They let me into their hearts and souls, and I let them into mine. I said good-bye knowing I gave

them my best (Stand, Christensen, and Halper par. 21-22). One thing that teachers do is take

their craft home with them. It consumes them and soon they eat, breath, and repeat teaching.

Teaching is a serious profession (Bernabei, Cody, Sweeney, Mary Cole, and Michael Cole par.

10). I could not have said it any better. Make Teaching in North Carolina Great Again (NC

Forum par. 15).

In conclusion, many issues lie within the topic of Public Education in North Carolina.

The system is full of flaws and powerful individuals who share no interest in bettering Public

Education. The issues do not begin with simple funding and they do not end the value of

teachers. A good place to start would be to reduce the budget cuts that take away from the

salaries of teachers and the funding of schools. In addition, Teacher Appreciation Day should be

every day because of they perform tasks out of their job description and they do not get paid

nearly enough for it. We have our work cut out for us North Carolina.
 Cited Sources:

Jstancill@newsobserver.com, Jane Stancill -. "Too Many NC Children Aren't Receiving

Adequate Education, Court Filings Say." The Charlotte Observer | CharlotteObserver.com. The

Charlotte Observer, 8 May 2014. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.

"Public School Forum Releases Top 10 Education Issues for 2017." Public School Forum. NC

Forum, 25 Jan. 2017. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.

Bernabei, Paul, Tom Cody, Willow Sweeney, Mary Cole, and Michael Cole. The Revolution in

American Education: Top 20 Teachers. Garden City, NY: Top 20, 2010. Print.

Strand, Philip, John Christensen, and Andy Halper. Schools of Fish! New York: Hyperion, 2006.

Print.

Fetterson, Alexia. "Teachers on Public Education." Personal interview. 20 Mar.

2017.Question(s): 1. When did you decide that you wanted to be a teacher? "Teaching chose

me."