#standforeducation

*slightly revised for legality/privacy purposes”

Subject line reads: I’m standing for students... are you?

Hello Mr. ——,

My name is Madison, and I am a senior in the Secondary English Education undergraduate program at the University of Oklahoma. I am currently student-teaching alongside a team of people who are creatively dedicated to rigorous, learning-based approaches in a solid, community environment. My school serves a 95% Hispanic population, a majority of which are ELL students, and 34% who are on IEPs. Our school is one of many with teachers who are truly dedicated to excellence in learning outcomes, and we strive every day to fully engage each student, from our lowest-level learners to our highest.

Here it is... the big BUT....

My school does not receive enough funding to provide for a school library. We do not have enough funding for WiFi that works throughout our entire building, which is frustrating for teachers who want to use any kind of technology along with lessons. I was required to take two technology classes in college just to get my degree in teaching, and I was introduced to and taught how to operate a number of educationally valuable programs online, so it is frustrating to come into the work force to a school without basic resources that would allow me to implement these materials. We do not have enough funding to provide fully-staffed programs for students on IEPs or students who are still learning English as a second language, so a lot of my job in class revolves around helping my students understand the instructions enough to be able to do the work. As a bilingual student-teacher, this is possible for me. It is not for every teacher, and not every school has the ability to hire enough teachers that can reach students with English language barriers. Funding has to be provided to advance our IEP and ELL programs.

This coming Fall I am moving to NYC, where I will spend the next two years earning my Master's degree in the Politics and Education program at Teacher's College, Columbia University, so that I may one day work with a team of people to help bridge the many gaps in our Nation's education system from a policy/political point of reference.

See, I have a deep passion to see schools like the one I am teaching in now more appropriately funded and more able to engage students across every learning level. I long to see more culturally-inclusive curriculums and more programs that reach out to students with language barriers and learning disabilities so that we can set higher and higher achievement goals for them. As one of only two seniors in my undergraduate program at OU this semester, I know that teachers who have this same burning passion for students and for learning outcomes are, for the most part, not staying in Oklahoma. This is a huge problem. Due to the lack of professional and material respect that a teacher is offered in Oklahoma, good teachers are going, where? The answer, as you know, is... it doesn't matter. Just anywhere but here.

Mr. ——, it has come to my attention that you will not be allowing teachers in your district to participate in the Teacher Walk Out on Monday, and my point for sharing some of my story with you today is just to respectfully ask that you would rethink your decision. This is a rare time for Oklahoma teachers. We could make history with this event. After years and years of such a lack of respect for our profession, years of teachers pulling money out of their own pockets to provide students with necessary supplies, and the continued atmosphere that has marked our state for far too long that tells teachers we are not worthy of being paid enough money to even live without making even more sacrifices for ourselves and our families, we finally get a chance to speak out. The great thing is that we aren't just speaking out for ourselves, but for our students as well. I have heard several of my colleagues express similar sentiments that, in sum, equate to: "we would continue working for what they pay us now or we would accept a smaller raise... if only the state would provide the supplies and materials that our students need to have the same academic opportunities that other students in well-funded districts receive."

Sir, to be frank, I have a student sleeping in a tent outside of his mother's trailer home right now. Let's just say he's not doing this as a way to get closer to nature. When I think about the opportunity that his education could give to him in order to radically change the course of his life, I know that what we are doing at the State Capitol this week is worth it. If it was just for him, I would still go. I would go in gratitude for the progress that our legislators have made so far, and I would also go to say, "let's go father in making this situation right," because my students need to know that Oklahoma cares about their education, that their teachers care about their academic and career opportunities, and that money does not have to stand in the way of their success. I see how insanely intelligent my students are. Let's work together to stop letting our screwed up policies hinder them from adding creativity, light and big ideas to our society and our world. Let's go stand at the Capitol building for ourselves and for the dreams and futures of our students together.

Please consider these things, and thank you for your time.

Kindly,