I’m still in college…I’m here on scholarships and loans. I’m not an only child. And so, when it came time for me to worry about college, my mom and dad sadly had to tell me to apply for every scholarship I could find just so we could scrape by to pay for tuition, housing and food for myself and my older brother who is also in college.
I’m a sophomore, so I’ve got two years left. Two years during which Betsy DeVos will be the Secretary of Education. Betsy DeVos, a woman who has virtually no experience with public education. She has never taken out a loan for education, and has never had to worry about money for education. I will be in college, at a public university, under the jurisdiction of this woman.
And why am I here? I want to teach in the public school. Why? I want to teach because I’ve had amazing teachers, amazing public school educators that are committed to making a difference in the lives of their students, even when the hours and the pay aren’t amazing. I’ve had amazing teachers who gave me a love for learning, and worked with me when I didn’t. I’ve had amazing teachers who showed up before school started and stayed way after school ended because they wanted to give their students the best education they could. Public school teachers.
DeVos is known for supporting charter schools and advocating for using tax dollars to send children via vouchers to private schools. She is also known to be a supporter of Common Core.
However, I am not discouraged. Why is that? Well, I know that I am only in control of one person—me. I know that I can call my senators and ask them to vote a certain way, but if they don’t… the only thing I can do is stay in control of myself and my actions. I know that when I graduate in two years, I can only do my best to search for a teaching job and I can only do my best to serve my students in my classroom. I can work my hardest to give my students the best education possible, and I will not stop. I will not give up. I will not stop getting to school early and staying late to offer help to students who are struggling. I will not stop caring about my students like they are my own children. I will not stop giving my all to my students every single day.
So, to my fellow college students who will soon graduate with an education degree, do not be discouraged. Band together. Call your senators from now on, every time there is an election. And if the vote does not go the way you wanted? Do your job anyway. Do your best anyway. We are committed to our students and we can offer them a quality education in the public system. We will not let this stop us. We are teachers, so we will teach to the best of our ability, no matter the circumstances.
My future is somewhat uncertain now, but I have a passion for serving my students by teaching them, caring about them, and inspiring them to learn. And that won’t change, no matter who is Secretary of Education.
