"Do One Thing Every Day that Scares You"

The Magnet on My Fridge

               There is a magnet on my fridge that boldly proclaims Eleanor Roosevelt’s words of wisdom to “Do one thing every day that scares you.”  I’ve had it on my fridge ever since I started out on my own as a teacher.  I love that magnet.  I love it because it is something that I need to be reminded of daily. 

                  I was raised by loving, supportive, but cautious parents.  They taught me always to look both ways four or five times, to question how my actions would be perceived by others, and always to think about the consequences.  These are great tips to live by, but as I got older and went to college, I found that some of the self-assuredness that is naturally a product of youth was starting to slip away.  I began to be more cautious to take risks, afraid to put myself out there.  It wasn’t until a college professor in my master’s program at the University of Glasgow told me, “If you will let yourself go, then your writing will truly be great” that I started to see the need to take risks again.  That is when I purchased the Eleanor Roosevelt magnet.  I use it as a reminder to take risks with creative lessons in my classroom, to take risks with my own writing, and to encourage my students to take academic risks in the classroom.

                  Yet, when I agreed to speak to continue on the path to rediscovering my voice (click here to read more about finding my voice) at a Moral Monday gathering back home in Rockingham County, I felt myself become increasingly more terrified as the date approached.  While I usually love public speaking, returning home and giving a more politically minded speech was going to be a first for me.  I grew up as a drama kid, and I’ve always loved to have an audience.  However, speaking back home in front of people I know and opening up my beliefs and emotions on stage was a whole new ballgame.  When I shared deep emotions on stage as an actress, it was through the guise of a character; I never had to put my full self out there—emotionally and intellectually— for all to see.  As the hours ticked away on Monday, September 16, I found myself more nervous than I had been in a long time.

The Crowd

Chatting with Other Speakers during the Welcome Music

                  When I arrived at Rockingham Community College and saw the attendees start to slowly gather (many of them wearing red in support of public education), I began to feel a little strength return to me.  While meeting the strong leaders assembled, including former State Public School Superintendent Bob Etheridge, Minority Leader Larry Hall, and the well-respected local doctor, Stephen Luking, I became proud of my decision to take a risk—to do something that scared me that day.  As I heard motivational speakers and leaders from the NAACP and the Beloved Community Center ignite the desire to move North Carolina forward in the crowd, my heart began to pound with excitement.  When it was my turn, I stepped onto the newly constructed plywood stage and stood firmly planted between the North Carolina flag and the flag of the United States of America.  As I looked out into the crowd of several hundred concerned citizens, a few faces stood out to me.  I saw the faces of my mother and her friend, both retired schoolteachers.  I saw two family members standing up in support.  But, even more assuring, was the sight of several of my former schoolteachers in Rockingham County.  Thinking about the fact that I was just down the road from where I graduated from high school and where many of these educators inspired me and gave me a solid educational foundation, I knew what I had to do for them: for all retired educators, for the over 92,000 teachers in this state, for all future educators, and for all of our students.  I placed my hand on the podium, looked out at the crowd, took a deep breath, and stated the following:

Starting My Speech

"Good afternoon.  You know, as someone who grew up in Rockingham County, it is always great to come home, but I can honestly say that I’ve never been prouder to come home than I am today.  To see so many concerned citizens that care about all people is a truly inspirational experience for me.  While I am here today in support of all the topics that are being addressed, I will focus on recent cuts to education from a teacher’s perspective.

                  Last year marked my seventh year as a teacher in North Carolina.  As the daughter of a public school teacher, I have always been raised to value the importance of a quality education. As a product of a strong public education, both here in Rockingham County and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I am well aware of how much of  a difference a public education can make.   I work with students from an array of backgrounds every day.  I know the challenges that they face, challenges that many cannot even begin to imagine, and I know innumerable teachers who spend countless hours both inside and outside of their classrooms and countless dollars to make sure that their students are successful.   Teachers care deeply about the students in this state, and they invest their summers, their money, and their time to make sure that North Carolina children can achieve more, even when they have been given less.  But something has to change. 

Recent legislative changes make me question if public education is still valued in our state—a state that constitutionally states in Article 1 that “education shall forever be encouraged” and promises in Article 2 that it will provide “a uniform system of free public schools.”  With cuts to educational spending, elimination of master’s pay, and the introduction of Opportunity Scholarships that siphon money away from public schools, are we truly showing that education is “encouraged” and are we creating a “uniform” and “free” system for all the citizens of our state?  What message are we sending to our schoolchildren if we make it seem like we are devaluing education?

                  Perhaps my biggest concern lies in the development of the voucher system, now called Opportunity Scholarships.  I am concerned that the Scholarships will only serve a small group of students whose backgrounds predispose them to gaining access to vouchers or other means to attend private schools.  When I think of some of my most struggling and most impoverished students who would never have had the parent support or resources to be able to benefit from these scholarships, it only confirms the fact that we need to continue the opportunity for all students in the state of North Carolina to succeed, and not just a select few.  And, with North Carolina ranking 48th in per pupil spending nationwide, why would we take millions of dollars away from the majority of our public school children?  

                  Additionally, numerous studies show that high-quality teaching is the single most important school-based factor in the educational success of a student.  We need caring, well-educated teachers and assistants in classrooms to provide interactive, nurturing environments for our students.  We also need these educators to earn enough of a comfortable salary so that they do not have to work evenings and weekends when they should be planning engaging lessons and providing invaluable feedback to their students. 

The best teachers are lifetime learners, and they seek the opportunities to keep learning and to help their students by studying for a master’s degree.  We should encourage teachers who want to improve their craft, not discourage continued education in the field of education.  That makes no sense.  By eliminating master's pay, we are only providing one more blow to teacher morale and sending a message to our schoolchildren that education is not valued.

A young colleague of mine in his second year of teaching told me that of his graduating class of 25 at UNCG, 15 have already left the profession and several others have left the state of North Carolina.  NC State University revealed that the number of students enrolled in their teacher education program dropped by 17% this fall.  Furthermore, I have had several parents of the most talented high school students tell me apologetically that even though their children want to be teachers, they have discouraged them from entering a profession where they will not be valued or make a comfortable living.  When teachers at my school have to go on food stamps to support their families, it is difficult to make a valid argument against the concerned parents of my high school students that want to become teachers. It saddens me greatly that some of our potentially best teachers are either leaving the classroom or never entering it, but that is our current reality.  If we really want to see our students grow into the future leaders of our state and nation, we have to invest money in education.  If we want our educational system to be the best in the nation and the world, we have to invest in our schools.  If we want our schools to be the most effective in educating our students, we have to invest in the resources that our students need daily--both academic materials and the teachers that want nothing more than to see their students succeed.

If money must drive legislation right now, which seems to be the current trend, then shouldn’t we start to value our most precious goods, our students, and our most precious commodity, education, as the keys to a successful future in our state?  It is only with the collective efforts and voices of people like you that we can work together to move education forward for all of our students!" 

Discussing the Value of a Public Education for ALL Students

As people began to leave after the speakers presented, I had the opportunity to speak with several Rockingham County residents, many whom I had never met before.  I was hugged by so many people and thanked by so many people. People told me personal stories of their teachers, their family members who are or were teachers, and, if they are teachers, of their students.  My former teachers told me how proud they are of me.  In that moment I understood why Eleanor Roosevelt once encouraged others to “do one thing every day that scares you.”  It is when you stop debating about what everyone expects you to do and decide to focus on what you know you should do that the biggest risks occur.  And when you take that risk, it’s scary, it’s terrifying, and it’s exhilarating.  And when you confront what scares you, take a risk, and find your voice, the outcome is often the most gratifying of all.

Bob Etheridge's Outstanding Speech on Public Schools