"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

The Long Way 'Round

“I’ve got my ticket for the long way ‘round
The one with the prettiest of views
It’s got mountains, it’s got rivers, it’s got sights to give you shivers.

[North Carolina I do adore] you."

-last line modified from Anna Kendrick’s “Cups”

I’ve been on the road a lot lately.  As the school year kicked off, I kicked off my travels around North Carolina: visiting schools, speaking to education majors, to teachers and retired teachers, to administrators, to parents, and to support staff.  Since I haven’t quite figured out how to sync the music on my phone through the audio system in my state car, I’ve spent a lot of time listening to the radio.  Anna Kendrick’s song “Cups” seems to be in constant rotation.  There are other songs and artists that I hear almost every hour, including Robin Thicke, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and others, but I can’t resist singing along to “Cups” whenever I hear it.  When she talks about the beauty of the journey ahead of her in the second verse of the song, I always think about our beautiful state, North Carolina.  

From the front of my state car

On the road to meet public school supporters, I’ve had a chance to see some of North Carolina’s beautiful sights.  North Carolina is so beautiful not only because of its natural beauty, but also because of the kind, generous people I’ve met across the state.  I’ve had the opportunity in the past three weeks to meet some outstanding people who are working hard to see our children succeed.  I have seen some truly exceptional teaching in the schools I have visited.  North Carolina educators should be proud of the way they are dealing with and adjusting to change—change in the curriculum with the Common Core and new technology, and change as it affects their standards of living.  I’ve also met dynamic people in universities preparing our future educators, and I’ve talked with people working in our communities to make public schools as strong as they can be.

Enjoying my time at Alpha Delta Kappa, an educator sorority, in Henderson County

 The one thought that constantly resonates in my mind as I travel is how proud I am to be from North Carolina and to be a part of public education in our state.  While many are frustrated about some of the recent legislative changes in North Carolina, myself included, sometimes we need to take a moment to look at the positives in our state and to think about what makes North Carolina such a wonderful place. 

Below are some of my positive observations during my past three weeks of travel:

On the Road

-I would like to issue a thank you to the late Lady Bird Johnson who realized that flowers along the highway can lift the spirits of a traveler.  I can’t begin to describe the rush of joy I experience every time I see a vibrant patch of flowers along the road.  I have to resist the desire to stop my car and frolic through them!

-When you have to stop on the road beside another car, people tend to look at you a little strangely when you are singing in a state car at the top of your lungs.  Even if you are singing Anna Kendrick’s “Cups…”

-While drivers on the highway can be aggressive, most North Carolina drivers are incredibly kind.  When they see that you need to merge, most people move over for you and show true Southern hospitality.

-Speaking of Southern hospitality, I’ve seen so much of it in the small towns where I have to stop along the way to my destinations.  I rarely ever eat fast food at home, but I’ve had to eat much more of it lately.  I’ve had some truly hilarious conversations with fellow North Carolinians at McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Cracker Barrel, and Jason’s Deli.  Thanks for making me smile, North Carolina!

-There are some sights that are too beautiful for me to describe and do them full justice.  North Carolina sunsets fall into this category.  The sight of the sun setting in your rearview mirror as you drive to the east coast or the view ahead as you drive west and the sun sets behind the mountains is something that can take your breath away.

I wish I had a photo of the sunset, but since that wouldn't be very safe while driving, here is a picture I took of the beautiful NC mountains instead.

            Back to School

-The schools I have visited have also shown true Southern hospitality.  They have welcomed me with open arms and shared great, innovative ideas with me.

-I saw one second-year teacher become a “living movie” for his second-grade students.  While he read a Native American short story, he played Native American music in the background, turned off the lights, and circulated the room with a walking stick.  To see the students simultaneously lean in and jump back at different moments in the story was truly inspirational.

- I was so excited to see the self-directed learning of elementary school students with iPads at Bruce Drysdale Elementary.  Each small group was working at their own pace with excellent teacher-created, differentiated questions based on their ability levels.  Students were using the language from the standards and were even creating their own goals for improvement and strategies to meet those goals!  While the students completed their checklists, the teacher was able to meet with students one-on-one to facilitate reading instruction.
 

-I love the innovative ways that magnet schools in North Carolina are reaching out to their students.  Whether with aeronautic programs, firefighting academies, mechatronics, STEM programs, or other modern vocational skills, these schools are doing their best to offer school choice and to see ALL students succeed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Educational Partnerships

-I’ve met college students who are passionate about becoming teachers.  When you walk into a room of college students (or even communicate with them via a Google Hangout!), the collective energy and potential they have for making North Carolina schools great is palpable.

-The professors of these students are equally passionate.  They care greatly about educating their college students so that the children in North Carolina will have the brightest futures possible.

-The parents in PTAs I’ve met show a desire to ensure a great education not only for their own children, but also for all children in North Carolina.  They really do embody the National PTA slogan of “Every child.  One voice.”  As they talked about advocating for students and teachers in response to recent legislative changes, I was encouraged by the grassroots support for public education that I see in our state.

I’ve seen many more beautiful sights, both geographically and educationally, during the past three weeks, and these are only some of the highlights.  I encourage anyone who is frustrated with public schools and/or North Carolina to take some time to notice all the beauty our state has to offer.  Thank you, North Carolina, for the adults and children who inspire me and make me smile and for “the [beautiful] sights [that] give [me] shivers.”   Though we might be on a road that is “the long way ‘round” until we get to where we all want to be, I am confident that North Carolina has all the human resources to make it happen.  We just need to keep loving our state, speaking up, and wanting to see it move forward.  If we do, we can move mountains for our children and give them futures “with the prettiest of views."

Continuing the Dream

           August 28, 1963-August 28, 2013.  It is hard to believe that it has been fifty years since Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous speech at the March on Washington.  In my seven years as a teacher, I have taught the “I Have a Dream” speech, or at least some part of it, every year.  I have taught students how to analyze the use of logos, ethos, and pathos in the speech; to understand the effect of parallelism and repetition; and to examine the strong use of imagery throughout the speech.  I have played the speech aloud with Rev. King’s voice silencing the class, had students read it aloud with their own inflections, and read it to them myself with my own inflections.  I’ve had students write their own “Dream” speeches and write their own calls to action.  We’ve read the speech in conjunction with King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and alongside Gandhi’s and Thoreau’s opinions on civil disobedience.  In short, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous speech has become a rite of passage within my freshmen and sophomore classes: students must understand its historical significance, connect it to their own lives, and think about their own dreams for the future.

                Today, I would like to do the same as I reflect on the speech and its place in today’s society.  As a nation, we have made much progress since the March on Washington on August 28, 1963, but in the words of Martin Luther King III, the oldest son of the assassinated civil rights leader, "This is not the time for nostalgic commemoration.   Nor is this the time for self-congratulatory celebration. The task is not done. The journey is not complete. We can and we must do more."  The people who gather in Washington today to commemorate this famous speech unite with the hope that the dreams of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. will continue to expand to all people in areas of race, gender, immigration, poverty, voting rights, and education. 

We are at a crossroads in America.  We are moving forward rapidly, but there are times when we falter at the intersection, scared to take a new path and frightened enough to retreat back the way we came.  As we honor the words of Rev. King, Jr. today, let us think about how they apply to our own lives and how we can unify the America that is more diverse today than it ever was before.  Fifty years have brought progress and change, but the next fifty years have the potential to continue the progress exponentially— only if we unite as a nation to see our love for our fellow citizens continue to grow.  We must look past party lines and political philosophies to what we collectively need as a nation.  We must continue to protect freedom, and to do so, we must find more ways to provide opportunities for our marginalized citizens.  We must work together to ensure the same opportunities for all—opportunities in areas of civil rights, finances, and, perhaps the most important starting point for all equality, education. 

As I end with some select lines from King's famous speech, think about how it applies to our world today and how the dream will never fully become a reality without the effort of our entire nation.  The dreams of our young schoolchildren depend on our collective effort:

“…We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy…

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back…

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…’

I have a dream today!...

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood…knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.”

Afortunada

Below is my most recent entry for the Superintendent's Bi-Weekly Newsletter about the start of the new school year:

          As the school bells start to digitally ring in a new school year across North Carolina, I find myself struggling with mixed emotions about the year ahead.  I am eager for the upcoming year that is full of speaking engagements, school visits, and exciting opportunities (like meeting the President and going to Space Camp!), but I also find myself occasionally saddened and a little jealous as I hear about the hustle and bustle of the start of the school year for teachers across the state.  As the North Carolina Teacher of the Year, I am out of the classroom for the next year, and, perhaps more times than I should admit, I catch myself gazing longingly at pens, pencils, paper, markers, highlighters, staples, and other goodies that I would normally be purchasing at this time of the year.  I slightly envy Facebook posts of coworkers that show the finished projects they’ve completed in their own classrooms—a floral duct tape covered podium, a new seating arrangement, or a shiny Word Wall just waiting to have essential vocabulary words stapled to it.  I have even scheduled a day to go to Grimsley High School and help my coworkers put the final touches on their classrooms that will warmly greet high school students on August 26.

            When I think about the way I feel right now, I think I can best describe my emotions by saying that I feel like a bit of a contradiction.  I can best explain this contradiction through my recent experience traveling abroad in Spain and Morocco for much of August.  While in Spain for the wedding of a dear Spanish friend, I was frequently introduced in the following way (the introductions occurred in Spanish, so the following is a very loose translation): “This is Karyn.  She doesn’t speak Spanish very well, but she understands most of what you say. The airline lost her luggage and she is a vegetarian.  No, she does not eat fish, not even dolphin or tuna.  Pobrecita.”

           While the above introduction might seem rather unrelated to my new school year, it is surprisingly apt.  You see, I feel like I currently exist in a world of contradictions.  I am one thing, a teacher, but I am also another, a representative.  Much like the way most Spaniards could not understand my choice to be a vegetarian, I am now in an in-between position where it is sometimes hard to describe to others exactly what I will be doing for the next year.  Like my lost luggage (still lost after more than seven days), my past seven years as a teacher are so much a part of who I am that even though I am not presently in a traditional teaching position, those seven years are the personal belongings that define me.  Yet, unlike the ending of most of my introductions in Spain, “Pobrecita,” I do not feel like I am “unfortunate.”  Instead, I feel delighted to have the opportunity to expand my classroom beyond the four walls that are lined with posters of great authors and works of literature to the unlimited bounds of education in North Carolina.  This year will be incredibly different, but it will also be one of tremendous possibilities and opportunities.  It is a time when educators need a representative voice, and I hope to serve as that representative.  While I may not be decorating the four walls of my classroom at Grimsley High School this week, I am placing the finishing touches on speeches, researching changes to educational policy in our state, and planning and preparing for my upcoming school year, one in which I hope to learn and share just as much as I will teach.

"Teaching and Learning" in the School at La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain

I feel like my introduction upon my return from Spain to the United States as the new school year begins should be the following:  “This is Karyn Dickerson.  She loves education and wants to talk about it with others.  She is a teacher but she is not teaching in the classroom this year.  No, that does not mean she is not a teacher, it just means her classroom got a lot bigger.  Yes, she is also a student.  And a representative.  Afortunada.”    

Leaving Morocco and Ready to Embark on a New School Year and a New Journey

Freedom, Opportunity, and Hip-Hop

"I know I can (I know I can)
Be what I want to be (be what I want to be),
If I work hard at it (if I work hard at it),
I'll be where I wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be)…
Read more, learn more, change the globe."

                                                                            -Nas


           I have always loved the lyrics to the above song by Nas.  It is one of my favorite songs to run to as it inspires me in so many ways.  On a personal level, it encourages me to keep working, to keep running, and to keep putting one foot in front of the other on long runs when I feel like I can't make it any further.  More importantly, on my long runs I often think about my students and about education, and I see their faces in my mind as I hear the words to the song.  I think about my students who struggle in the classroom both in terms of academics and behavior and how so often those struggles are linked to the struggles they face outside of my classroom.  This song inspires me to keep trekking through the marathon that teaching sometimes feels like, especially when my morale and the morale of other educators is down.  This song helps me remember why we teach and who we do it for--our students.

             This song has been particularly powerful for me over the past week for two main reasons.  The biggest reason why this song has been on my mind (other than the fact that I am training for a marathon in November and am listening to a lot of music to keep me motivated!) is because of the amazing experience I had when I visited the Freedom School in my home county of Guilford.  The Freedom School was one of the most rewarding educational opportunities I have ever had the pleasure of being a small part of.  The Freedom School is a summer camp for K-8 students in Guilford County who are in transition.  Many of these students struggle with having consistent places to rest their heads at night and are at risk of falling behind in school due to outside circumstances.  The Freedom School, a project sponsored by Guilford County Schools and Greensboro College, gives students educational opportunities, important literacy and math review, and provides them with two delicious meals daily at the Greensboro College cafeteria.  The students engage in fun lessons during the day and also take educational field trips in the county and surrounding areas.  The school provides consistency to students who need to feel safe and loved, helps close the achievement gap and reduce the losses to literacy that students experience over the summer, and promotes self-improvement and self-esteem.  Plus, the students love coming to Freedom School and learning!

               My role at the Freedom School was to attend as a guest reader.  Every morning the students at  Freedom School take part in a harambee.  Harambee is Swahili for "let's pull together," and during this time, students get excited for their fun-filled, educational day.  After eating breakfast together, students enter a small gym, participate in a pep rally, listen to a guest reader read his/her favorite children's book, ask the guest reader questions (I got a lot of "What's your favorite ___________?" questions), cheer as the guest reader "struts his/her stuff" (some friendly girls helped me practice my strutting during breakfast, but they told me it still needed "a little work"), and then sing and dance to a motivational song.  The entire harambee is a thing of beauty with enthusiasm, hope, and love filling the air.  During the motivational song, the students shout out Nas's refrain "I know I can be what I want to be.  If I work hard at it, I'll be where I want to be" and then hug themselves.  My heart filled with joy while being a part of this.  These kids shouted with such conviction and showed so much emotion in their faces that in an hour I now believe in them just as much as they believe in themselves.  I also witnessed the true intention of harambee, as one very small girl became upset during the motivational song.  She sat down, weighed down by a despair that I can only imagine, and an older student came over, talked to her, helped her up, and danced with her as the little girl started smiling again.  At this moment, the students truly "pulled together."  My words really cannot do harambee justice, but I will say this: If we all started school or our jobs with harambee, I think we would be much happier and productive people!

                 So, my experience at the Freedom School placed Nas's song back in the forefront of my mind, but it wasn't until the passing of the state budget that the song was most firmly planted in my thoughts.  As I read through the details of the budget, I was disheartened by many of the cuts to education, but the most upsetting cut for me was the siphoning of public funds into private schools in the guise of Opportunity Scholarships.  My mind immediately drifted back to the wonderful, courageous, passionate students at Freedom School who would genuinely benefit from having additional "opportunities."  Yet, knowing that the ten most popular private schools in Greensboro range from $6,000-$23,000 a year, a $4,200 voucher will not provide them with a feasible opportunity when often they do not even have three full meals a day when they are not in school.  Instead, with all of our students receiving just $8,433 per student in our state (48th in the nation for per pupil spending), wouldn't more opportunity be provided to all students, especially the low income students that the scholarship claims to support, if we just put that money back into public education?   I am concerned that the Opportunity 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.   We need to continue the opportunity for all students in the state of North Carolina to succeed, and not just a select few.  I would hate to see the hope and positive energy that I witnessed at the harambee as children shouted "I know I can be what I want to be" melt away as opportunities seem to constantly slip through their fingers while others around them get more and more.

                 Finally, Nas's song resonates with me not only because it relates to our students, but because it also relates to our current state as educators.  Our race to the top for the next few years will not be easy, and we will face many roadblocks along the way to achieving our goals.  However, if we desert our state because we are frustrated, if we stop preserving the foundation of freedom within our constitution--a strong education for all, and if we give up without making an effort to change North Carolina back to a state of educational progress, then we only further take away the opportunities all students in our state need to improve.  Educators in North Carolina are the most important factor in a student's educational growth, and I would hate to see teachers in our state go elsewhere because the opportunities are missing for them as well.    Let's have our own harambee  and "pull together" for our students and our state.  Like Nas asserts in his song, we have to "read more" about current legislation, "learn more" about how we can make our voices heard, and we have to believe in ourselves if we want to see education in North Carolina go "where [we] want to be" and to "change" North Carolina.