Politics, Businesses, and Education, Oh My!

        When I was an active "drama geek" in high school, I had the opportunity to play the role of Dorothy in the Rockingham County Theater Guild production of The Wizard of Oz. This role was a dream come true for me since I grew up reading and rereading L. Frank Baum's books and watching and re-watching the classic movie. As Dorothy in those six performances, I was whisked nightly through the worlds she experiences in the story: her routine life, safely surrounded by loved ones in Kansas; the fear of the unknown as she is taken out of her comfort zone; and the wonder and anxiety she inevitably feels when she enters the Land of Oz and declares, "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore!"

My ninth-grade self in The Wizard of Oz

       Dorothy's famous words and experiences echo the year I have had so far as North Carolina Teacher of the Year. I've left my comfort zone of Grimsley High School and entered the excitement and unknown of very different worlds--the worlds of politics and businesses--as an advocate with the best interests of North Carolina public education in mind. I believe we are at a critical moment right now, a moment that will decide if the future of education in North Carolina will return to being a national and global leader or if we will continue to fall behind. As I navigate the yellow brick road of advocacy, I cannot help but notice that in comparison to years past, we definitely are not in "Kansas" anymore.

Oh my!

      The first world I have entered, the political world, much like the glittering Emerald City, offers many opportunities for education if the leaders and citizens can remove the curtain that divides them and engage in valuable, two-way conversations about the needs of public education. I have been honored to serve on a couple of committees, including the Governor's Teacher Advisory Council, that are starting critical conversations between politicians and educators. I am optimistic about the potential these conversations have for impacting positive change, and I hope to see continued collaboration between political leaders and educators to meet the needs of our students and schools.

That's the back of my head on the left at the first Governor's Teacher Advisory Council, photo from WNNC

       Many other teachers have joined in this journey with me this year, and they are advocating at a grassroots level with their communities and local politicians. I was so pleased to see educators switch from talks about walking out of their classrooms on November 4 to encouraging community members to walk into schools and show their support of public education instead. I returned to my home, Grimsley High School, that day and greeted parents and community leaders as they brought notes, signs, and tokens of thanks for teachers in our school. Several high school students even got involved by writing thank you notes for their teachers.

A student writing a "thank you" note to a teacher at Grimsley High School on November 4, photo from GCS Schools

       When asked by a reporter if I thought the walk-in lacked the "punch" that the walk out would have had, I disagreed with him. I think that by staying in our schools, doing what we love—teaching—with those we care about the most—our students, we sent the exact message teachers want to communicate to the public and political leaders. We communicated that we love our students and want to place them at the forefront of our conversations. While there are valid concerns about areas like salary that directly impact teachers, these concerns are expressed so vocally because most teachers do not want to leave the profession they view as a calling, and they desperately want to see the profession become sustaining enough that they can teach the next generation while still providing for their families.

      The other world I have entered, the world of business, also resembles many of the exciting opportunities that Dorothy found in the Emerald City. I most recently spoke at the inaugural North Carolina Foreign Trade Promotion Conference about the importance of progress in conjunction with business partnerships. Businesses initially supported public schools to train up more productive, effective workers, and I believe we can partner with businesses in the same way today. If we can exchange resources and ideas in an import/export model, then we can help make sure our students are fully prepared not only for a global tomorrow, but also for a global today.

Touring the Wilmington Port with the North Carolina Foreign Trade Promotion Conference

      In order to make these worlds work together, it will take the combined brains, heart, and courage that led Oz to greatness in the beloved L. Frank Baum story. Education is the foundation for all successful societies, and we need to continue the dialogue across the curtain in order to see our education and future prospects grow. We need the brains, heart, and courage of all stakeholders--politicians, business leaders, community members, parents, educators, and students--to ensure that North Carolina remains the home we will all want to return to and the one about which we can unequivocally say, "There is no place like home."

Brains, Heart, and Courage must come together for educational success in NC