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17 <br /> 1 <br /> 2 Sincerely, <br /> 3 Andrea Richardson <br /> 4 <br /> 5 From: Catherine Neal <br /> 6 Phone Number: 9199698820 <br /> 7 Message: <br /> 8 I respectfully request that you act in the best interests of all North Carolina's children by raising <br /> 9 teacher pay. If the May legislative session does not take corrective action, we will lose many of <br /> 10 our most talented teachers. Such losses would cause devastating and lasting harm to North <br /> 11 Carolina public school children. <br /> 12 According to the National Association of Educators, the average public school teacher's salary <br /> 13 in North Carolina dropped 15.7% from 2001-2012. This drop meant that North Carolina was <br /> 14 51st in the country in the growth of teacher pay during that decade. While no one enters the <br /> 15 teaching profession to get rich, the contraction of their pay combined with an increase in student <br /> 16 testing, accountability and expectations has combined to leave our teachers' professionalism <br /> 17 questioned and their calling under assault. I am embarrassed by these facts, and you must be, <br /> 18 also. <br /> 19 You must already know that North Carolina teachers are leaving the state at an alarming rate for <br /> 20 better paying opportunities in neighboring states or outside of their chosen profession. Teachers <br /> 21 cannot afford to financially support themselves or their families. Entire websites have sprung up <br /> 22 filled with their stories. The loss of these dedicated and talented professionals negatively affects <br /> 23 our students and the future development of our state. <br /> 24 PLEASE find a way to raise North Carolina teacher pay to the national average, where it was as <br /> 25 recently as 2008. Recent surveys show that well over 90% of North Carolina's citizens agree <br /> 26 that teacher pay should be raised. This is a nonpartisan issue that is about the future of North <br /> 27 Carolina. <br /> 28 <br /> 29 <br /> 30 From: Fleur Meng <br /> 31 Phone Number: <br /> 32 Message: <br /> 33 Hello, <br /> 34 <br /> 35 I am a parent of two boys in Chapel Hill-Carrboro (6th grader at Culbreth Middle, 5th grader at <br /> 36 Northside Elementary), and I am writing to respectfully request that the Orange County <br /> 37 Commissioners fully fund CHCCS's request for $3.8 million to continue its commitment to quality <br /> 38 education, including its gifted programs. <br /> 39 Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions, and thank you for your time. <br /> 40 <br /> 41 Kind regards, <br /> 42 Fleur Meng <br /> 43 <br /> 44 <br /> 45 From: Nicole Bratten <br /> 46 Phone Number: 9192404775 <br /> 47 Message: <br /> 48 Respected Commissioners, <br /> 49 <br />