Call to action to heads of state and government: “You are working for our students”

July 2, 2024

Editor’s note: Leah Carper served on the NC State Board of Education in her capacity as the 2022 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year. This is an edited version of her remarks at the end of her term on the board.

Eric Davis, chairman of the North Carolina State Board of Education, recently told someone who wanted to speak before the board, “Tell us what we need to hear, not what you think we want to hear.”

Here’s what you need to hear:

Thank you to the State Board. I have met Teachers of the Year from all over the country who would be thrilled to have the opportunity to serve on their State Board of Education. You make the title of Teacher of the Year or Principal of the Year a position, not just a title. You give us a voice, but not only that, you give us a microphone, you turn it on, you give us time, and you applaud us when we raise our hands.

To the Department of Public Instruction: Two years ago, I had no idea what you were doing in that pink building. No idea. No idea. But now I really do. DPI is full of passionate, knowledgeable professionals who work tirelessly for our students and our teachers. I hope teachers can hear me when I say that they want to partner with you, they want to work with you, they want to love you, and they will provide support and resources so that all of our students and teachers can succeed.

To North Carolina, you need to hear that there are over 90,000 teachers in our state who look to this board, this department, and our legislature to be partners in the great work that is shaping the future of our state. That future rests on this education system. They look to you, and we know you are here to support teachers. You also need to hear that all the pressure is on the shoulders of teachers, because they are the ones doing this great work. They are trained professionals, experts in their field, and they deserve respect, support, and compensation for the very hard work that we do.

Statistically, I shouldn’t be here. I really shouldn’t. Years ago, I was a public school student in North Carolina. Most days, I came to school with an empty stomach, dirty clothes, and no pencils. Never a pencil. Sometimes I came to school with grief, sadness, and fear. When I got to school, there were teachers and principals and even school staff who showed me love and kindness and goodness and recognized my potential. They saw more than a dirty little girl from a broken home. They saw a girl who could do great things, and they helped me do great things.

Statistically, I shouldn’t be here, but I’m really glad I was, you know? I’m grateful, and that’s mostly because of our public school teachers. They’re experts. They did their jobs. And is it any wonder I wanted to be one of them?

You must hear that my story is not an isolated case.

It’s the story of many of our students sitting in North Carolina’s public classrooms, full of potential and promise. They come from all sorts of backgrounds and need outstanding educators to reach out to them and help them realize their potential. You never know what that potential could possibly produce. They could be sitting in this room one day, giving you advice.

You absolutely have to hear this.

We are living through a time of great uncertainty and great change, but there are also some certainties. The greatest certainty is that in August 2024, 1.3 million students will be in public schools across North Carolina.

They need our presence. They need us to take action on their behalf, because we know that ultimately it is our actions that count, not our words. What we do for them will change their lives.

These 1.3 million students – students like me – rely on us, the Department of Education, and our Legislature to do things that help them. You need to remember that, and you need to hear that you work for these people. You work for our students, every single one of our students, no matter where they come from, no matter what they believe, no matter what they look like. These are the people we work for, and if we hear the important thing that you need to hear, which is that you work for the students, if we hear that over and over again, and if we remember in everything we do that we are doing this work for these students, we will do a pretty good job.