I am so grateful for the honest superintendents from across the state who painted a real picture of how devastating the budget cuts have been to public schools (news story, April 4).Contrary to claims made in recent TV ads, the facts are that school districts haven’t been adding teachers to the classroom.

Superintendents told of their creative solutions to prevent massive layoffs, but we can’t continue to shortchange the children. If elected officials don’t cowboy up, as Wake County Superintendent Tony Tata put it, and invest in our workforce, our most highly qualified and effective educators will leave the profession and aspiring educators will find alternative careers to help kids.

Long-term investment in education is North Carolina’s brand. Our kids deserve better than a ghost town.

Meighan Davis

Holly Springs