Since the 2007-08 school year, teacher salaries have been frozen. A first-year teacher started at $30,000 a year and has received only a 0.5 percent raise in five years. After hearing that our new fiscally conscious governor is awarding his new Cabinet an 8 percent raise for doing absolutely nothing, I have finally lost my patience with North Carolina.

What are we doing to encourage good teachers to stay? Teachers are leaving this field in masses.

They come out of college clueless as to the amount of testing, assessing and data entry that has taken over this profession. It is now about numbers and unattainable results.

Never mind students who come to us not speaking English or having special learning needs, or parents who are too busy at home to teach the basics. We must still have all children on the same page at the same time.

Few teachers went into teaching thinking they would be rich.

We did it because we love seeing the lights go on in children’s eyes. Thanks to McCrory for once again showing us where North Carolina’s priorities do not lie.

Kim Padron

Cary