…then please just drop out of the race.

North Carolina has right under 100,000 statewide teaching positions, and according to this morning’s count on the TeachNC web page for vacancies , nearly 20% of those positions are not currently filled for next year.

So, what is your plan?

Imagine those races in areas that are rural and that do not offer much in the way of local supplements.

What is your plan?

Imagine those races in counties where the local school system is the largest employer (or second largest) and people are leaving for better opportunities.

What is your plan?

Imagine races in more metropolitan and urban areas where salary differences between teaching and other comparable occupations is so great that competing for new professionals is a one-sided battle.

What is your plan?

Imagine races in areas where the average tenure for a teacher’s career has shortened precipitously in the last 10 years and the average age for teachers is getting younger and younger by the year.

What is your plan?

Now come to the realization that many of the people loudly running for school board on “gaslit” issues are championing some of the very empty claims and ideas that are creating those vacancies in our classrooms.

Every school board candidate better understand that if you do not have a stable teacher force that is treated professionally, you do not have a public school system that will last.