Our children are headed back to class today in many North Carolina schools as well as around the nation. Truth be told, I wish I could be there for my students today, but the reality is I’m running for Congress for each and every one of them as much as I am my own girls. The future of our children is too important a responsibility to postpone, and sadly I believe far too many of our leaders have neglected their duty.
There is no greater urgency or cause. We can lose a generation if we don’t act now. All of us – parents, teachers, schools, Churches, commissioners and Congress – have an obligation to our children and a role to play.
Cross posted from BlueNC.
As a teacher and candidate for Congress, you’ve probably seen me speak out repeatedly on education issues like reforming No Child Left Behind - but as a parent, I’m truly saddened to say even greater threats to our children’s future abound in the halls of our schools.
Every 9 seconds in America a student becomes a dropout. The economy, unemployment, drugs, even our healthcare system can play a part in interrupting the brightest of futures for our children. And it’s not just an urban problem plaguing big cities by any stretch of the imagination.
I teach in a small community with a population of about 1,700 so much like most of our District and see it daily. The Governor's Crime Commission estimates there to be at least 8,500 gang members in nearly 400 gangs across our state, and that’s just one of the harsh realities now effecting every community in America. It concerns me deeply that more is not being done to raise awareness and adopt a strategy from every angle to save our children on all these issues. I believe I can make a difference if I get the honor of serving in the 111th Congress
Please do all you can to help this campaign fight for our children’s future. I’m working hard to win in November and will work hard for all our children in Congress. I have to raise $200,000 over the next 2 weeks to keep my ads on the air. I need your help. As a teacher and former mill worker, I don't have rich friends who can fund my campaign like my opponent does. I need you.