It is with sincerity and a heavy heart that I write this letter to express my disappointment and dismay on the occurring teacher situation. My name is Angel Hernandez, and I am a second generation Santa Barbara school student. I am currently a sophomore at Santa Barbara High School. I was born and raised in Santa Barbara and throughout my school years, I have many amazing memories with my teachers. 

Every teacher that I’ve had has helped me in any way that they possibly can and I truly believe that as a student in this generation, who isn’t afraid about being heard. It is my turn to express myself in order to help all teachers. In no form of disrespect, I question many solutions and actions done by the school board but I’ve stayed quiet. However, when you implicate the learning of my fellow students and me, that silence gets broken very quickly. You claim that the students are the first priority but you deliberately attack our learning by the continuous decisions that are made without taking into consideration the teachers, student families, and most importantly, us students. Your decisions impact our education, learning, and future. You seem to ignore the fact that the people that are influencing us are the teachers. They are the solution to a better generation. They are the cornerstone of our learning.  

The great amount of teachers who buy supplies for their class with their own money should not be happening. There are teachers who create fundraisers and ask for donations in order to give the students the best environment for learning. This has been a recurring nightmare for teachers. All the time I’ve spent in school, I always praised the teachers for choosing such a rewarding job.I always wanted to be a teacher until I discovered the low pay they recieve. So many teachers don’t do this job for the money, they do it for the passion and the reward to know that they are helping shape the future of this generation into the utopia we have all imagined. Although it may seem that this is the greatest reward, the sad truth is that many teachers live paycheck to paycheck in order to maintain a somewhat steady lifestyle. Some teachers have to resort to working another job and they work extra hours without getting paid. I have lots of respect for teachers as their passion and dedication they have for teaching is greater than all these obstacles they must face.  

Teachers work with no administration support, they have to teach big classes, some filled with more than 30 students and not ideal work environments. Many classrooms have no AC so you have to rely on windows and fans but with the classes of large sizes, that can only go so far. It seems unjust when I know that the teachers are the foundation of a school’s success, yet they are not being paid their deserved amount.

I know how impactful a teacher can be in a student’s life. They can be the differentiator between a student finding a passion for learning and someone deciding to quit the education system. Higher pay is a necessity to be able to survive in Santa Barbara. I hope and encourage many of my fellow students to express their voices and share their experiences. By not paying teachers their deserved wage, you are not only discouraging good teachers from wanting to teach or continue teaching but you are deliberately putting students’ education in jeopardy.