March 9, 2011

President Barack Obama

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Sir,

I am writing to you to ask for your advice. I am 40 years old and an elementary school teacher. Unfortunately, I have not been able to secure a permanent position since I earned my Master's in Teaching from Lewis & Clark College 3 years ago. I am in the midst of updating my license, spending money on top of the $40,000 I took out as a loan to secure my original license and degree. I have an excellent reputation among the teachers I have worked with.

I have been fortunate in that I am able to continue making my student loan payments, thanks to my husband who owns his own business and supports our family. We, as many families across the Unites States are, under financial strain, but we are not in dire straits. I cannot collect unemployment as a substitute teacher, so I am forced to wait for the phone to ring in order to work. It has been silent more often than it rings. The unemployment rates the news brags about do not include me.

I looked up your State of the Union Address online, and found the following excerpt:

"And over the next 10 years, with so many baby boomers retiring from

our classrooms, we want to prepare 100,000 new teachers in the fields of

science and technology and engineering and math. "

"In fact, to every young person listening tonight who's contemplating their

career choice: If you want to make a difference in the life of our nation; if

you want to make a difference in the life of a child -- become a teacher.

Your country needs you."

-Obama, Barack. State of the Union Address. US Capitol. Washington DC. January 25, 2011.

I have read and re-read those words many times. I agree that making a difference in the life of a student can make a difference in the life of our nation - it is among the many reasons I chose to pursue this field. In my time as a teacher, I have made connections with students and families that go beyond the classroom, and I take pride in hearing glowing parent reports about children I have taught. I am prepared now. My country needs me now.

So here is my question. Do I wait until I am 50 years old before I can reasonably expect to be permanently employed? In a time when I am supposed to be putting money away for my retirement, are you asking me (and so many of my friends who are in a similar situation) to simply exist in the hope that in the next decade, we might be able to find a job teaching? What do you want me to do? How can I serve our country's future, while waiting for school districts to have enough money to hire new teachers?

My father was a United States Senator for more than 20 years. I realize that a staffer is reading this letter, and that any response I get will be a general, prepared answer. But I hope that my question is passed along to decision makers willing to hear what actual people are enduring, and who can make a change to help everyone.

Sincerely,

Shyla P. Middleton