Dear Editor:

For those children born after World War II, their education world was exploding as school after school was being built. Teachers were being hired and lessons were being learned.

We watched our PTA mothers work hard to bring essential funding for much needed books into the classroom. Teaching was one of the proud occupations that were sought by college graduates year after year.

Never could we have imagined that our governments would drop the ball and disrespect the profession so profusely that they sent state after state of teachers out on strike in 2018 and per student funding below the 2008 budgets.

In many foreign countries teachers are revered as they guide each child into the future of families, jobs and success. This was one of the professions initially admired by our daughter until she witnessed the negative treatment and disrespect given to these teachers who inspired our students.

What happened between 2008 and 2018 is a large indicator of the lack of respect and concern for the need and value of education in a world rapidly growing and competing in science technology. With the need for greater education, state budgets were still drastically reduced between 2008 through 2018. Twenty-nine state budgets reduced per student funds from  -36.6 percent (Arizona) to -4.1 percent (Maryland) leading to teacher strikes and budgets-lower than the 2008 school year. Nineteen states  increased per student funds funding 96.2 percent (North Dakota) to 0.2 percent (Massachusetts).

Public investment in K-12 schools — crucial for communities to thrive and the U.S. economy to offer broad opportunity — has declined dramatically in a number of states over the last decade.  Worse, some of the deepest-cutting states have also cut income tax rates, weakening their main revenue source for supporting schools. Other likely costs that have reduced public school funding is using public dollars for private schools.

When schools are not supported, teachers strike to guarantee public education that allows communities to thrive as children learn and grow.

Jarryl Larson

Edgecomb