An Open Letter to Arizona Teachers

I am not a teacher, I am a mom. I cannot understand what you’re going through, I don’t see your day to day, I don’t carry the weight that you do.

Here’s what I do see. This may surprise you because I don’t know if you knew I was watching….

I see you smile at every child no matter how hard your day has been.

I see you going back to AZ classrooms despite being understaffed, underpaid and completely disrespected at every turn.

I see you fight for our public schools. You show up to my meetings, trainings, rallies, parent group events exhausted.

I see you working late, I drive by the school and I know the cars.

I see you give up time with your family.

I see you worried for those kids, the ones you know need you.

Right now I see you being beat up and blamed.

I shouldn’t ask you for more but I have to.

Please stay.

Please keep loving these kiddos.

Please keep fighting.

If you can, I promise I will stand next to you. When you can’t fight for a day, week or month I will. When you can’t see a way forward I will find a path. When you can’t get your voice above a whisper I will speak louder. When it all feels like too much, I will take on more. When you think we are both down for the count, I’ll pick us both up off the mat.

We need you, my kids need you. Stay with us and we will get these kids through this together.

You in your classroom and me fighting for what you need to stay there and do your best to lift our babies up.

I told you I was with you and I meant it. This was always a marathon, we get to run it together.

Signed,

This Arizona mom that won’t quit.

Nicky Indicavitch,

Statewide Outreach Director, Save Our Schools AZ