In order to climb the ladder towards the American Dream anyone in a career field will have to put forth dedication into their career field choice by committing to years of schooling.

 

 

Before they can live the life of the American Dream loans come into play before the American Dream can be achieved. 

 

Unfortunately, for educators this has nearly become impossible for them to climb up the ladder.

 

After years of hard work and acquiring a vast amount of knowledge to bestow upon their students once they are placed in a job setting, they are all ready buried with debt equivalent to the height of a mountain.

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A survey conduct by NPR that received more than 2000 respondents to NPR Ed's first Teacher Student Debt survey one teacher's response was: 

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"I am overloaded and struggling. It's terrifying."

"I feel like I'll be making the last payment from my grave."

"It is an albatross around my neck. Years of paying and I feel like I'm getting nowhere."

"Help!"

 

How often do you hear someone in a different career field say this? Maybe not as much as teachers.

It is not a cause of concern for those who may be in a different field choice merely because there is more likely possibility that their salary is more reasonable when comparing it to a teacher's salary.

 

In Figure 1, I created a timeline that gives a brief overview of the process teachers have to pass through in order to finally be awarded their degree and to be able to earn a decent living.

 

This timeline gives an idea of what the average costs are for each milestone a teacher accomplishes. However, it does vary from region to region. 

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If teachers are making just a little more than minimum wage and using that same salary to embellish their classrooms with the basic necessities to enhance the learning experience of their students leaves teachers clinging onto the last few dollars in the bank account for themselves and their family.

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School funding has produced deep cuts in schools that teachers have to use their own money by investing in educational tools and other necessities for their students.

 

This all makes it seem as though the American Dream does not exist or it is not meant for teachers to achieve. 

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On the other hand teachers do have the option for applying for loan forgiveness as well as a few other alternatives but there is always a caveat to it.  

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Sadly, many classrooms across the nation are suffering because of the lack of funding their school receives from their state.  Students do not deserve to be spending most of their day in a prison like classroom rather they should be surrounded with the absolute best educational material they can get their hands on. They future is dependent on the ones who sit in these desk chairs everyday. But how can they thrive if they are not given an adequate amount of resources? 

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Teachers, who already have other financial obligations, today now turn to social media for help in assisting students learn better in the classrooms. 

Below is a link where you can donate to any classroom of your choice.

Do take into consideration that as you donate you are not only helping a teacher out but also you are a contributor in ensuring students have a better educational experience.