Take it from a teacher

Project First Person gives NC teachers the last word

Public school teachers are leaving North Carolina for greener pastures - as many as 600 left Wake County Schools alone last year, and who could blame them?

After two years of extremist Republican rule in Raleigh, our General Assembly and Governor have under-funded public schools by $500 million, forced local school districts to layoff teacher assistants and go without textbooks, and made North Carolina into the worst state to be a teacher.

Progress North Carolina created a video series - Project First Person - to give North Carolinians the chance to hear from teachers directly about the challenges and consequences of state lawmakers failure to fully-fund public education in our state.

Meet Kirstie Fischer, who was already packed and ready to move after teaching in North Carolina for years without a raise.

Meet Kim Rathburn, a former North Carolina teacher who left the state for better pay in South Carolina.

Meet Callie Hammond, a veteran North Carolina teacher and single mom who is forced to buy school supplies for her students with her own money.

Meet Catherine Stennette, a former North Carolina teacher who left the state for better pay in Houston, Texas.