Equal education for all can ensure solutions for societal issues.

Our society can work toward ending poverty, creating better sustainability models or lowering healthcare costs, but if the next generation of leaders isn’t educated to their fullest potential and not capable of continuing what was left for them, what we have done serves no purpose.

We need to bring education reform to the forefront of our nation’s agenda.

The greatest injustice in American society is the unequal education that students in high poverty areas receive. Demographics are not destiny — but in America, they seem to be.

It is our job to reform the nation’s education system. Once everyone receives an equal education, the rates of poverty and skyrocketing healthcare costs will rapidly decline.

The reform starts in the classroom. Bringing highly qualified teachers who have a passion for giving all students an equal education and the belief that all kids can achieve at the highest levels is what it is going to take.

Teach For America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates who commit to teaching for two years in a rural or urban area and to becoming lifelong leaders in a movement to expand educational opportunities. 

Our vision is that one day, all students will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.  To fulfill this vision, our mission is to build the movement to eliminate inequities in education by enlisting our nation’s most promising future leaders. 

The students at Appalachian State are these leaders. Appalachian’s mission to address the needs of society is directly aligned with the mission of Teach For America, and students on campus have the skills, intellect and drive to be transformational teachers in high-needs classrooms across the country.  

It is our generation that is going fix the issue of educational inequality in this country. 

You can make a difference.

With Teach For America, your leadership skills will develop, your communication skills will strengthen and after your two-year commitment, you will continue to serve. Whether that is in the field of education, or as leaders in the fields of law or medicine — you will be leaders for change.

Just 8 percent of kids growing up in poverty will graduate from college by the time they are 24. Don’t let the five digits of a zip code determine a child’s educational success.

We need leaders, people like you, to join the movement of Teach for America and change the lives of future generations.

 For more information, visit the website.

Signed,

Kyle Schermbeck

Senior public relations major