Charles Cobb: N.C. the ‘teacher ghetto’

I often see things in The N&O that I want to comment on, but I seldom do so because I know I’d just be whistling in the wind. But the July 23 editorial “Catch the dream for affordable teacher housing” reprinted from the Waynesville newspaper was so over the top that I felt compelled to respond.

At first I thought it must be a joke. But I realized the writer was not only serious, but represented the mindset of way too many North Carolinians and others across this nation.

Teachers are third-class citizens for whom we need to build “affordable housing” (does anyone hear the phrase “teacher ghetto” when they read that?). This is because we are certainly not going to pay them a reasonable salary so they can live with the rest of us.

Why don’t we build “affordable housing” for other professionals like lawyers and accountants? Oh, yes, it’s because they are “just teachers” and are third-class citizens we certainly don’t want living in “our” neighborhoods.

I would hope that teachers would say, “Thanks, but no thanks. How about showing a bit more respect and pay us the salary we deserve as professionals?”

This story was originally published July 24, 2015 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Charles Cobb: N.C. the ‘teacher ghetto’."