Attending Hickory Hills Elementary as a kid I saw firsthand what public school teachers do for their students. They made me feel seen and loved, making learning fun and staying a few extra minutes to make sure I understood something before I left for the day. That willingness to go the extra mile for every child is what made me want to become a teacher.
In the eight years since I started teaching, that’s who I’ve tried to be for my students. But being a public school teacher has also made me realize there are other people with major impact on my students’ lives, even if they never step foot into a classroom.
As a teacher, I see how the decisions being made in Jefferson City are hurting Springfield students and their families.
Public schools are
the backbone of our communities. They are there to make sure every child can get a good education, no matter where they live or what their parents’ bank account looks like. But year after year, state lawmakers have neglected our schools, instead focusing on so-called “tax relief.” They promised it would mean more money in our pockets, but it turns out the pockets they were talking about belong to corporate CEOs and the super rich, not average folks like you and me.
Just last year, Gov. Kehoe and state Rep. Melanie Stinnett passed a $185 million annual tax giveaway that benefits the top 1% in Missouri — people making an average of $1.9 million or more.
These politicians paid for it by plundering our education budget to the tune of $189 million. For Springfield Public Schools, that meant a cut of nearly $2.5 million.
SPS has already eliminated 67 full time jobs to accommodate the loss, but what’s next? Do we cut even more teachers, or do we raise our local taxes to bail out our schools? The cost of everything from gas to groceries to health care keeps going up. I don’t know anyone who thinks we should pay higher property taxes to cover Jeff City’s tab.
We have had it with Jefferson City handing out huge giveaways to multimillionaires and asking Springfield families to foot the bill.
That’s why voters in Springfield and across Missouri overwhelmingly rejected the Amendment 5 “Everything Tax” championed by Gov. Kehoe and Melanie Stinnett. But just one day later, Kehoe vowed to try again.
So on Nov. 3, I’m voting against Melanie Stinnett for state Senate, and I urge anyone who thinks we should prioritize our kids’ education over wealthy donors and corporate profits to do the same.
Maybe you have a specific teacher who comes to mind. Or maybe, like me, it was your school as a whole — filled with teachers and staff who went above and beyond. That's why I'm voting for a candidate who will keep fighting to support public education for the next generation of Springfield kids.
On Election Day, I hope you join me in supporting Betsy Fogle for state Senate.
McKenzie Huddleson is a public school teacher who lives in Springfield.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Value public schools? Vote for Betsy Fogle for state Senate | Opinion
