Nashville educators and our allies demand Mayor John Cooper and Metro Council restore dignity to our classrooms by providing recurring, sustainable funding for Metro Nashville Public Schools to ensure the following needs are met every year:

• Every student has a certified teacher in every class
• Certificated educator salary averages that match Nashville averages based on degrees attained and years of experience
• $15/hr minimum wage for all MNPS employees
• Mandatory annual step raises and longevity pay to prevent wage stagnation
• Social and emotional supports that truly meet our students' needs
• Provide all required instructional materials for all students

Failure to fund public schools perpetuates poverty in our city. Years of chronic under-funding of our public schools have caused great harm to our students and their ability to achieve academic success. Low, stagnant wages and a lack of resources have driven many educators from their profession, which results in thousands of students who can no longer expect to find a teacher, let alone a textbook, in every classroom. Educators struggle to provide classroom resources out of their own pockets while also struggling to make ends meet. And while over 70% of our students live in poverty, current levels of funding can no longer promise to provide even the basic requirements of an education, let alone a path to a better life.

We find this situation unacceptable and demand that our city leaders take bold action in designing a 2020-2021 budget that will provide our students and the dedicated educators who serve them with the dignity we deserve.