Occupy the Board Room!

Glad to meet you | 18  

Dear Ms Desoer:
You do not know me, but I wanted to share my story with you.
When I was 40 years old, I took a risk, and went back to school.  I wanted to become a teacher…a dream I had had since the second grade. Getting my credential and Masters cost me over $30,000.00 in student loan debt, which I had to start paying immediately upon graduation.  I have been doing so faithfully for 15 years and my loan debt is just about the same as when I started.
I moved to Washington State a few years ago where salaries are lower. Then I joined a small rural school where I thought I could be of value…and my wage has stagnated or gone lower…but that was ok because I was making a difference in my community.  Now, because the economy is so bad and enrollment unpredictable, my small private school had to cut back its faculty, and I lost my job at the end of July…not a great time for teachers to find work.  I did my best though, applying in 5 local districts or school cooperatives and private schools and universities. I have 15 years of experience, great training and excellent references, but I have not been invited to one single interview.  Local public schools have had to cut as well, so any available jobs automatically went to those recently released. Here I am, at 55, on unemployment for the first time in my life, still paying my student loans for a job that I thought would offer me some measure of security, because, hey, we always need teachers, right?  
 I do not know you but I hope you may be part of the solution. That is why I am writing to you. Woman to woman. I am thrilled that you have a high paying job that just a short time ago was only available to men. I do not begrudge you or anybody their success. But when profits come at the expense of other peoples success and perhaps at the expense of the good education of our children, then we all have a problem.
Ms. DeSoer, please consider doing what you can to help your company to be part of the solution The name is Bank of AMERICA not Bank of Self Interest. Please help out Americans and PLEASE stop placing unnecessary fees on your customers.
With Kind regards,
Melody Rae