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I am a fifth year teacher in the largest public school system in Florida and this year by far has been one of the most challenging and most disheartening. As I prepare for the new school year I am made to evaluate one of the most valued public service entities in our nation: public education. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job. I love that I work in the inner city and I have some of the toughest and most needy kids in our district. Every year I look at the challenges that are ahead of me and I realize that I love this job for the kids. Yet, when I evaluate the plight of my profession I cannot believe that we are the way we are. So many parents today are opting to home school or send their children to charter or private schools (parents who can afford these of course). The biggest question I have when I look at these statistics is will public education ever survive the rate it is moving now? Will we be able to fund or keep looking at the future at this rate? I cannot think where we will be in the next five to ten years. Something has to change and for the sake of my kids I pray that something will.