And here’s how it begins…

I am a teacher.

And I am in debt.

Lots of debt.

I, however, have no credit card debt.

I own my car (a ‘94 Buick that just hit 200,000 miles last week).

My husband and I rent a modest apartment in a midwestern city of approximately 150,000.

So, you must be asking, where is the debt?

The debt is in the form of student loans.

Approximately one third of my monthly income goes to paying my student loans.

So what does this mean?

This means I am a teacher, a professional with a four-year degree and five years of professional experience, who cannot make ends meet, much less get ahead financially.

And now I am going to start looking for help.

Start looking for proof that people value educators as much as they say they do.

Start looking for some validation for myself and my fellow educators.