I have worked in education as a vice principal and have been a member of Alabama Education Association and Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools for five years. I have served my country as a U.S. Marine and I am currently serving in the Alabama National Guard.

I am an American who believes in our way of life and our right stand when someone has pushed me down. I am who you, as educators, have made a productive citizen of the Great State of Alabama.

I have firmly supported my state and local government in all of their endeavors and agendas, but I will not sit by idle and allow my state government to destroy my way of life as an educator. I was taught by highly qualified and highly educated individuals who not only taught me how to read, write and how to do arithmetic but they also taught me how to care and love.

Also, they implanted an attitude that I could become anyone I wanted to be, even a vice principal of a high school.

My teachers and administrators also encouraged me to serve my country as opposed to being served by it; they encouraged me to overcome my life situations and in return they only asked that I yield the favor to another young individual whenever I had the opportunity.

On April 20, 2011, the Alabama House and Senate legislatures voted to allow a 2.5 percent cut in pay from the educators in Alabama. Governor Bentley has expressed a high level of interest in doing away with the current teacher tenure law, increasing the teacher retirement to 30 years as opposed to 25, taking control of RSA (they can’t even balance the state funds), increasing healthcare costs and they recently did away with the deferred retirement option plan (DROP). This has all been done with out hearing from one classroom teacher. Your voice must be heard! They must know not only do you love to teach but you want to enjoy life as well.

It is my understanding that educators not only care about what you do but you love what you do. This understanding is also shared by those in the State Legislature. They know regardless of what they do educators will continue to teach their students, even as life as we know continues to crumble around us. We must be heard! We Must Be Heard! WE MUST BE HEARD!! I encourage educators to join me on April 30, 2011, at the State Capital of Alabama a place where we, too, pay taxes and have demands that must be met. We must let them know that not only yes we can but “Yes We Will” vote them out if our demands are not met.

Please stand with me or I will go for you on April 30, 2011, at 10:30 a.m. 2 p.m. on the steps of the Alabama State Capital Building.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Cameron E. Whitlow

Charles Henderson High School vice principal