Friends and Supporters,

Sadly our campaign has ended.  However, the grassroots struggle continues.  I am humbled by all of the support our campaign has received, and I would like to thank every one of the more than 60,000 Georgians who voted for me in the Democratic primary. 

During this past year, I was given the opportunity to travel around the state and speak with many Georgians.  I have shared my vision of a new approach to education policymaking that empowers teachers, parents, and students and engages entire communities in the effort to improve our public schools. 

My commitment to this vision has not wavered, and I am convinced now more than ever that this is the only way to truly improve the outcomes for our children.  As a classroom teacher, I know that what is wrong with our system of public education is not tied to any single policy but an approach to making policy that excludes the voices of those who spend everyday in the classroom. 

We, as educators, are partly to blame for this lack of respect for our profession.  We assume that politicians will take care of those who take care of our children.  The truth, however, is that politicians respond to one thing: political power.  Sometimes this power comes in the form of campaign contributions and sometimes it comes in the form of votes.  If educators want to address the needs of their students, they must not only concern themselves with what goes on in the classroom—they must also be politically engaged.

As a citizen, I was also reminded of an important lesson about our system of democracy.  I am proud of what our campaign achieved with such limited resources.  Ultimately, the success of our message was limited more by lack of money than the ideas behind it.  I am a teacher—not an investment banker, trial attorney, or real estate developer.  I am not independently wealthy, nor do I have lots of friends who I would consider wealthy.  As a voter, I would like to see more candidates like myself on the ballot, and I would encourage fellow Democrats to advocate for policies that make this a reality (in North Carolina, this race is publicly financed).

Again, I want to thank everyone who became a part of this grassroots campaign, and I encourage you to keep fighting the good fight…I will be right along side you!

                                                                                                                Yours in service,