Help teachers live in the cities and towns where they teach

Read the entire op-ed by Rob Vogelpohl on CT Viewpoints.

When I decided to take time to travel after graduating college, I didn’t think I would end up discovering my future career. While traveling, I met many people who were teaching English in other countries, which inspired me to spend a year in China teaching English myself. The experience pushed me to return to the United States to continue teaching.

I received a position teaching Spanish at Bridgeport’s Central High School in 2017. Eager to start living in the community where I taught, I quickly began looking for housing in Bridgeport: I was shocked at the rent prices I saw as I scrolled through the listings. To rent a small one-bedroom apartment, including utilities, I would be paying $1,200 per month. I paid a fraction of that cost when I taught in China.

To read the complete op-ed, visit CT Viewpoints.