Editor, Gazette-Journal:

As a college student, I spend a good portion of my time away from Mathews. Although I am a proud alum of the Mathews County Public School system and still call Mathews my home, it is difficult to stay up to date on all the happenings of Mathews County. Over the past few days though, one topic has repeatedly been brought to my attention: the Feb. 17 letter of Mr. Hicks and the subsequent responses.

In Mr. Hicks’s letter, he said, "And what does the school crowd want? Pay raises and more money from, well, you name the source." In my 12 years in the Mathews school system, I never once heard my teachers complain about not getting the pay raises or salaries that they deserve. The teachers in Mathews continue to work on a salary that does not even compare to the average teacher’s salary in Virginia, and do so willingly, because they are not in the teaching profession for the money, but to make a difference in children’s lives.

A te...