What if I told you that our education system is on the brink of collapse? With teachers underpaid and overworked, we face a critical shortage in classrooms. It’s time to change the conversation and recognize that fair compensation for educators is essential for our children’s future. Elizabeth Toye is a secondary math teacher at Cody High School in Detroit. Elizabeth began her teaching career as a City Year student success coach in Chicago, before relocating to Detroit as a 2019 Teach for America corps member. Since then, she has taught various grade levels between 6th and 10th grade in Detroit Public Schools Community District. She earned her BA in Political Science from Florida International University, and a MSEd in Educational Studies from Johns Hopkins University. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at