For nearly 20 years, Mrs. Long has dedicated her life to Austin students. Due to Austin ISD budget constraints and staffing reductions, her full-time teaching position has been reduced to just 57% employment, cutting her salary by more than 40%—just as her family faces significant medical expenses. We are raising funds to help provide financial stability while she searches for a second job to support her family.

Please consider sharing this campaign—even if you're unable to donate. Many of Mrs. Long's former students and families have moved away over the past two decades, and every share helps us reach someone whose life she touched.

IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTE: To keep this fundraiser completely confidential, please check the box that says "Don't display my name publicly on the fundraiser" right before you submit your payment. This ensures your name will not appear on the public page.

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A Teacher Who Changed My Family

Six years.

That's how long Mrs. Long taught my three children.

Over those six years, I realized she wasn't simply teaching Chinese—she was shaping young adults.

She challenged her students to think beyond memorizing vocabulary and grammar. She encouraged them when they struggled, celebrated every success, and inspired them to embrace new cultures with curiosity and confidence.

During the summer of 2020, when COVID disrupted learning for so many students, she volunteered nearly 80 hours of her own time to help my son and his Chinese Immersion classmates prepare for Chinese III. She wasn't paid to do it. She did it because she believed her students deserved every opportunity to succeed.

Whether she was staying after school to answer questions, organizing cultural events, or planning life-changing study abroad experiences, her commitment to her students never ended when the school day was over.

Today, one of my children is studying international politics, and two continue their Chinese studies. All three carry with them the confidence, curiosity, and global perspective that Mrs. Long helped cultivate.

Mrs. Long doesn't just teach a language. She changes lives.

For years, she has poured herself into our children without expecting anything in return.

Today, our community has an opportunity to give something back.

Why We're Asking for Help

After nearly two decades of giving everything to Austin students, Mrs. Long is facing an unexpected financial crisis.

Because of district staffing reductions and budget constraints, Anderson High School was forced to reduce the number of Chinese classes it could offer. Texas staffing rules require secondary teachers to teach seven class periods to qualify as full-time employment. Mrs. Long's schedule was reduced to four teaching periods (including one combined-level class), leaving her at only 57% employment despite continuing to teach the district's rigorous International Baccalaureate Chinese program.

As the primary breadwinner for her family, this reduction in income comes at an especially difficult time. Her family is also facing significant medical expenses, while the reduction in her employment has made family health insurance substantially more expensive.

Instead of spending her evenings preparing lessons and mentoring students, Mrs. Long is now searching for a second job simply to make ends meet. Every hour she spends working elsewhere is an hour taken away from the students she has always put first.

Two Decades of Opening Doors to the World

For nearly twenty years, Mrs. Long has opened doors to the world for thousands of Austin students.

Through Anderson High School's International Baccalaureate Chinese program, the National Chinese Honor Society, cultural programming, and educational travel throughout China, Taiwan, and Japan, she has helped more than 2,000 students become confident global citizens.

Anyone who knows Mrs. Long knows teaching has never been "just a job."

Beyond the Classroom

Personal Investment

Mrs. Long regularly purchases classroom materials, books, readers, cultural supplies, decorations, and food with her own money so students can experience authentic language learning.

Study Abroad Leadership

She has personally organized and led educational trips throughout China, Taiwan, and Japan, creating opportunities that many students never imagined possible.

Behind-the-Scenes Dedication

She has spent hundreds of unpaid hours coordinating travel logistics, building partnerships, negotiating discounts, and making these life-changing experiences affordable for families.

What Her Students Say

The impact of Mrs. Long's teaching is best described by the students whose lives she has changed.

"Mrs. Long defined my high school Chinese experience. I'll never forget the trips to Taiwan and China she organized to deepen our fluency. Without her encouragement, I likely would have quit Chinese."

-Tyler Samman, Anderson Alum

"She constantly went the extra mile—even during COVID—and organized incredible trips that strengthened not only our language skills but who we became as people."

— Zoe Huels, Anderson Alumna

Ask almost any former student about Mrs. Long, and you'll hear stories—not just about learning Chinese, but about feeling seen, challenged, and believed in.

Her former students have gone on to study international relations, engineering, business, medicine, education, and Chinese at universities across the country. Many credit her with sparking their love of language, travel, and global citizenship.

Mrs. Long by the Numbers

Our Goal: $10,000

Our initial goal of $10,000 will help replace a portion of Mrs. Long's lost income during the first several months of this transition while she secures additional employment.

Every dollar will go directly toward helping Mrs. Long cover:

Our hope is to provide enough financial stability that she can continue focusing on her students while navigating this unexpected transition.

Privacy & Transparency

To avoid any concerns about conflicts of interest and to protect the integrity of the classroom:

Now It's Our Turn

For nearly twenty years, Mrs. Long has quietly invested in thousands of students without ever asking for anything in return.

Today, we're asking our community to invest in her.

If she has ever taught your child, inspired your family, organized a trip, volunteered extra hours, or simply made Anderson a better place, please consider making a donation—or sharing this campaign with others whose lives she has touched.

For nearly twenty years, Mrs. Long has believed in our children, invested in their futures, and opened doors they never imagined possible. Today, we have the opportunity to remind her that this community believes in her just as deeply.

If you have any questions, ideas, comments or concerns please feel free to reach out to me at the email provided.