My name is Mayra Chavez. I am a dedicated teacher, mother, and advocate who believes every child—and every educator—deserves a safe and supportive school environment. When I experienced and witnessed harmful conduct at my school, I stood up for myself, my own child, coworkers and other students as well.

Instead of addressing the harm, the administrator backed and enabled the bullies and retaliated against me, making my work environment unbearable. This retaliation deeply impacted my mental health, my livelihood, and my family’s stability—but not my voice. I want to note that one administrator at the school remained neutral and acted with professionalism and support throughout this process. I am determined to keep fighting for justice, accountability, and healing.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always taken care of others. In my twenties, as a single mom of four, I was always too proud to ask for help. Back then, I saw that as a weakness.

To complete my student teaching, I had to quit my job of five years. I remember having no money and taking my children to the local high school cafeteria one day so they could receive the free lunch offered during the summer. While my heart rejoiced that my kids had nourishment for the day, my stomach growled with hunger as I watched them eat. Back then, I was too proud to let anyone know I was struggling. I was 27.

To this day, I hold that memory near and dear to my heart. I want to always remember my humble beginnings. Today, life has shown me something deeper: vulnerability isn’t weakness. It’s the most beautiful pathway to love, connection, and healing.

I have worked my whole life.

I began babysitting at 12. I became a private home health caregiver by 15. By 16, I had found my new career—waitressing. While my personality loved waiting tables, and I raised four kids on that income, my soul yearned to fulfill its calling.

I've always had BIG dreams.

When I was 22, we lived in the projects. My daughter was on her last diaper. My husband didn't get paid until Friday. It was Wednesday. I opened the mail and there it was—in black and white. My prayers had been answered.

In my hands, I held the ticket to my dreams come true. It was official. I WAS GOING TO COLLEGE! As I praised and thanked God, there was a knock at the door. It was Pastor Richardson and Sister Richardson. The Holy Spirit had led them to me. They blessed me with $300 on an ordinary Wednesday. I cried tears of joy as God revealed to me that He would never leave me nor forsake me.

God answers prayers in the blink of an eye.

When I started college, I was 23. I had four kids under seven and no more husband. My highest grade completed was eighth grade. My diploma was a GED. The college librarian taught me how to turn on the computer and use a mouse and cursor. Again—humble beginnings.

But I had big dreams. Remember?

My degree became my ultimate commitment and sacrifice. It was the foundation for making my lifelong dream of becoming a kindergarten teacher come true. With great grit and extreme sacrifice, I did it. I beat the odds and joined a different set of statistics.

I was no longer the barefoot, pregnant teen mom. I was no longer the struggling single mom with four kids in my twenties. I became the first person in my family to earn a college degree.

I became the exception.

For the past 20 years, I’ve devoted my life to education. Teaching is not simply a job. Teaching is my calling—rooted in love, advocacy, and service.

Beginning in September 2024, after courageously reporting toxic and emotionally harmful behavior toward myself, staff, and students, I began experiencing severe anxiety and panic attacks at work. The retaliation didn’t stop with me. It extended to my daughter Brooklyn, who was a first-grade student at my school. To protect her, I made the painful decision to withdraw her from the campus.

After living my very own Cinderella story at age 41, I became a mom again at age 42. Brooklyn is my youngest child. She is my whole heart. As an educator, nothing hurts more than being forced to transfer your own child to another campus in order to keep her safe from an adult retaliating against you.

Never should the child of two teachers—who have both worked in the same district, each for five years—have to attend three different schools in the first three years of elementary school. Yet here we are.

I spoke up because silence is complicity. The hostility and retaliation that followed were insupportable and ultimately forced me to take FMLA leave to prioritize my mental health and well-being. Leadership failed me, my daughter, staff members, and the students in a particular classroom.

What broke me wasn’t just what I witnessed and experienced. It was the callous retaliation and negligence of a principal, which enabled it. The principal chose to protect and enable the person causing campus-wide emotional harm. She chose to protect and endorse a person who terrorizes children. Yet I was the one who faced retaliation for speaking up.

Schools should be safe for children. Isn’t that what we preach? How can a school be safe for children when the culture isn’t safe for the adults teaching those children?

Schools are meant to be havens of hope and learning. But when apathy wraps itself in authority, the protectors become perpetrators. The halls meant for growth echo instead with the silence of overlooked harm—and the bully wears a badge, not a backpack.

After months of enduring a toxic, hostile work environment for standing up for what’s right and speaking the truth, she broke me. My mind, body and spirit reached it's limit. The devil won.

I have been on FMLA since January. I have always been one to help others—a voice for the voiceless, a shoulder to cry on, a teacher who made sure every child felt seen, heard, and understood. But now...

I am on unpaid, forced FMLA due to a hostile work environment and retaliation.

I have lost over $30,000 in wages.

I have no income from my profession.

I have lost my health insurance.

I have lost access to the therapy needed to heal.

Your support will help me cover urgent and essential needs while I recover, advocate, and rebuild. This GoFundMe will help cover therapy, medical expenses, consultations as needed, and basic living expenses while I focus on healing, protecting my daughter, and holding those involved accountable.

I am standing for every educator silenced, every child unheard, and every parent who has been gaslit by the system. We must speak up when children are being emotionally harmed. We must speak up when we and our coworkers experience hostility from a team member. We must speak up when good teachers are retaliated against for doing the right thing.

This story isn’t just about mental health. It’s about moral courage.

It’s about refusing to stay silent in the face of harm. It’s about holding systems accountable when they choose protection over truth.

If you can give, thank you from the bottom of my soul. If my story resonates with you—you are not alone, and your truth matters. I stand in mine—unashamed, unwavering. Creating this GoFundMe has taken great vulnerability and great courage. "To the world, you may be one person, but to one person, you may be the world."

—Dr. Seuss Thank YOU for being my one person. God Bless.

With love and gratitude,

Mayra L. Chavez