RALEIGH, N.C. -- Hundreds of people from across North Carolina descended upon the state capital on Saturday to protest a law they say is hurting public education.

The law in question requires schools in the state to reduce class sizes in grades kindergarten up to the third grade. However, the protesters attending the Stop Class Size Chaos rally at Halifax Mall urged the General Assembly to repeal it because they say the new law did not come with proper funding.

"They want to take an already precarious situation and they want to convert that into an outright disaster," said John DeVille, a teacher at Franklin High School in Macon County. "Our children in this state deserve better."

People at the rally worried the new law would lead to teachers getting reassigned from higher grades to meet the class size quota because of a tight budget. They say that could lead to cuts in programs such as art, music, and physical education.

"The people are watching as the Senate begins its January session," said Justin Parmenter, a teacher at Waddelll Language Academy in Charlotte. "We're going to hold you accountable for doing your part to guard and maintain our children’s' right to a quality public education."