RALEIGH, N.C. – A Day of Action will happen in Raleigh on Wednesday. It includes a pre-march rally, the march, the main rally, and legislative visits. Teachers from the mountains to the coast will come to the Capital City to be one voice.
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
The North Carolina Association of Educations (NCAE) has organized a “Day of Action.” Four components are scheduled: a Pre-March Rally at the NCAE Headquarters, a march to the General Assembly building as last year, a rally at Halifax Mall, then organized legislative visits.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Last year, the NCAE cited North Carolina’s ranking at 37th in the nation for teacher pay, which they say, adjusted for inflation, has NC educators losing money by 12 percent. They also cited the amount which is spent per student in NC, which is $2,400 per child and ranks 39th in the nation.
"The power of educators and parents working together advocating for public schools making sure our students stay first. We hope all parent and community members come stand with us on Wednesday," Wake County NCAE president, Kristen Beller, told us. "I have one child, but I need a lots of people to take care of me when I get older. I want these kids to be well educated. I want them to be successful in life, and the only way to have success in life is to start with schools," said State Rep. Allison Dahle (D).
Wake County teacher, Nashonda Bender, says: "As educators we never settle for less. we don't allow our kids to just turn any assignment in. And it is the same with our state legislators. They are giving us just a little bit, not what they can really do."
According to Beller, educators want to accomplish five main things Wednesday:
- Fully fund school nurses, counselors, social workers, librarians to the nationally-recommended ratios
- Expand Medicaid to cover 500,000 people who fall in the gap.
- $15/hour minimum wage for support staff, a 5 percent raise across the board, including the costs of living and adjustment for retirees.
- Restore advanced degree pay
- Restore health benefits to new educators during their retirement years
WHAT’S THE IMPACT?
Over 30 of the 115 school systems across the state are closed for school as teachers have requested time away to participate in the Raleigh rally. One is also being held in Columbia, South Carolina, this year as well. Last year's rally in Raleigh drew upwards of 25,000 people. Organizers expect more this year.
WHAT'S NEXT
Post-rally last year, NCAE began a period in May to “hold elected leaders accountable for prioritizing corporate tax cuts, instead of our classrooms.” The goal, according to the organization was to elect, “pro-public education leaders in North Carolina to return our state back to a beacon for public school."
WHAT THOSE AGAINST THE RALLY ARE SAYING
North Carolina's state superintendent, Mark Johnson, opposes the rally. And some groups are planning to protest the rally, saying teachers should choose to opt out of NCAE membership. They claim that NCAE is an arm of the Democratic party.
Superintendent Johnson recently said he supports the teachers, but disagrees with the organizers of the rally who chose to hold the event on a school day and he would have preferred the rally to be held on a day when school is not in session.
“When this would have had just as much of an impact, the general assembly would have been in session. Teachers could have shown up and made their voices heard to the general assembly with just as powerful of a statement," he said.
Some legislators have tweeted about the state of N.C.'s education ahead of the rally: