Thousands of Teachers March on Raleigh, NC
by Tamika Walker Kelly
Yesterday was huge.
Thousands of public school educators, bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers, social workers, counselors, coaches and other support staff – along with their supporters – flooded the streets of Raleigh. Again.
But we didn't just show up today. We organized. We held our legislators accountable and put them on record about their stance on public education. We met together with our neighbors in county conversations and made concrete plans to continue this work until we win the schools our communities deserve.
And we are already winning.
Tuesday, before so many of us descended on the state capital, Republican leadership in the NCGA announced a plan to give lopsided pay raises to public school employees. But what they don’t know is that we're in this together. We won't accept a proposal intended to divide us.
We are united on the 5 Priorities the North Carolina Association of Educators adopted at our convention in March:
- Provide enough school librarians, psychologists, social workers, counselors, nurses, and other health professionals to meet national professional-to-student standards;
- Provide $15 minimum wage for all school personnel, 5% raise for all ESPs (non-certified staff), teachers, administrators, and a 5% cost of living adjustment for retirees;
- Expand Medicaid to improve the health of our students and families;
- Reinstate state retiree health benefits eliminated by the General Assembly in 2017;
- Restore advanced degree compensation stripped by the General Assembly in 2013.
So, what’s next after yesterday’s #AllOutMay1 action?
First – Please fill out our brief survey to tell us about your #AllOutMay1 day.What did you do? Who did you CONTINUE READING: Schools Matter: Thousands of Teachers March on Raleigh, NC
