Same story, different state. This morning in Raleigh, North Carolina, thousands of teachers rallied for better pay and more funding for their students.
SEEING RED: Thousands of teachers from across North Carolina have descended upon the streets of #Raleigh…
This is a view from @WRAL
above the crowd. Unreal!#RedforEd #ncpol #nced #WatchWBTVWatch LIVE coverage » https://t.co/qunwkhExe6 pic.twitter.com/6OTesYwdRm
— Mark Davenport WBTV (@TheDavenReport) May 16, 2018
“I shouldn’t have to marry a sugar daddy to teach in North Carolina.”–Sign at N.C. teacher rally (via News & Observer)
Teachers from across the state signed up to take a personal day today. Schools are closed in most of the state. From the Raleigh News & Observer:
- The “March for Students and Rally for Respect” is the largest act of organized teacher political action in state history. The historic all-day event is resulting in more than 1 million public school students having the day off because schools couldn’t find enough substitute teachers to keep schools open for classes.
Education funding and teacher pay has become a political hot button issue nationwide with teachers in West Virginia, Kentucky, Colorado, Arizona and Oklahoma demanding action from their state legislatures. It also promises to be a big issue in the November elections.
#NorthCarolina schools rank in 40th place for funding & student achievement, slipping from 19th place in 2011.
?#Teachers are marching today to say #ENOUGH!
?Put our STUDENTS first!
?To #NC legislators…
??You have been warned.??#NovemberIsComing#VoteForOurLives https://t.co/uTig9OStW3
— Olivia Pope (@OliviaResists) May 16, 2018
The North Carolina Association of Educators is demanding the state legislature raise teacher pay and per student spending to the national average.