Raleigh Teachers' Rally: Thousands Demand Pay Raise, More Funding

RALEIGH, NC — It was a sea of red in Raleigh as thousands of North Carolina educators donning scarlet T-shirts demanded higher salaries and more education funding. The teachers marched on Fayetteville Street in what the News and Observer newspaper called the largest teacher political action in the state's history.

With more than a million students out of school, the educators chanted slogans such as "This is what democracy looks like" and "What do we do when public education is under attack? We fight back."

Others held signs such as "NC teachers are superheroes" and "I shouldn't have to marry a sugar daddy to teach in North Carolina," the newspaper reported.

Another view of the scale as seen from my office in Raleigh pic.twitter.com/WWtuGK4wPz
— Tyler Craft (@tycraft) May 16, 2018

(For more stories like this from Raleigh Patch, sign up for real-time news alerts and our free morning newsletter. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Or, find your local North Carolina Patch here. Also, download the free Patch iPhone app or free Patch Android app.)

Mark Jewell, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators, said at a press conference that the state hasn't had a textbook adoption in 15 years.

"We have school districts deciding whether or not to pay the light bill or buy toilet paper," he said. "We have classrooms that are 35 students and higher in some instances. This is not normal. This is not the North Carolina way."

Organizers said the march for students would start at the headquarters of the North Carolina Association of Educators and head to the General Assembly to meet lawmakers.

The march would end at 3:30 p.m. with a "Rally for Respect."

"North Carolina is one of the worst in the country in the amount our elected leaders spend per student, more than $3,000 behind the national average," organizers said in a Facebook event posting. "Imagine what $3,000 per student could mean for our children."

#NCTeacherRally pic.twitter.com/lKYvbl3uBI
— Tyler Craft (@tycraft) May 16, 2018

North Carolina has the lowest corporate tax rate in America when it comes to states that have one, organizers said, and it's set to go even lower. Further more, the state ranks just 35th for teacher pay — roughly $9,000 behind the national average.

"When adjusting for inflation, educators are losing money(almost 12 percent)---the third worst rate in the country," the event posting added.

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper previously proposed teacher pay raises of 8 percent — up to nearly 15 percent for those with 25 years or more of experience. The GOP-led General Assembly proposed more modest increases of an average of 5 to 6 percent.

Jewell put lawmakers on notice and said his group will support "pro-public education policymakers" in the November general election.

"Our end game, obviously, is Nov. 6 when we elect to the General Assembly," he said.

Many local businesses on Fayetteville Street welcomed the educators, the News and Observer reported. This included those who needed a bathroom break, a quick bite to eat or to stay hydrated with some water.

The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook warning for central North Carolina, saying some parts could see heavy rains and even minor flooding in urban and low-lying areas.

Showers and thunderstorms were likely Wednesday as temperatures approached a balmy 83 degrees. Up to a half an inch of rain was possible for the city Wednesday afternoon, with more rain and thunderstorms likely Wednesday night.

The Raleigh rally follows a recent spate of education movements nationwide, including West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona, Kentucky and Colorado. Educators have staged mass walkouts and marches to urge state lawmakers to give teachers pay bumps and call for more funding.

Photo credit: Screenshot YouTube