Thousands of teachers are expected to march in Raleigh on May 1. Is it a strike?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Teachers across North Carolina are submitting requests to take May 1 off to go to protest.
- State law bans public employee strikes, and NCAE calls the event a mass mobilization.
- Some districts canceled classes on May 1 amid many teacher leave requests
Teachers across North Carolina are submitting requests to take May 1 off to participate in a protest in Raleigh organized by the North Carolina Association of Educators.
May 1 is a Friday so principals and district administrators are scrambling to find enough substitute teachers to watch students. Some districts, including Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Chatham County and Guilford County, have decided to cancel classes on May 1.
“Thousands of educators from across the state have planned to go to Raleigh to request change from state legislators on education issues, citing the recent N.C. Supreme Court decision regarding education funding and the lack of a state budget,” Guilford County Schools said in a Facebook post Thursday explaining the school closure decision.
Many school districts closed on May 16, 2018, and May 1, 2019, the last two times that NCAE organized mass teacher protests in Raleigh.
Here are answers to some of the questions revolving around the May 1 teacher protest:
Are North Carolina teachers allowed to strike?
It’s illegal under state law for public employees such as teachers to go on strike. In addition, state law bans public employees from engaging in collective bargaining.
“This is not a strike,” NCAE says in a FAQ explaining the protest to teachers. “It is a mass mobilization to our State Capital to shine a spotlight on the moral disgrace of our leaders and to stand up for democracy and our kids.”
Teachers who participate in the march are submitting requests to take the day off. They’ll typically be paid for May 1. But they may have to take an unpaid leave day if they’re out of paid leave time.
Why don’t they fire the teachers who protest?
Some school districts are seeing large numbers of teachers submitting requests to take May 1 off. It’s too many to replace given teacher shortages and how 10% of North Carolina’s teachers are annually leaving the profession.
For instance, Chatham County Superintendent Anthony Jackson said 213 classroom teachers had submitted personal leave requests for May 1 as of Monday. That’s nearly a third of the district’s teaching force.
What are schools doing if they’re not closing May 1?
Schools are checking to see if they have enough substitute teachers to fill in for teachers who plan to take May 1 off.
Under state law, teachers can use personal leave to take off on a day when classes are in session. The request has to be approved if it’s made at least five days in advance and the principal can find a substitute to cover the classes.
A state law passed in 2021 ended the requirement that teachers had to pay $50 to cover the cost of hiring a sub to cover their classes when they used personal leave. Lawmakers said teachers just had to give a reason for taking the day off.
The new state law didn’t clarify what reasons were acceptable so the State Board of Education passed a policy in 2022 saying school districts had to approve any reason given for using personal leave.
What if a school can’t get enough substitute teachers?
New Hanover County Superintendent Chris Barnes told the school board he’d begin denying leave requests if he can’t recruit enough subs and central office staff to fill in for teachers on May 1. This came as the school board rejected Barnes’ request to move a May 4 teacher workday to May 1.
Some districts though such as Guilford County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro voted this week to make May 1 an optional teacher workday. This means teachers won’t be required to work that day. They’ll still need to submit a personal leave or vacation leave request if they don’t report to work.
Wake County made May 1 a teacher workday for its traditional-calendar schools long before NCAE announced the protest. It’s up to individual Wake principals whether to make it a “protected workday” that would require teachers to come to school.
Wake teachers at schools that are still open on May 1 such as year-round schools will need to use personal leave to join the protest.
Districts can also take the step used by Chatham County this week to change the calendar to make May 1 an annual leave day. This means it’s automatically a paid day off for school employees.
Why is NCAE protesting?
NCAE’s lists multiple demands for the May 1 rally, including:
- Invest at least $20,000 per student by 2030 — the highest funding in the Southeast.
- Fund modern facilities, free school meals and more health professionals in schools.
- Recruit and retain quality public school teachers and staff with affordable health care, better retirement benefits and a raise of at least 25% for all school employees.
- End corporate tax breaks and redirect that money to public schools and health care.
- Eliminate private school vouchers.
- Lift the ban on collective bargaining for public school workers.
What are people saying about the May 1 protest?
The NCAE march has been criticized by Senate leader Phil Berger and by Republican school board members.
“I do not support changing the calendar and accommodating a union-backed strike,” New Hanover County school board member Josie Barnhart said at this week’s specially called board meeting. “Not now, not ever.”
But NCAE says public education supporters need to act now in a highly visible way by marching on Raleigh.
“This is our line in the sand,” Tamika Walker Kelly, NCAE president, said in a press release. “We will not back down when it comes to ensuring our children receive the education they need and deserve. We will not back down in demanding qualified educators in every classroom and safe, well-resourced schools for every student.”
