North Carolina teachers feeling the years-long strain of budgetary constraints and a drain on classroom resources took to the streets of Raleigh on Friday.
Educators talked about the turnover they see within the public education system, along with declines in enrollment, and complained about the rising costs for underfunded classrooms. Many marched in the event organized by the North Carolina Association of Educators under the tagline "Kids Over Corporations."
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Teachers began lining up at Halifax Mall in downtown Raleigh at 10:30 a.m. Parents and grandparents took the stage to address an enthusiastic crowd in support of educators. The gathering was expected to last well into the afternoon.
It all stems from frustration over many teachers saying they've been paying out of pocket for classroom necessities for years. NCAE is asking for a 25 percent pay raise across the board and a funding investment of $20,000 per student by 2030.
"You are stifling your educators, your teachers, and the children need them. You should not be making any cuts when it comes to education, you should be adding to it," said Nancy Cunningham, mother of two North Carolina teachers, and a grandparent of students in the state's schools.
Students had concerns about their education as well.
"Throughout my time in public schools, I have seen the tireless work teachers put into their students," said Enloe High School senior Wasswa Myers said. "I have seen educators work long hours to make sure all students are cared for and supported. I am who I am because of my teachers."
Demonstrators walked from the General Assembly building to the Capitol building and back.
The march comes despite the fact more budget cuts are likely coming in Wake County. Wake County Public School System member schools and several other districts in the area held a remote learning day for students, forcing some parents to scramble to find child care options.
Similar rallies were held in Raleigh in 2018 and 2019. Friday's rally was tied to May Day, also known as International Workers' Day, which highlights labor rights and worker solidarity. Public educators also gathered at CCB Plaza in downtown Durham in a similar demonstration.
North Carolina ranks 43rd in the nation in average teacher pay, according to the National Education Association. The march coincided with the North Carolina General Assembly's short session, which started April 21.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein mentioned the need for more money for public education when outlining his priorities for the state budget in April.
"If we're going to continue to build on our long-term economic success, we must start by investing in our public schools," Stein said. "We rank lower than all of our neighboring states in starting teacher pay. We're forty-third in the country in teacher pay. And we have one childcare slot for every five families who are looking for one. These are some embarrassing and unacceptable facts."
The state has yet to reach an updated budget. Stein most recently proposed an average raise for teachers of 11% over two years, while also restoring extra pay for teachers who have master's degrees. The proposal would also provide a $1,000 bonus for all teachers and local education employees, with an additional $500 bonus for those who make less than $75,000.
Related: 'We're not being compensated fairly:' NC teacher struggles to raise six children
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's 2026 budget highlights list about $12 billion in General Fund support and $12.75 billion in total state funding for public schools in 2024-25.
The 25% increase in pay request for school employees would cost about $2.6 billion for pay alone, if the raise were the same for everyone. NCAE is also asking for $20,000 of spending per student by 2030, a request that would cost more than $10 billion in new funding, based on about 1.5 million students in traditional public and public charter schools.
Republican response: NC doing 'fairly well'
The North Carolina Republican party issued a statement on the NCAE's position.
"Republicans are committed to quality education for all students and empowering families with the best education options. The left-wing special interests, like NCAE and the national unions, are not aligned with the vast majority of North Carolina teachers — those who want the best for their students and don't want to be used as political props.
Republicans stand behind our educators and support common-sense policies allowing the focus to be on the classroom and the students."
Senate Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, said Thursday that teacher pay is a priority for the Senate.
"One of the concerns I have about the whole debate is we spend so much time, and there's so much attention on the inputs in education, how much are you paying?" Berger said. "How much are you funding? How much are you spending, that sort of thing, and not enough attention to what the outcomes are and how well we're doing. Quite frankly, North Carolina is actually doing fairly well with reference to outcomes."
Both chambers say raising teacher pay should be a priority. The Senate and House, both led by Republicans, are at odds on passing a budget for the current fiscal - and school - year. Among the issues they're far apart on is how much to raise teacher pay.
The House budget would give teachers an average raise of 8.7% over two years. The House said a bigger raise is needed for recruiting and retention. The Senate budget would give an average raise of 3.3% to teachers over two years.
Speaker Destin Hall said he’s confident a budget will pass but the final number for teacher raises is still unknown.
"I think that we're relatively close," Hall said. "You know, not finalized yet. A lot of it is that there's a lot of moving parts there. The chairs will have to get together on some more granular issues. But I would say from the big issues, from the broad standpoint, we've certainly moved in the right direction."
"And I still feel confident we'll get a budget done in this short session," Hall said.
