Teachers across North Carolina call for better pay and benefits

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The sun was barely even up, but educators across North Carolina were already making their voices heard on Wednesday.  

“Teachers who are investing their own time and energy into teaching. It feels like our state is not investing their money back into us,” said high schol art teacher Kody Hall.

Educators walked out of their classrooms to call on the North Carolina General Assembly to pass a state budget and to draw attention to a number of demands.

These include restoring longevity and masters pay, restoring retiree health coverage for new hires and fully funding Leandro, the court ruling that requires the state to fund education equitably.

“We need the kids to know that teachers and education is worth something. We need our teachers to feel valued so that our teachers can then put their time and energy back into the students,” Hall said.

These demonstrations continued throughout the day Wednesday. 

English teacher Mechelle Vaughn is another teacher who took to the streets, saying she believes her profession is under attack. 

“No one goes into education to get rich, but I think we deserve to live. If we don’t get something changed soon, you’re going to show up to school, and there will not be a teacher in your child’s classroom,” Vaughn said.

Vaughn hopes the community sees this as an urgent call to action. 

“I hope that the community recognizes that we are all in this together. Your children spent more time with us than they do with you during a school year, right? Don’t you want the best and the brightest there?” Vaughn said.

Organizers say three more statewide protests are planned through April, taking place on the seventh of each month.

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