An anonymous online post last week urged teachers across North Carolina to call in sick as a form of protest against inadequate school funding and the absence of a state budget, which has resulted in stagnant salaries for educators amid rising state health insurance premiums.
Despite the call to action, there was no widespread absenteeism reported throughout the state. However, some educators chose to participate in other forms of protest. Local teacher unions, such as the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Association of Educators (CMAE), did not support the call for mass walkouts due to the anonymous nature and unclear message of the post. Instead, they encouraged other forms of collective action.
Outside Olympic High School, a group of educators and union leaders gathered with signs following the end of the school day on Friday, demanding legislative action to approve a budget and enhance school funding. Their chants included, “Pass the budget” and “Restore the promise.”
“Please take this day as a warning to fulfill the promise set forth in our state constitution to fully fund a sound, basic education for every student in North Carolina,” stated CMAE Vice President Rae LeGrone.
The CMAE leaders did not support the mass callout due to the anonymous nature of the post and the lack of a clear message. However, they acknowledged that the post resonated with teachers’ frustrations.
“Today, we came to school despite the calls to walk out,” LeGrone added. “We came to school because we see in each student the potential for our great city. We came to school to demand that our state legislature pass the budget that we sent them to Raleigh to pass this summer.”
CMAE President Amanda Thompson indicated that the organization is planning further actions, noting that “there is something coming on the horizon.”
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools did not comment on whether there was an increase in teacher absences on Friday, stating only that schools were functioning as usual. Other districts, such as New Hanover County Schools, also reported normal attendance levels, according to WHQR.
In Union County, where educators had staged a mass callout two weeks ago over local financial issues, the district reported no significant increase in teacher absences on Friday.
The North Carolina General Assembly was expected to finalize a budget by July 1, but has yet to reach an agreement. The absence of a budget has left teachers without raises or expected step increases, while state health insurance premiums are set to rise, effectively reducing teachers’ take-home pay.
