NEW HANOVER COUNTY—Though New Hanover County Schools initially pledged to remain open amidst an anticipated mass teacher shortage next week, this afternoon it announced it will close its schools Wednesday, May 16.
Approximately 600 teachers and counting have requested personal leave in order to participate in a state-wide teachers’ walkout. That’s about 40 percent of the system’s workforce.
Teachers in New Hanover County are requesting personal leave in order to participate in the protest demanding increased pay and student supplies.
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At least 14 school districts in urban counties in the state have canceled school in response to an anticipated staff shortage. Teachers had until May 9 to request personal leave in New Hanover County without being required to provide a reason.
The North Carolina Association of Educators has organized a “Rally for Respect and March for Students” in Raleigh on May 16. Because North Carolina is a non-union state, NCAE does not have bargaining rights but has coordinated this statewide call for teachers’ rights.
The demands
The president of the NCAE, Mark Jewell, said the widespread school closures were part of the group’s plan to increase awareness of a “crumbling” school system.
“North Carolina has been ground zero to the attacks on public education,” Jewell said.
With over 38 percent of public schools in the state already announcing closures on May 16, Jewell said that number is expected to increase. The NCAE’s highest priority complaints include per pupil spending and teacher pay.
“We are $2,400 per child below the national average in per-pupil spending,” he said. “That’s unacceptable.”
Jewell points to the actions of the McCrory administration as gutting the public school system of its financial power. In 2014, the Republican-majority General Assembly eliminated tenure, eliminated a payscale increased based on longevity and placed a cap on salaries.
The salary for a first-year teacher in the state is $35,000 and is capped at $51,300 for teachers who have spent over 25 years in the system.
North Carolina’s teachers’ salaries are around $9,000 below the nation’s average, Jewell said, saying current funding has created a teacher shortage crisis.
“Other states are scooping up our teachers,” he said.
Whether teachers commute to Raleigh to participate in person or take time off to show solidarity, Jewell said the strongest message will come in November, when educators “march to the ballot box.”
Johanna Ferebee can be reached at johanna@localvoicemedia.com or @j__ferebee on Twitter
