Teachers from 52 schools across North Carolina walked out of classrooms on Wednesday to protest low pay and deteriorating working conditions.
The demonstration, organized by NC Teachers in Action, marks the second major protest effort in recent months as educators call for state lawmakers to address long-standing compensation and benefits issues.
Most participating schools are located in Wake County, with at least three schools in Charlotte-Mecklenburg joining the action, including Paw Creek Elementary, Elon Park Elementary School, and Governor's Village STEM Academy.
Educators at a Breaking Point
Brandy Sanders, a Wake County teacher and leader of NC Teachers in Action, said educators are reaching a breaking point. "We've noticed, you know, obviously teachers have had issues for years now with as far as their salary, their income," Sanders told reporters. "But it just seems that things just are progressively getting worse instead of better," according to the News Observer.
The grassroots organization operates independently from the North Carolina Association of Educators and other established teacher unions, which have declined to endorse the walkout. NC Teachers in Action emerged after an anonymous social media post in November prompted scattered teacher call-outs and protests across the state.
Teachers are demanding the state restore master's degree pay, unfreeze step increases for veteran educators, cap health insurance premiums, and fully fund the court-ordered Leandro plan. The Leandro plan calls for an eight-year, $5 billion investment to improve education across North Carolina.
Financial pressures have intensified for educators, WFAE reported. "We are starting to notice that at least here in Wake County, some of the teachers are even turning to food banks to provide for their families," Sanders said. "We have many, many teachers that work two, sometimes three jobs in order to make ends meet."
A System in Crisis
North Carolina currently ranks 43rd in the nation for average teacher pay at $58,292, which is nearly $14,000 below the national average of $72,030. The state also ranks 39th for starting teacher salaries at $42,542.
The staffing crisis has worsened significantly, with teacher vacancies increasing 157% between the 2019-20 and 2022-23 school years. On the 40th day of the current school year, North Carolina reported 7,141 teacher vacancies, meaning one in every 14 classrooms lacks a properly licensed teacher.
The January 7 walkout represents the first in a series of monthly protests scheduled for the seventh day of each month through April, when the General Assembly is set to reconvene in Raleigh. Sanders said Wednesday's demonstration is "just a stepping stone for what's to come," as per WUNC.
