Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Teachers from around the state are preparing to march on Raleigh on Wednesday. It's the second year they've brought their concerns to the legislature. We hear about what those teachers are pushing for.
Last year teachers from across North Carolina marched in Raleigh for increased funding for the public school system and for more respect for their profession. It was part of a movement nationwide that saw educators flood their state legislatures asking for change. This year, they’re doing it again.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools is one of several districts that cancelled classes on Wednesday, May 1st for the rally. This year teachers are pushing for a number of objectives – including pay raises and a $15 minimum wage for all school personnel, expanding Medicaid, and an increase in support staff like librarians, social workers and counselors.
We talk with some local teachers heading to Raleigh about their goals, why they’re marching again, and what’s different from last year.
Guests
Amanda Thompson, 7th and 8th grade math teacher at Walter G. Byers; member of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Association of Educators Executive Board.
Justin Parmenter, 7th grade English teacher at Waddell Language Academy
April Johnson, Arts teacher at Tuckaseegee Elementary. She was named the 2018 Teacher of the Year in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
