NC Educators Rally for School Funding

0:00It's April 20, Durham News Today starts now, AI-powered and ready. Educators and families across North Carolina are gearing up for a big rally in downtown Raleigh on May 1st, pushing for better public school. Funding. The Kids Over Corporations event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Halifax Mall, organized by the North Carolina Association of Educators. Hundreds, maybe thousands, plan to show up and several school districts are shifting calendars to let teachers attend without missing class time. A few triangle area systems already made changes last week. Chapel Hill Carbro turned May 1st into a teacher work day after getting tons of absence requests. Chatham County made it an annual leave day, and Guilford County went optional for teachers. Durham's board meets April 20 to discuss the same switch, while Wake County already had it scheduled that way. Teachers and parents are fired up because schools need more cash for basics, like special education, counselors, and nurses.

1:00The rally calls out voucher waste and demands an end to tax cuts that shortchange kids. It's hitting at a tough time. Right after families and activists lost a long fight for fair funding. That fight was the Leandro lawsuit filed back in 1994. Parties agreed in 2021 on a plan for over $5 billion a year by 2028, but the state Supreme Court tossed it all on April 2nd. No money ever flowed, leaving schools in the lurch. With districts adapting and crowds building, this rally could spark real momentum for change, forcing lawmakers to listen before the school year ramps.