NC Teachers Rally for Higher Pay, More Funding

0:00It's May 2nd. This is Durham News Today, powered by AI. Thousands of North Carolina teachers hit the streets in Raleigh Friday for the kids over corporations rally, organized by the North Carolina. Association of Educators, they demanded more public school funding, higher pay, and extra resources amid a stalled state budget. At least 20 public school districts canceled classes that day because so many educators took leave to join in. Here this week, the group pushed Senate Bill 943, which was scrapped plans to drop the corporate income tax to 0% by 20, 30, and raised it to 5% instead. In Charlotte, Mecklenburg schools alone, more than 2,600 out of 9,000 teachers requested the day off. Teachers are feeling the squeeze hard, with the state now ranking 46 nationally for pay, according to the National Education Association. Many work second or third jobs just to give by, since starting salaries hover around $48,900 while the living wage in.

1:01Mecklenburg County sits at about 53,100. No raises this year, plus rising health costs, means real pay dropped 1%. Meanwhile, the House and Senate can't agree on a budget proposal. The House offers an average 8.7% teacher raise, bumping starting pay to $50,000 and boosting it for those with, master's degrees. The Senate's at just 2.3%, starting at $41,510, with no extras for advanced degrees. Lawmakers are in a short session now, and while no one's promising a quick fix, educators and parents alike say the rally's pressure is building for. They'll change to keep talent in classrooms and invest in kids' futures.