NCAE hopes walk-in builds public support for teachers

Plans for an organized show of support for public education next week has turned into a political fight, with state and local Republican leaders accusing the North Carolina Association of Educators of orchestrating a strike that they say will endanger student safety.
Posted 10/31/2013, 11:08:48 PM Updated 9/23/2025, 7:49:50 PM

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>>> EVENTS SCHEDULED AT SCHOOLS

ON MONDAY HAS A LOT OF PEOPLE

TALKING, THE NOVEMBER 4TH EVENT

IS DESCRIBED AS A WALK IN,

TEACHERS HOLDING OPEN HOUSES TO

TALK ABOUT FUNDING CUTS

VOUCHERS AND LOW PAY, LAURA

JOINS US WITH HOW CREATE SIMPLE

IS PICKING UP.

>> THEY HAVE BEEN ACCUSING THEM

OF ORGANIZING A STRIKE THEY SAY

WILL ENDANGER STUDENT SAFETY,

THE EVIDENCE DOESN'T SEEM TO

BACK THAT UP, BUT AFTER YEARS

OF STRIKES IT IS HARD TO TAKE

THE POLITICS OUT OF THAT

DEBATE.

THE PUSH FOR A STRIKE ACTUALLY

STARTED OWNED FACEBOOK WITH A

HANDFUL OF TEACHERS ANGRY BUT

THE LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS, THEIR

CALLS FOR A WALK OUT PICKED UP

SUPPORT, REPUBLICAN NATURE NEAL

HUNT BELIEVES IT WAS

ORCHESTRATED BY THEM.

>> WE THINK MOST OF THE

TEACHERS WOULD ACTUALLY PREFER

TO STAY IN THE CLASSROOM WITH

THEIR STUDENTS SO THEY CAN

EDUCATE THEM AND TAKE CARE OF

THEM BUT APPARENTLY BEING

PRESSURED BY THE NCAE AND THEIR

AFFILIATION WITH THE UNION.

>> BUT HE SAYS THEIR GROUP HAD

NOTHING TO DO WITH IT AND THEIR

RECORD BACKS THAT UP.

>> IT WAS NOT US, IT WAS LIKE I

SAID FRUSTRATED EDUCATORS WHO

HAVE REACHED A POINT AND THAT

IS KEY, WHEN YOU GET TO THE

POINT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT

ACTION THAT IS CLEARLY AGAINST

THE LAW YOU KNOW THEY HAVE

REACHED A BOILING POINT.

>> NORTH CAROLINA LAW DOES NOT

ALLOW THEM TO UNIONIZE OR

STRIKE, THAT IS WHY THEY PUSHED

THEM TO TURN INTO A WALK IN

THAT WON'T LEAVE STUDENTS

UNATTENDED OR GET ANYONE FIRED.

>> IF YOU GET A HANDFUL OF

TEACHERS WALKING OUT OF THE

CLASSROOM THAT ONLY RESULTS IN

THOSE TEACHERS LOSING THEIR

POSITIONS SO THOSE FOLKS AS

ADMIRABLE AS IT IS AND THE

ENERGY IS THERE AND WE

APPRECIATE, THAT WE THINK THERE

ARE OTHER WAYS WE CAN GET OUR

MESSAGE ACROSS.

>> HE SAYS KNOW WALK IN IS

MEANT TO SPARK DISCUSSION AMONG

TEACHERS ANT PRATTS ABOUT

CHALLENGES LIKE SPENDING CUTS

AND LOW TEACHER PAY AND NOT

PLENTY TO BE A POLITICAL

PROTEST BUT THEY HAVE SPENT THE

PAST THREE YEARS BUTTING HEADS

AND HUNT IS NOT BUYING IT.

>> WE THINK THE TEACHER SHOULD

BE PAID MORE, WE ARE CERTAINLY

GOING TO DO THIS AS WE CAN FIND

THE MONEY BUT THERE IS NO

QUESTION IT IS A POLITICAL

EVENT.

>> RODNEY ELLIS SAID SCHOOLS

AND PARENTS SHOULD DECIDE FOR

THEMSELVES WHETHER AND HOW THEY

WANT TO TAKE PART, MOST HAPPEN

BEFORE OR AFTER SCHOOL HOURS,

OFFICIALS TELL US THEY HAVE

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