As thousands of teachers rally in Raleigh, NC superintendent will be 100 miles away

Johnson said last week he "absolutely" supports teachers but won't attend the rally because it's on a school day and will affect students, parents and other school workers who are forced to deal with schools closing that day.

At the time, nearly a dozen school districts had announced they were closing due to the teacher rally, and Johnson said he hoped no others would follow. Since then, the number of school systems closing has ballooned to 42.

NC superintendent won't attend teacher protest, hopes more schools don't close

Johnson plans to visit Craven County Schools in the eastern part of the state on Wednesday, according to his spokesman, Drew Elliot. While there, he plans to meet with Superintendent Meghan Doyle and Tabari Wallace, the newly named 2018 North Carolina Principal of the Year.

Johnson was also scheduled to hold a media event at Roger Bell Elementary School in Craven County, but the school decided to postpone his visit due to the teacher rally, according to district spokeswoman Jennifer Wagner.

As many as 15,000 teachers from across North Carolina are expected to march, rally and meet with lawmakers Wednesday to ask for more education funding, including higher teacher salaries. The ultimate goal, according to the North Carolina Association of Educators, is to elect more pro-public education leaders in North Carolina.

NC educators group lists legislative demands ahead of teacher rally

Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger has criticized the rally, noting that teacher strikes are illegal in North Carolina and said "in some respects" this protest looks like a work slowdown and "fairly typical union activity."

Meanwhile, Republican leaders in the General Assembly say education funding and teacher salaries are on the right track and point out that teachers will get their fifth consecutive pay raise in the coming budget. House Speaker Tim Moore's office said the estimated average teacher salary next year will be in the neighborhood of $53,400.

North Carolina's education funding and teacher salaries are much-debated topics each year, especially how they compare with other states. North Carolina is currently ranked 37th in the nation for average teacher pay and 39th in per-pupil spending.

Johnson, a Republican, said in a statement last week that teacher pay is important and has been improving.

"Teacher salaries have increased each of the last four years – outpacing inflation every year – and North Carolina is one of the top states for fastest rising teacher pay," he wrote. "We are on the right track, and I am pleased teachers will receive another raise next year. In a booming state economy, we need to keep boosting teacher pay to attract and keep talented teachers."