Durham Public Schools sit-in highlights need for pay raises for classified staff
In the salary slip-up saga of Durham Public Schools, staff and parents demanded action Tuesday at the district's office.
Staff members and parents held in a sit-in at the downtown district office over ongoing pay issues.
Parents of disabled students were there to speak on the need for fair pay for the physical and occupational therapists who help their children. They say if DPS cannot be competitive in hiring and pay, and those employees aren't there, it becomes a civil rights issue for their children to access education.
Parents of students with special needs said DPS needs to stay competitive in hiring classified staff such as physical therapists, because they help those students access their education.
Victoria Facelli has a daughter with cerebral palsy. The physical therapist at Durham Public Schools who works with her has more than 30 years of experience.
"Recent pay scales have made Durham hiring even less competitive and have encouraged many of our providers and staff to quit, which means that kids like mine can't safely access school, which she has the civil right to do thanks to the 504 sit-ins," said Victoria Facelli.
Facelli wants to ensure classified staff are paid fairly.
"We need to stand up for them so that my kid and so many like her can still access education," Facelli said.
Durham Public Schools Superintendent Pascal Mubenga came out to hear the group's concerns, which focus on the issue of pay for years of past service at other places.
The district said state years of service should be accounted for, but some of these employees told WRAL News that's not what they are seeing reflected.
"If there is any missteps with this study, give us time," Mubenga said. "We're going to continue working with our employees and our consultants as well, and we're going to see where we're going to land with that."
Mubenga said more than 1,300 employees were impacted by an overpayment issue. The district said they are still investigating this error and they are hosting one-on-one sessions with employees Tuesday afternoon and Thursday morning.
