Vance County joins list of schools closed on May 1

Vance County schools will cancel classes on May 1, holding an optional teacher workday instead.

Posted 1:27 p.m. Apr 10, 2019 — Updated 10:25 a.m. Apr 24, 2019

Kelly Hinchcliffe

, WRAL education reporter

RALEIGH, N.C. — Vance County classes will be canceled May 1 because of the number of teachers requesting the day off to attend a teacher rally, the district said Tuesday night.

The school district joins more than 20 others who have canceled classes because of the rally organized by the North Carolina Association of Educators.

May 1 will be an optional teacher workday and a holiday for students, the Vance County Schools said on social media.

In a message on social media on Thursday, Cumberland County Public Schools said, "This decision was made after carefully monitoring the number of teachers and staff who have requested leave to attend the education rally in Raleigh on May 1."

Johnston County spokeswoman Crystal Roberts said more than 500 teachers and staff had requested leave for the day.

Although no classes will be held, Johnston County will provide breakfast and lunch at seven elementary schools – Cooper Elementary, Micro Elementary, West Smithfield Elementary, Corinth Holders Elementary, Four Oaks Elementary, Princeton Elementary, and Selma Elementary. Breakfast will be served from 8:00 - 8:30 a.m. and lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

The North Carolina Association of Educators held a similar rally last year, which drew an estimated 19,000 people and closed more than 40 school systems. NCAE President Mark Jewell has predicted this year's event will be even larger.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson has pleaded with teachers to stay in the classroom instead of attending the rally so students don't miss any instruction.

"I personally hope that teachers do not come on May 1 because we’ve had such a hard year this year with hurricanes and bad winter weather," Johnson told WRAL News on Monday. "I just ask that teachers will consider coming perhaps on a day that doesn’t interfere with instruction. But also, importantly, we have certain school employees who won’t get paid if they don’t work, such as school bus drivers."

Johnson asked teachers to consider taking action on a day when schools are not in session.

"I ask that teachers come over spring break and meet with me, meet with their lawmakers. Let’s have productive conversations," he said. "But again, this doesn’t mean we don’t support teachers, we just have to ultimately realize that a lot of consequences happen if we ask for a day off of school."

Johnson, a Republican, has had a strained relationship with the NCAE and did not attend last year's rally. Instead, he headed 100 miles east to meet with school leaders in Craven County near the coast.

A review of his text messages and emails from last May shows the superintendent received both praise and criticism from the public for his decision not to attend the rally. Some thanked him for refusing to support an event that "hurts the kids and has caused undue hardship," while others viewed his refusal to participate as a "lack of support" for teachers.

This year, Johnson plans to spend the day on May 1 at the state Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh for the planned State Board of Education meeting.

Emails, texts reveal NC superintendent's internal discussions about 2018 teacher rally

NCAE leaders say last year's event led to some changes in the state budget and at the ballot box. Teachers got raises this year, and Republicans lost their veto-proof majorities in the legislature.

NCAE's president said the group has five priorities for this year's rally:

Provide enough school librarians, psychologists, social workers, counselors, nurses, and other health professionals to meet national professional-to-student standards.
Provide a $15 minimum wage for all school personnel, a 5 percent raise for all ESPs (non-certified staff), teachers, administrators, and a 5 percent cost-of-living adjustment for retirees.
Expand Medicaid.
Reinstate state retiree health benefits eliminated by the General Assembly in 2017.
Restore advanced degree compensation stripped by the General Assembly in 2013.

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