Schools in NC concerned about rumblings of teacher call-outs over state budget

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Schools in central North Carolina were prepared for the possibility teachers would call out or walk out Friday after a social media movement called them to do so.

This was over frustrations with a lack of state budget and funding.

According to a representative with Wake County Public Schools, some schools saw an increase in substitute teachers in class Friday, indicating teachers called out. Two of the schools that saw more substitutes in class were Rolesville and East Wake high schools. 

“Over the past two weeks, an anonymous call go out on social media encouraging North Carolina educators to participate in a sick out,” North Carolina Association of Educators President Tamika Walker Kelly said.

“We know that call comes from a place where educators across the state are frustrated by the lack of respect and action taken by the General Assembly to make sure we are respecting the professionalism of our educators in our classrooms and the lack of a state budget that should have been passed by lawmakers months ago,” she said.

According to Kelly, NCAE had no hand in organizing or participating in this call and walk out initiative, but would like to see a state budget with adequate funding for education passed.

“We are looking for a budget that provides meaningful raises to all of our educators,” Kelly said. “We are looking for a budget that funds the resources that we need in our schools, but we are also looking for a budget that is going to provide tangible resources that support students’ academic journeys as well as their path to lifelong success here in our state.”

Orange and Durham County school officials said they were not affected by the call out initiative on Friday. CBS 17 is waiting to hear back from Cumberland and Johnston County schools.

An email sent to the parent of a student at Longleaf School of the Arts, a charter school in Raleigh, warned of possible staffing issues on Friday, but the head of the school says 99% of staff were present.