STATESVILLE, N.C. — Iredell-Statesville Schools will not close on May 1st for teachers to attend a rally in Raleigh.
In a statement, officials with the Iredell-Statesville Schools’ Board of Education say, “Closing school for a rally, regardless of the message being delivered, will cause an unnecessary hardship for working parents.”
The North Carolina Association of Educators has decided to hold a rally in Raleigh on May 1st to address a list of its concerns with the General Assembly.
The Board of Education says they support every citizenβs First Amendment right to petition his or herβ¨government and willΒ grant teachers the day off from work to attend the rally, if properly β¨requested according to school system policy, provided that adequate coverage is available for theirβ¨ classrooms.
The Board of Education says they have no plans to close school on May 1st because May is “a critical month to prepareβ¨ students for end of grade tests.”
The statement also says, “Working parents depend on the systemβs published school calendar to make their childcare arrangementsβ¨ during school holidays and work days. However, the Superintendent is sometimes forced by weather and β¨other natural events to cancel school for the safety of students and staff, which burdens families to makeβ¨ last minute arrangements.”
Officials say closing school for a rally, regardless of the message being delivered, will cause an unnecessary hardshipβ¨for working parents.
The Board of Education also says they “stand behind our teachers and the work they are doing every day in classrooms to educate our children.”
