CMS board of education considers cancelling classes because of teacher rally in Raleigh

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Teachers from across the state are heading to Raleigh Friday, May 1st to urge state lawmakers to pass a budget that favors education and forces corporations to pay their fair share.

More than 1,800 out of 9,000 teachers have already called out in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. The leave requests have the board of education weighing the option of canceling classes. At least seven other districts in the state have decided to cancel class on May 1st.

Some parents say they understand why teachers are taking a stand.

“I wish that there was obviously a better and an easier way for everyone to be represented and to be able to have their voices heard, but I do understand that sometimes you have to take things a little more drastic,” Meredith Loveland, CMS Parent said.

Teachers hope lawmakers seeing red in Raleigh will pressure them into passing a budget that favors education.

“We’re putting pressure on legislators, not only to fund public schools, but to do that by reinstating higher corporate taxes and not making them go to zero,” Rae LeGrone, Art Teacher at Olympic High School said. “This under-funding is really hurting our kids. So, taking this day is actually a way of saying, if you pay your teachers more, if you pay your educators, your bus drivers more, if we make this a priority, your staff, if your staff is a priority, then our students will be having more rested teachers, they won’t have to have two or three jobs.”

Teachers say they have not had significant pay raises at the state level in years. Districts statewide are dealing with vacancies.

“If we have fully staffed, fully funded buildings, then people want to go into teaching again, because it’s a career that they know they could like, but will also make a living wage, they know that they can raise their family on that money, then you can have fully functioning schools and classrooms which will benefit our students,” LeGrone said.

Some parents hope CMS makes the call to cancel classes as soon as possible to give parents time to make plans to accommodate the schedule change.

“As long as the communication lines are open and if we do have to have a closure, then most parents, I feel like can come up with solutions for their children,” Loveland said.

The CMS Board of Education will hold an emergency meeting Friday, April 24th at 11:30 to make a decision about classes on May 1st.