We Believe
Fellow educators, support staff, students and parents, now is the time for action! If we wait to advocate for our students and ourselves, it will be too late. Right now, we have an opportunity to take advantage of the momentum created by our peers across the nation. They started this movement and persevered long enough not only to demand change, but to gain national attention. It was because of this that they were able to earn fair compensation. If we act now while the country is watching, we have an opportunity to add national attention to our cause, showing that we are not fighting solely for North Carolina’s teachers, but all across the nation.
Our profession is one of the most important in the world, yet we not are treated and paid as such.. We have accepted this sad state of affairs because our hearts, and desire to help our students keep us returning to the environment that is not fit for teaching or learning. However, we know that everyone, from students to administrators, custodians to bus drivers, cafeteria workers to teachers’ assistants deserve better. The leaders in the great state of North Carolina continue to abuse their positions of power, causing us to cower in fear for the security of our livelihoods and the ability to maintain a roof over our heads. But we are many, we are strong, we are resilient, and we deserve more.
As educators, we are some of the hardest working individuals in this nation and deserve basic necessities like a livable wage that increases annually with the cost of living, better health insurance, higher pay for higher education, job security, and safe working conditions. District and State leadership hinder our ability to earn a living wage while maintaining a proper work-life balance, , then wonder why attrition rates are skyrocketing and the quality of public education in North Carolina is in decline. We will no longer accept losing our best and brightest educators to neighboring or unionized states. No more will we sit in silence while we are denied basic rights to fair and reasonable work. Now is the time to act.
We the teachers of North Carolina require the following:
1. Reinstatement of pay for the attainment of Master and Doctoral degrees in all counties in North Carolina. Educated teachers make educated students.
2. A raise with an annual cost of living increase for all school based staff.
3. Protected lunch time, free of student supervision.
4. Improved options for affordable and comprehensive health insurance.
5. Protected pensions for all current and future educators in the State of North Carolina.
6.Reinstatement of career status for qualified educators as dictated prior to 2013.
