North Carolina teachers upset with low pay and recent cuts to public education were planning to walk out of the classroom Nov. 4 to send a message to the N.C. General Assembly — but an actual walkout is looking unlikely.
Due to fears that participating in the event, called the N.C. Teacher Walkout, would cost them their jobs, many teachers have decided to opt out.
“A lot of teachers are apprehensive,” said Josh Hartman, one of the original organizers of the walkout, who recently quit his job as a technology teacher in Wake County after six years.
Lawyers at the North Carolina Association of Educators warned event organizers that teachers who call in sick as a form of protest could be fired, Hartman said. And Gov. Pat McCrory has condemned the walkout.
“This teacher strike doesn’t get us to a solution and puts the education of our children in jeopardy,” said McCrory spokesman Ryan Tronovitch in an email.
Organizers are asking teachers to call in sick or arrange for a substitute rather than leave students unattended — but the act could still be considered unlawful protest because North Carolina is a right-to-work state.
Though Thursday was the last day of school for Hartman, he said he will continue speaking out for higher teacher pay.
“I’ve always had to have a second job,” he said. “Now it’s gotten to the point where teaching is my extra income.”
The walkout might not occur, but education advocacy groups across the state are taking less drastic measures to challenge new public education policies.
