Rise Up, Teachers!
Spring is here: the weather is warming up, and April showers and sunshine are bringing flowers and fresh grass.
That’s right: spring is the time for “rising up!”
But flowers aren’t the only things rising up this spring. Teachers are rising up too, and have already protested in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Arizona.
Teachers Rising Up
Spring can be a very trying time for teachers. Every ounce of data that must be entered into the system is due before summer vacation, and many teachers feel the pressure of looming end-of-year tests. Yet despite all the stress, there’s no better time for teachers to stand together and rise up to fight for themselves and their students.
Teachers are angry about stagnant pay, decreased benefits, and stressful working conditions. Oklahoma teaching salaries are 49th in the nation, meaning most teachers in the state have to work two jobs to support themselves.
Right now, there’s a teacher shortage in many of the states in which protests are happening, including my own state of North Carolina. Teachers are quitting in droves not just because of unfair pay, but because they’re dissatisfied with how the education system treats them and their students. Competent teachers are tired of fighting for a broken system.
Over the past decade, educators in North Carolina have continually faced issues such as poor career status, loss of longevity pay, cuts to classroom resources, crowded classrooms, and the elimination of retiree health care for teachers beginning in 2021. Understandably, these teachers are planning to make their voices heard on May 16 for Advocacy Day, when state lawmakers are scheduled to return to session.
Already nearly one in three teachers in Durham plan to head to the General Assembly to advocate for class-size reductions, more school funding, and higher wages (News and Observer). School boards in larger districts, such as Chapel Hill, Durham, Wake, and Guilford County have voted to cancel classes in support of teachers requesting to attend the march (WRAL).
Why We Should Rise Up
Some people say teachers should never go on strike because it hurts their students. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said, “We should all agree kids should not suffer for adult squabbles.” Others add that teachers’ strikes put more pressure on parents, who have to find daycare for their kids while the schools are closed.
However, teachers insist they’re not protesting to harm their students, but to help them. If anything, teachers are walking out more for their students than for themselves.
In Oklahoma, lawmakers raised teacher salaries by an average of $6,100, yet teachers are still protesting. The state spends approximately 30% less on school funding than it did ten years ago, which is why teachers are pressing lawmakers to give students the resources they need to learn effectively.
Meanwhile, teachers in North Carolina are planning to meet with House and Senate members to advocate for school safety improvements, more resources for students, and building repairs.
As a parent, I certainly understand the concerns over child care, but I also understand the bigger picture. While it may inconvenience parents to find childcare for a day, I want adequate resources and class sizes for my child to thrive in school. I want all students to have teachers who are given enough resources, respect, and professional development to offer the best educational experience possible.
I hope our leaders in North Carolina will listen to the outcry from the people who educate our precious children every day. In the state that boasts the lowest corporate tax rate yet stands at 43rd in per-student spending, North Carolina students deserve better. After all, without a good education system, we won’t have doctors, business leaders, and other professionals to change the world.
Rise Up for Our Students
I’m proud of the teachers who are standing together to defend our kids. They sit with their students every day and know what they need to be successful, and that is the mark of great teachers. They have hopes and dreams. They persevere and lean on each other. They believe in the future and fight hard to save it.
Whether it’s writing to lawmakers, protesting, speaking out on social media, going to your local school board, keeping parents informed, or writing to your local paper, your voice can make a difference for you and your students.
Like the song “Rise Up” says, I hope you will continue to rise up and move mountains for your students. When the silence isn’t quiet, we’ll take the world to its feet. So rise unafraid and stand up for what you know is right for you, for your students, and for our future.
Keep rising up and fight for the education all children deserve!
