What to expect: May 16 teachers rally in Raleigh
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- More than a third of North Carolina's public school students will have a holiday on May 16 as schools close for teachers to attend a rally in the Capital City.
The latest
* ABC11 will be providing live coverage of the rally starting at 10 a.m.
* Participants will now start to gather at NCAE Headquarters 9:45 a.m., march begins at 10
* The march will happen rain or shine. Ponchos are encouraged
Thousands of teachers are expected to be in Raleigh for the "March for Students and Rally for Respect."
Watch: Everything you need to know about the rally
Here's what you need to know from the NCAE:
It's raining/drizzling, is the march still on?
Yes, organizers encourage participants to wear ponchos. They said using umbrellas will slow the process down when entering the Legislative Building.
How many people are expected to attend?
Approximately 15,000 teachers.
Where are the teachers meeting?
Many are being bused into the Capital City. They will meet at the North Carolina Association of Educators headquarters at 10 a.m.
TIMELINE
9:45 a.m. -- Meet at NCAE Headquarters, 700 S. Salisbury St.
10:00 a.m. -- March for Students
10:45 a.m. -- Enter Legislative Bldg. and start assembling on the 3rd floor. This may take a little longer than usual with new metal detectors and fewer entries.
12:00 p.m. -- General Assembly convenes. We want our members in the galleries.
1:00 p.m. -- Time to make appointments with your local representative and on your own for lunch.
3:00 p.m. -- Start assembling on Bicentennial Plaza across from the Legislative Building for Rally for Respect.
3:30 p.m. -- Rally for Respect begins.
4:30 p.m. -- Rally concludes and participants can start making their way back to NCAE Headquarters by foot or by using the R-Line (bus), which picks up at Jones and Wilmington and drops off near NCAE at the Convention Center.
RELATED: Here's a list of North Carolina school districts closed for teacher's rally on May 16
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HASHTAGS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA
#Red4Ed, #NCAEStrong, #ItsPersonal, #GetReady, #TeamNCAE
PARKING
Parking will be at a premium.
There are some spaces at NCAE that will be for members only and for buses.
There are multiple paid decks and surface lots around which average around $7. On this parking map, NCAE is directly across from Deck "H."
There is also paid public parking near the Legislative Building if you want to park there and walk to NCAE. Then your vehicle will be close to the rally location.
ROUTE
The marchers begin at the NCAE Center at 700 S. Salisbury Street. They will cut over and walk down the sidewalk of Fayetteville Street, across the Capitol Grounds (sidewalks only), down Bicentennial Plaza and then to the Legislative Buildings.
SIGNS
Signs for the March can be no larger than 3'x3' and cannot be on sticks.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
House and Senate sessions begin at noon.
For the first time, there will be metal detectors to enter. This has cut down the number of entry points significantly.
RALLY
The rally begins at 3:30 p.m. Educators should start convening in Bicentennial Plaza Mall (in front of Legislative Building) beginning around 3 p.m.
Signs are allowed, but not on sticks.
