The rally and march centered on the state legislature and Halifax Mall drew participants from communities including Alamance County, Durham, Lumberton and Wake County. Demonstrators chanted and carried signs calling for higher pay, better benefits and increased staffing in public schools.
"I want to make an impact like the teachers do, and I've had so many teachers make an impact on my life, and I see what they do," one attendee said during the rally.
Educators said schools are struggling with limited resources and staffing shortages that affect students' academic success.
"The biggest issue is funding, not having the resources that's needed for our children as far as academically (...) I feel like we don't have enough hands to meet the needs of our children," said Phyllis Crisp, a teacher's assistant with Alamance-Burlington Schools. "We're short-handed. You know, we don't have enough people to do the things that we need to have done for our children to be successful in school and later on in life."
Drone over teacher rally in Raleigh
According to the Education Law Center, North Carolina ranks 50th in the nation for education funding efforts. Speakers at the rally said increased state investment is needed to address low pay and rising costs faced by educators.
"They are living day to day on the pay that they receive. They love their children, but they can't. You like this. They have to work two and three jobs," said Maridy Roper of Concord.
Some teachers said financial pressures are forcing educators to leave the profession.
"I teach right down the road and seeing how like, for example, the number of teachers I have seen left teaching, right, due to pay. They can't afford, you know, certain health care costs for their families," said Jeff Fuss, a teacher in Wake County. "There are some really quality, highly qualified educators out there that the kids are missing out on because they had to, for their families, make financial decisions to stop teaching," said Ashley Beam, a teacher in Lincoln County.
In a statement addressing Friday's march, the North Carolina Republican Party said, "Republicans are committed to quality education for all students and empowering families with the best education options. The left-wing special interests, like NCAE and the national unions, are not aligned with the vast majority of North Carolina teachers - those who want the best for their students and don't want to be used as political props. Republicans stand behind our educators and support common sense policies allowing the focus to be on the classroom and the students."
The rally comes as North Carolina remains without a state budget, leaving school districts uncertain about how much funding they will receive. Wake County Public Schools, the state's largest district, receives more than half of its budget from state funding, adding to concerns among educators and administrators about future planning.
"We need to send a clear message that these are the people who matter in this state," said Vivian Vall. "We need to put students first and give them the resources they need to be successful."
Drone over teacher rally in Raleigh
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