North Carolina teachers to talk about education cuts ahead of massive Raleigh march

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Triangle educators are gearing up to host another massive march through downtown Raleigh in protest of education funding.

"Thousands of educators are marching for students on May 1, because they continue to be discouraged that the politicians in Raleigh would rather give tax breaks to millionaires and big corporations instead of taking meaningful action to reverse the long-term cuts to our public schools," North Carolina Association of Educators President Mark Jewell said. "We've heard plenty of campaign-year rhetoric from politicians who say they value public education, but when it's time to turn those words into action we see that educators and students just aren't a priority for some in the General Assembly."

NCAE held a news conference Wednesday afternoon to spotlight the long-term cuts mentioned by Jewell.

Several schools districts across North Carolina are closed to students May 1 for teachers can protest proposals.

Districts include:

• Wake
• Durham
• Orange
• Chapel Hill-Carrboro
• Franklin
• Wilson
• Cumberland
• Hoke
• Johnston
• Nash-Rocky Mount
• Vance

This is the second year in a row educators will be taking to the streets.

Last year, well over a million students had to stay home from school as thousands of teachers, donning red shirts, streamed through city streets.

NCAE is telling ABC11 it hopes this year's rally will be even bigger.

Still, teachers are getting some push-back from parents. Some are upset classes have been cancelled again.

"The teachers are there for the children. So, if the teachers aren't there, the kids lose," Arnette McNamara said.