By Amy Cockerham
Public Ed Works

(RALEIGH) –  Several nonprofits and concerned citizens gathered in front of the NC General Assembly Tuesday just hours before the start of the new session to demand lawmakers pass a budget that supports public education.

Organizing groups include Red Wine & Blue, Every Child NC  and Pastors for NC Children. Organizer and parent Kim Biondi said she moved to North Carolina in 1997.

“When I first moved to North Carolina, we had one of the best up and coming public education systems in the country,” Biondi said. “Now we are dead last in our spending for public schools.”

Biondi is a mother of two high school students. She’s noticed the negative impact the lack of state budget has made in her home county. 

“In Cabarrus County where my two kids go to school, there are programs that have been cut,” Biondi said. “There are teachers who are not sure whether or not they’ll have a job next year. Social workers who are not sure whether or not they have a job next year. Nurses who are not sure whether or not they’ll have a job next year.”

Biondi is hoping to see educators supported in the budget once it’s finally passed.

“I would like to see teacher and staff pay rise,” Biondi said. “I would like to see veteran teacher pay rise, and I would like to see teacher and staff health care plans improve.”

Susan Book is a Wake County parent to a high school student.

“Because my kid’s in special education, what I’ve really seen is violations of his individual education plan over the years where they just don’t have the manpower to really help him be included with his peers,” Book said. “That’s not only against the law, but it’s also really troubling to my son’s education. We’re in a good spot now, but it hasn’t always been the case, and that’s why I speak up.”

Book hopes legislators will recognize the need to increase teacher pay for retention.

“I really hope that they look deeply into teacher pay because it’s not just about our new teachers,” Book said. “It’s about keeping the teachers that are here now who have some of the best expertise in the country right here in our schools, and we want to keep them there.”

Book encourages everyone to speak with their legislators about voting to support public schools this session. 

“This work is for everybody,” Book said. “Everybody has a voice. Everybody has a public education experience for the most part. Everybody’s had a teacher that they loved, and so you don’t have to be an expert to come out and talk with us. You just have to love public schools.”