High Point educators picket before school protesting state budget impasse

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA ADVISORY: High Point educators picket before school protesting state budget impasse

Guilford County Schools educators lead picket line before school urging legislators to begin budget negotiations

High Point — Educators from High Point Central High and Ferndale Middle Schools in Guilford County will hold a picket line on the public sidewalk a half hour before school on Wednesday urging the NC General Assembly to begin budget negotiations. Twice in the last month the NC Senate has either adjourned or cancelled voting sessions after public school educators scheduled “days of action” at the NC Legislative Building.

Last Wednesday, Guilford educators got significant push back from local Republican school board members who called 11 planned public education pep rallies “partisan.” The events, referred to as “walk-ins,” were intended to call attention to the fact that NC public schools still do not have a budget for the school year, a process that is normally done by July.

“Our state representatives expect us to do our jobs, we expect them to do theirs. The NC General Assembly needs to negotiate a budget that addresses fundamental human needs like education and healthcare” said Robbie Bean, social studies teacher at High Point Central. “The only people making education and healthcare partisan issues are politicians. We will be outside of our school before work to stand strong for our students, staff, and the schools we all deserve.”

Who: High Point Central and Ferndale Middle School employees

What: Picket line prior to school regarding the state budget impasse

When: Wednesday, Oct 2nd, 2019, 7:40- 8:10 am

Where: Public sidewalk connecting the two schools, 801 Ferndale Blvd, High Point, NC 27262

Adjusted for inflation and enrollment, public school funding in North Carolina is still less than it was a decade ago, and funding for classroom materials is still 42% below what it was 10 years ago. But the current Republican budget hands out an additional $800 million in corporate tax cuts, on top of the $3.6 billion lawmakers have already handed out since 2013.

“Even South Carolina spends 21% more per student than our state,” said High Point Central history teacher, Bruce Blackwell. “North Carolina could be a nationwide leader in public education, but the politicians in Raleigh are forcing a permanent recession onto our schools just so they can give yet another tax cut to the top 1%.”