4/28/2019 May 1 Talking Points - Google Docs

Talking Points for May 1 Day of Action

The politicians in Raleigh have done almost nothing to reverse the long-term cuts to our public
schools that are making it harder and harder to give our students the quality education they
deserve. Instead of reinvesting in public education, lawmakers would rather give huge tax
breaks to millionaires and big corporations. Educators have had enough.

Last year’s march for public schools showed politicians that educators are serious about
improving public school funding -- but that was just the beginning. Lawmakers are working on
this year’s budget, but they still aren’t listening to educators. It’s time for us to return to Raleigh.

On May 1, all employees of North Carolina public schools are encouraged to take a personal
day and converge on the General Assembly to give the following five demands to state
lawmakers:

1. Provide a $15 minimum wage for all school personnel, 5% raise for all support
staff, teachers, admins, and a 5% cost of living adjustment for retirees

○ In 2018, lawmakers increased the minimum base wage of all state employees to
$15 per hour -- except for public school employees. School support staff such as
bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and teacher assistants were left out.

○ Approximately 45,000 public school employees in North Carolina are paid as little
as $12/hour to do essential tasks like transporting our children to school,
ensuring a safe and sanitary learning environment, and providing one-on-one
educational support. This is unacceptable.

○ When politicians don’t provide our employees a living wage and decent benefits,
they create unnecessary havoc in the school environments our children depend
on. To give students a high-quality education, we also need to provide the basics
-- and that means treating classified school workers with the value they deserve.

2. Reinstate state retiree health benefits eliminated by the General Assembly in 2017

○ Even as the politicians continue to cut taxes for millionaires and big corporations,
they also eliminated retirement health benefits for any new educators hired after
2020. Lawmakers clearly have the wrong priorities when it comes to investing in
our state’s future.

○ For many educators, the promise of retirement benefits is one of the few reasons
to put up with the low pay that comes with being a teacher. Lagging pay, lagging
classroom resources, and now no retirement benefits makes it even harder to
recruit and retain the best educators for our children.

○ Over the past few years, North Carolina politicians have made a number of cuts
which make it clear they do not value veteran educators. They want to keep

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salaries low by incentivizing young teachers to leave

the state or leave the profession after a few years.
This is an incredibly backwards way of thinking.

○ The experience and wisdom that comes with decades in the classroom helps
veteran educators act as mentors to their younger colleagues, helping new
educators achieve their full potential and build the learning environment our
students deserve. The politicians need to start respecting veteran teachers again.

3. Restore advanced degree compensation stripped by the General Assembly in

2013

○ Years ago, many educators chose to work in North Carolina because of the pay
increase that comes with advanced degrees such as a master’s degree.
Unfortunately, in 2013 the politicians in Raleigh went back on that promise and
eliminated advanced degree compensation.

○ Improving public education in our state means attracting the best educators we
can, and giving young people a reason to want to become teachers in the first
place. Unfortunately, more and more experienced educators are leaving our state
or leaving the profession altogether. Meanwhile, enrollment at North Carolina
colleges of education continues to drop.

○ Our state is routinely ranked one of the worst states in the country to be a
teacher, partly because of the General Assembly’s broken promise on advanced
degree compensation. Politicians need to stop treating educators like glorified
babysitters, and show educators that their experience and knowledge is valued.

4. Provide enough school librarians, psychologists, social workers, counselors,

nurses, and other health professionals to meet national standards

○ North Carolina public schools have only one psychologist for every 2,100
students. The national standard is one psychologist for every 700 students.

○ An estimated 20% of students have mental health or substance abuse issues,

and most never get treated. Increasing the number of health professionals in our
schools will make it easier to help students get the treatment they need.

○ When it comes to school safety, many politicians say we don't have a gun
problem, we have a mental health problem. But those same politicians voted to
fund only a third of the health professionals that are needed in our public schools.
If politicians are serious about addressing mental health in schools as an answer
to school safety, they must radically improve funding for mental health services.

5. Expand Medicaid to improve the health of our students and families

○ A quarter of North Carolina public school students live in poverty. If students are
unable to get the care they need to stay healthy at home, how can they be
expected to achieve their full potential in school?

○ Accepting federal funds to expand Medicaid -- at no cost to state taxpayers --

would help students from low-income families access quality health care.

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○ Health insurance premiums continue to skyrocket for

educators, forcing many to take second and third
jobs to make ends meet. Expanding Medicaid would
help keep health care costs down for all North
Carolinians, benefiting people who already have health insurance as well as
those who can’t afford it.

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