The Durham Herald Sun is reporting that the Durham School Board voted to close schools on May 16th so teachers can take the day-off and lobby legislators for better pay in Raleigh. The rally sponsored by the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE), the state-wide affiliate of the National Education Association, coincides with the beginning of the new legislative session.
So, what does this mean? If Durham Public Schools are closed, teachers don’t need to come to work. They also don’t need to take a day of personal leave to attend the rally. A sweet deal for teachers – and the NCAE, which is using the rally in part to reverse its declining membership and strengthen its position for the November elections.
And the 33,000 students in Durham Public Schools? They lose a day of instruction. Staff like bus drivers? They lose a day’s pay. Their parents? They can scramble and make other arrangements for their children.
But remember, it’s for the children.
