Public education advocates demand better state funding

CAMERON WILLIAMS | THE CHARLOTTE POST

A homemade sign at a press conference sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Charlotte-Mecklenburg May 27 in Charlotte. Public school supporters gathered to lobby North Carolina lawmakers to invest more in teacher pay and student support.

Public school supporters want more investment in teachers and students.

The League of Women Voters of Charlotte-Mecklenburg held a press conference Tuesday at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center to raise awareness and call attention to the lack of funding in state-supported schools. Gene Smith, the league’s co-chair, read the Mecklenburg County Community Resolve, a community statement on education that will be presented in Raleigh next month.

North Carolina is 49th in the country in teacher pay and schools across the state struggle with large student-to-teacher ratios. Supporters insist those factors are unsustainable for education opportunity.

“This isn’t about politics, it’s about priorities,” said Zahara Mushinge, a student at Ardrey Kell High School. “When we underfund our teachers, we tell students they don’t matter. When we underfund our schools, we gut the heart of our communities. And when Raleigh chooses silence over support, we have every right to speak even louder. We’re not just fighting for paper and pencils. We’re fighting for dignity and education. We’re fighting for teachers to be respected, and we're fighting for the future of this country. North Carolina, we can do better, and America, you must do better.”

East Mecklenburg High student Sophia DeLaJara shared an example of how she went without a math teacher for most of the first semester. As a result, she and her classmates had to join a different class just to have a teacher.

“I’m sure that there are many students like me in this situation,” DeLaJara said, “as well as students who are feeling less confident, less prepared, and overall have no more interest in math-related careers or future science. But a commonly asked question, what do you want to be when you grow up, has become more popularly asked during my junior year, and when the question of becoming a teacher comes up, the most common response we get is about their paycheck and not being paid enough. Students aren't interested in a career in teaching, in part because of a lack of pay.”

Norma Gomez-Saxon — a Charlotte-Mecklenburg educator for 27 years — said she is retiring and taking a job in South Carolina.

“I have given 27 professional years to CMS,” she said. “I am retiring. I’m going to get a job working in South Carolina where they pay for my doctorate degree, and I will have fewer students in my classroom. Losing experts and experienced teachers affects education and our students.”

In November, the General Assembly passed a mini budget that included $463.5 million for private school vouchers, while turning a blind eye to funding issues public schools face.
CMS educator Michelle Vaughn said she is frustrated by seeing good teachers walk away because they’re underpaid and underappreciated. 

“I’m tired of seeing so many qualified educators walk out of the door because they're fed up with what teaching has become,” she said. “Education is the cornerstone of a democratic society. President Franklin D Roosevelt said, ‘Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.’ This is why authoritarian regimes often seek to dismantle education infrastructures first when they come into power. While we’re not currently living under an authoritarian regime, we are slowly watching the dismantling of public education in our state.”

Kasaundra Moody, a graduation coach at Garinger High, said that when budget cuts take place, she sees it when student services bear the brunt.

“We are the second largest district in North Carolina, yet our student support services are being stretched dangerously thin,” she said. “School social workers, nurses and psychologists are often assigned to two or three campuses. Counselors who ideally should have a case of 250 students often support 300 to 500 while also covering for other critical roles when they are underfunded or unfilled. These positions are not extras. We are essential to helping students plan for their futures, build strong character, access community resources, navigate mental health challenges and increase graduation rates.”

Cliff Harrington, a member at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, urged lawmakers to obey legal requirements.

“A public-school education is mandated by both North Carolina and federal laws, so the priorities are locked in,” he said. “Let's simply follow the law. Hire more good teachers for North Carolina public schools. Pay them a salary that makes it an advantage for them to continue working in public schools.”

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