At the beginning of the summer, the Durham Association of Educators attended the Durham County Commissioner Budget hearing. This significant budget passing determined the funds available to Durham Public Schools in the school budget for the 2024-2025 school year.
"That is going to be historic; monumental," said DAE member Christy Patterson. "A budget this big has never been approved by Durham County."
Patterson and other DAE members have advocated for the increase by holding meetings, walk-ins, mailing hundreds of letters, and talking to parents in the carpool line. DAE members showed up to the June 10 Durham County Commissioners meeting in droves. Tension filled the air as the decision for the school year budget was passed.
"All in favor say I," said County Commissioner Heidi Carter. "I" exclaimed the audience and other county commissioners. Chair Nida Allam, passed the budget with a 4 to 1 vote.
"Thank you. Thank you," said DAE member Shamia Truitt-Martin. "Our students thank you!"
Even though their hard work had paid off, Patterson and her union peers in Durham said this local win is only the beginning.
"Like the Durham Commissioner said, this is only a one-year thing, We got to keep pushing, we cannot lose momentum. We got to keep pushing got to keep the fight," said Patterson. "We can celebrate today, but tomorrow, like they said, it's time to get back to work."
DAE members like Patterson are part of the statewide organization NCAE, the N.C. Association of Educators, the state's public school worker union. They are building a movement to advocate for more public school funding across the state.
According to an Education Law Center report, North Carolina ranks second to last in per-pupil spending out of all states. That means North Carolina spends nearly $5,000 less per student than the national average.
NCAE President Tamika Walker Kelly elaborated on the threats North Carolina public schools face.
"Public education is in our communities. They are our school. They are our students. They are our teachers that we see in the grocery store," said Kelly. "And 1.5 million students go to a public school. So why would we not want North Carolina to thrive? When the future of our class, our state sits in a classroom."
Kelly understands the importance of fully funding public education. But she says North Carolina public schools are up against some real threats.
"So it is our community investment. ... We asked stakeholders in our public schools in our communities (to) hold our legislators accountable."
NCAE Vice President Bryan Proffitt says educators aren't backing down.
"I know every teacher in this room, I know every custodian, I know every cafeteria worker in this room, TA in this room would put their body in front of a bullet for these kids. Well, the conditions in our society, especially for working-class kids, Black and brown kids, poor kids, it's a slow bullet," Proffitt said. "If we're down to put our lives on the line for a quick bullet, well there's a slow bullet. And the whole thing is aimed at our kids. And they'll kill us to get to y'all. So, let's fight."
According to Proffitt, that fight starts with building the union.
"We don't have the same kind of money as our opponents if we do things on our own. But if we got all of those people that I just named on the same side," said Proffitt. "Using our resources together, knocking on doors together, talking to our neighbors together, getting in the streets together, voting together. Wow. Now you've got something that cannot be stopped."
For the past three summers, NCAE's summer member organization program has trained teachers across the state, in an effort to recruit new members for the union.
New SMO members Christy Patterson and Mary Kathryn Hurst headed out for their very first day knocking on doors. Their motivation for why they're out here outweighed their fears.
"We don't want to show up like we're nervous. But, I think ultimately our goal is to make sure these people are supported and have a voice and like Christy was saying before like your why," Hurst said. "I'm not out here in the heat asking people that I don't know, in a county I'm not from to join this thing for nothing."
As Christy Patterson drove through Southeast Raleigh planning the next set of door-to-door stops, she refleced on her purpose behind joining the union.
"We want to remember too like, the center of all of this is our students, they're the most important. Knowing the direction that the government wants to take public education," said Patterson. "They (want to) literally eliminate the Department of Education in our federal government system. That is scary … that public education may not be here in five years. So it is an urgency."
At the end of the day, there were 657 doors knocked, 131 conversations, and 21 new union members. Patterson, Katherine, and other North Carolina educators during the summer will continue their advocating work to make North Carolina a union state.
Profitt says the future for NC's education is prosperous with the support of its students, parents, and staff. For him, it means becoming more strategic and sophisticated in the fight for public education.
