Several Triad Schools Will Close For May Teacher Rally

Many students in the Triad will have a day off on May 1st. That's the date of a planned educator's rally in North Carolina's capital city. 

There's been an overwhelming demand by teachers to close schools so they may attend the gathering in Raleigh.

So far six school districts have opted to make May 1st an optional workday. In the Piedmont Triad, those include Guilford County, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, and Lexington City schools.

The Winston-Salem Journal reports that teachers have outlined a number of major requests they want to present to the General Assembly. Chief among them are a $15 minimum wage for all school personnel and a 5 percent raise for teachers and administrators. They would also like to see state retiree health benefits restored, an expansion of Medicaid, and the implementation of national standards for social workers, counselors, and nurses.

Thousands of teachers attended a rally in Raleigh last May to demand better wages and funding for public school classrooms.