Thousands of teachers and supporters gathered in Downtown Raleigh on Friday for the NCAE “Kids Over Corporations” May Day march demanding higher pay and increased school funding. (The video has been updated to correct the name of NCAE President Tamika Walker Kelly). By Robert Willett | Ethan Hyman| Travis Long
The North Carolina Association of Educators has the power to bring thousands of protesters to Raleigh, but a new report also says the state has one of the weakest teacher unions in the nation.
A new report this week from the Fordham Institute ranked North Carolina 48th in teacher union strength nationally out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report found that North Carolina had the second-largest drop in union membership since 2012, dropping from 49% of the state’s teachers to 21%.
The conservative think tank found that teacher union membership has dropped in 45 states and the District of Columbia since its last state-by-state look in 2012.
“Though it may sound fanciful to education reformers in Chicago, where the teacher union is as militant and powerful as ever, overall the data suggest that teacher unions are weaker than they were a decade ago,” according to the report.
NCAE, the state affiliate of the National Education Association, says it’s growing in strength. Tamika Walker Kelly, NCAE president, said the group has added 1,000 new members since its May 1 march in downtown Raleigh.
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Related: WEAC