12 Durham Public Schools closed Wednesday after educators ‘call out’ for protests

DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — Amid concerns over pay and recent problems with staffing bus routes for Durham Public Schools, a dozen Durham schools were closed Wednesday January 1st, 2024, because teachers called out and turned their efforts to protesting.

The Durham Association of Educators announced on Facebook Tuesday afternoon that workers from 11 schools had called out on Wednesday to attend protests by the Durham Association of Educators.

Call-outs from Kindergarten to High School

The schools targeted Wednesday includes a kindergarten, five elementary schools, one middle school and four high schools, according to the association.

At 8:49 p.m. Tuesday, officials for the Durham Public Schools responded with a news release about the absences, saying they were monitoring the staff levels.

At 9:27 p.m., officials with Durham Public Schools announced they would close all 11 schools Wednesday “due to staffing challenges.”

The schools impacted by educators Wednesday are: The Whitted School (kindergarten), Forest View Elementary, Lakewood Elementary, Lyons Farm Elementary, Spring Valley Elementary, YE Smith Elementary, Githens Middle School, Lucas Middle School, Hillside High School, Jordan High School, Northern High School and Riverside High School, according to the Durham Association of Educators.

“We are also still waiting for the district’s commitment not to roll back compensation that was promised in October. In response, educators from 11 schools have called out from work on Wednesday to attend a DAE protest,” the group announced Tuesday afternoon.

Protest messages and demands from educators

A morning protest began around 10 a.m. at the Durham Public Schools Staff Development Center at 2107 Hillandale Road.

“We are out here fighting for our kids,” Symone Kiddoo, the President of the Durham Association of Educators, said.

The day of protest stems from a pay dispute between classified staff and the district after the district said some employees could keep money after they were overpaid, but employees said they were promised that money in the first place.

The district also decided to allow them to make the same salary for January. But there’s no word on if that will continue.

“It’s been an incredibly stressful time for all classified staff,” Anna Benfield, an occupational therapist with the district, said.

Classified staff at the protest said they want to be treated like they matter.

“Our support staff are the backbone, our cafeteria workers, our custodial staff, are part of what make our buildings run, it makes it possible to educate our students,” Benfield said.

“We have seen that people have felt like they haven’t been heard, like their voice didn’t matter to district administration when decisions are being made, and we want there to be a formal process where we as workers can help make decisions,” Kiddoo said.

“What we need the district to do right now is open their books, give us a meet and confer policy so that we can make this right, now, and so we can be at the table so nothing like this can ever happen again in the future,” Benfield said.

A teacher and parent’s perspective

A DPS parent and Spanish teacher at Northern High School, Ashley Smith told CBS 17 she’s experienced many sides of the issue at hand.

“The main reason the teachers are standing up with other staff members as a day of protest is to really highlight the issue that has happened with our classified staff. And we would like to stand in unity with those classified staff members,” Smith said.

“People are really feeling frustrated because they feel they have been, I guess the best word would be lied to,” she added. “They feel like they’ve been betrayed by the district because a lot of the policies that were put in place back in the fall, which were meant to support the classified staff. They were told that those things were going to be changed just recently.”

“The message is that we all deserve fair pay,” Smith said. “We all deserve respect. We want our years of experience respected and honored by not only Durham Public Schools, but by North Carolina as well.”

What’s to come

Afternoon protests are planned at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Durham Public Schools Fuller Building at 511 Cleveland St.

As for the school’s part, Durham school officials said in a Tuesday night press release that a 3 p.m. Friday meeting will examine pay.