NCAE member Taylor Evans, a six-year kindergarten teacher in Vance County, stole the show during a roundtable discussion with U.S. Congressman Don Davis last week, when she shared how the experience of the 2018 march organized by NCAE led her to join the union and return home to Vance County to teach at the same elementary school she attended as a child. After graduating college in Greensboro, she was offered a teaching position, one she almost accepted.
“Ms. Evans is ‘the billboard’ and we need an army of people like her,” said Congressman Davis, who shared his priorities for public education in Vance County as part of a visit throughout North Carolina’s First Congressional District, which he represents and which is mostly rural. He emphasized the importance of workforce development, creating apprenticeship opportunities that connect students to employment with local businesses, and a desire to expand federal investments in early childhood education. In addition, he talked about his desire to make sure every public school student has access to free and healthy meals at school, expanded PELL Grants, and identifying ways to sustain federal funding for K-12 public schools as School Rescue Funds approved during COVID begin to expire.
Congressman Davis’ office reached out to NCAE for the opportunity to meet with NCAE members in Vance County to listen and hear from them about the public education challenges they are facing in an effort to better serve them as constituents of District 1. The meeting was attended by a good mix of classroom teachers, school counselors, bus drivers, school principals and assistant principals. Dr. Michael Putney, principal of Dabney Middle School, a 44-year educator and NCAE leader, urged Congressman Davis to focus on restoring prestige and fair compensation for teachers and Education Support Professionals.
“If we don’t make the teaching profession more attractive, we won’t have teachers,” he said, sharing he believes it’s by design that certain lawmakers are trying to undermine public education.
Vance NCAE President Jameel Williams, an instructional assistant and bus driver at Zeb Vance Elementary, commented on the vacant positions across the district, including among bus drivers and school nutrition staff. And 13-year teaching veteran Sharita Jones who works at L.B. Yancey Elementary and is NCAE Region 5 director, pointed out the amazing educators Vance County has and how they don’t have the same resources as other nearby districts, like Granville and Franklin, that offer larger signing bonuses that Vance can’t afford to pay.
The educators also discussed ways to entice more people who grow up in the county to stay and build their lives there, with Congressman Davis responding, “Coming back home to serve your community can be a mission!”
Vance County Superintendent Dr. Cindy Bennett, also in attendance, described how proud she is that the county’s educators provide a great education to each child while ignoring the labels that sometimes come with being a rural, socioeconomically challenged school district. She shared some of the challenges the district faces, which include 20 vacant teacher positions, the need for increased access to childcare, and the need for increased flexibility for school districts to use certain state funds such as ESSER.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Congressman Davis commented how honored he was to represent District 1, saying, “Eastern North Carolina is counting on educators to believe they [students] can be successful as you ‘Create a Brighter Future for the East.’ Amazing work is happening here!”
