Press release from The North Carolina Association of Educator:
Educators and parents advocating for federal relief for state and local communities during the COVID-19 pandemic will hold a car caravan protest at Thom Tillis’s Hendersonville office on Saturday, August 8, at 1 pm to demand that Senator Tillis support the HEROES Act passed by the US House of Representatives.
During an unprecedented crisis that threatens to destroy state budgets, the HEROES act contains essential relief funding for state governments, including $58 billion for schools. Education advocates cite the need to shore up funding for K-12 education, as well as funding for the public assistance programs so critical to the well-being of hundreds of thousands of North Carolina children. The bill has been held up in the US Senate since May, and Senator Tillis needs to publicly support bringing the bill to a vote.
“We can approach the pandemic in two ways,” said Daniel Withrow, President of Asheville City Association of Educators. “We can open our schools and economy up as quickly as possible, hoping that COVID-19 cases won’t spiral out of control, despite the deadly results predicted by epidemiologists. Or we can keep ourselves and our communities safe, relying on the public safety net until we’ve got this crisis under control. Only one approach keeps our children and our school staff healthy. Passage of the HEROES Act is a crucial way that Senator Tillis can support North Carolina schools and our communities.”
“The most common words I’ve said lately to my family, friends, and colleagues are, ‘these are challenging times’ and ‘nothing is ideal,’” said Patricia Bricker, a parent in Haywood County. “Yet day by day we move forward doing the best we can to be healthy, to help each other, to show each other kindness and grace, and to continue on. In this manner, schools are about to reopen. My own daughter is a high school freshman. Now more than ever we must ensure that our public schools have the resources needed—PPE and cleaning supplies, sufficient technology, professional development for teachers, and support systems for students. We have to make sure that our children have consistent access to food. We need to greatly improve access to broadband internet in our rural Western NC communities. Public schools are the heart of our communities and democracy. Now is the time for Senator Tillis and his colleagues to pass the Heroes act.”
“Without question, North Carolina educators do not have what we need to safely reopen schools,” said Tamika Walker Kelly, President of the North Carolina Association of Educators. “Federal funding will be critical to keeping educators and students safe, and the HEROES Act is the way to do it. Senator Tillis says that public education is a priority for him – we are simply asking him to prove it.”
WHO: Local educators, parents, and other supporters of public education
WHAT: Local educators & parents rally to support passage of the HEROES Act
WHEN: August 8, 2020, 1 pm-2:30 pm
WHERE: Hendersonville
WHY: To demand that Senator Tillis support passage of the HEROES Act to protect North Carolina Schools and families during the COVID-19 crisis.
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