Throughout the week, WHQR has been monitoring how the situation would play out in New Hanover County Schools; other public media stations around the state have also been following local school districts.
On Friday, November 7, 213 educators in New Hanover County Schools had planned to be out, and on Monday, November 11, 196 had. The district has approximately 2,000 educators teaching in its 45 schools. According to district spokesperson Anita Baggie, the substitute teacher fill rate earlier in the week was 82% (Friday) and on Monday, it was 79%. The fill rate is the percentage of absent teachers whose positions have been covered by a substitute; a lower rate means more unfilled positions and a more significant impact on the district.
Fast forward to the first day of the proposed ‘call out’, NHCS superintendent Dr. Christopher Barnes said they are at a 76% sub fill rate, which he said is typical for most Fridays. For example, the average for Fridays in October was a 72% fill rate.
Barnes added that by midweek, “a good number of teachers” cancelled taking their personal days for Friday and Monday. That’s likely due to the rules on taking personal leave. Baggie said that teachers must put in for personal leave at least five days in advance, and that they are unable to take that leave if it falls before a district holiday. Students and staff have Tuesday, November 11, off for Veterans’ Day. She also added that if the substitute teacher fill rate is below a specific rate, they can also deny that type of leave. It’s also a coveted form of time off, as educators only earn 1-2 days of personal leave per year.
If educators call out ‘sick,’ schools often take them at their word but can ask for documentation of a doctor’s visit.
Barnes said he and Central Office staff will be in schools on Friday to ensure they have enough staff to run the buildings.
Mid-week, NHCS did send out messaging through their substitute system, Frontline/Aesop, that they were seeing “an unusually high number of unfiled positions” for Friday and Monday, and that meant “we have many classrooms across the county in need of your support. [...] By picking up a job early, you’ll help us ensure that all schools and students are supported.”
The North Carolina Association of Educators, a teacher union, did not issue an official statement on the proposed ‘call out’ for Friday and Monday, and a spokesperson for the group said it was not responsible for the post. Another union, the American Federation of Professional Educators in NC, also didn’t release official messaging for the planned days either.
Jacqui Dalessio, President of the New Hanover County Association of Educators, sent an email out to its members acknowledging that NCAE and its chapters didn’t create the anonymous post, writing that, “merely calling out of work will not produce the same amount of momentum as an organized public facing action,” adding that it takes “careful, strategic, and nuanced planning.”
She then encouraged local educators to “continue the conversations that this sick out has started in your buildings, embrace this moment to bring to build teams at your work site, and most important talk to your building leader about the importance of joining NHCAE in order to begin the planning here for wins right here in New Hanover County.”
Related: Teachers union discourages walkouts after viral post calling for protests (WFAE in Charlotte)
Related: Viral post encourages NC teachers to call out of work these 2 days. What we know (Raleigh News and Observer)
