When a viral post calling for a statewide teacher walkout began circulating earlier this month, educators across North Carolina started asking questions: Who posted this? Is it real? and Are we actually doing this?
Teachers first spotted the call to action in a Wake County Facebook group, a detail reported by WRAL, which noted that no organizer or advocacy group claimed responsibility for the post.
Walkouts occurred in counties like Wake, Durham, and Guilford, but Cumberland County seemed mostly quiet.
While the viral walkout appeared less visible in Cumberland County, Constince Keener, a math teacher at Terry Sanford High School, said several educators here did participate—and many more were prepared to join but hesitated due to unclear communication and fear of retaliation.
‘We Were Willing to Take a Stand’
Keener and other Cumberland County School educators saw the post go viral quickly. But the biggest issue was credibility.
“We saw the post going around, and there were multiple educators who were willing to participate,” Keener said. “The question was just who put it out there. Nobody really knew the source who initiated it.”
The lack of verified leadership or a statewide organizing group left teachers uneasy.
“It could have just been anybody who posted something,” she said. “Some people were speculating—was it really going to happen or was it not? The communication wasn’t that great.”
Even so, momentum was building.
“Me, as well as some of my colleagues, we were willing to take a stand, to stick up for ourselves, to represent ourselves,” she said.
Keener said for many teachers, the walkout wasn’t just about a single issue—but the accumulation of rising insurance costs, unclear pay scales, lingering budget uncertainty, and increasing pressure placed on teachers.
“They’re talking about these increases from two to six percent, but they still haven’t even provided the scale,” she said, referring to the N.C. legislature. “Nobody even knows what these increases look like. They haven’t passed the budget, and we don’t know if we’re getting raises or not.”
Above all, she said the frustration is rooted in a feeling teachers carry daily.
“Teachers feel like we’re not being heard, we’re not being taken seriously, we’re not supported,” Keener said. “That’s why a lot of people are leaving education.”
Fear of Retaliation Kept Some Home
Keener said some teachers did participate in the walkouts—she knows them personally—but she told CityView that fear kept many others from joining.
“I think teachers were afraid of retaliation,” she said. “Especially non-tenured teachers. You’re year-to-year. They can just choose not to renew you.”
She added that a lack of a strong teacher union in North Carolina leaves educators without a clear support system when considering collective action.
“North Carolina needs a union. Not even to fight—just to help us have a voice,” she said.
‘They Took a Stand One Way or the Other’
Douglas Byrd Middle School teacher Manzell Spencer Jr. said that even though Cumberland County didn’t see the same turnout as other districts, he believes every teacher’s decision carried weight.
“Every teacher made the best decision that day, whether they decided to walk out or they decided not to walk out,” he said. “They took a stand one way or the other to show those in power where they stand as far as education is concerned.”
Spencer said one reason participation may have been lower in Cumberland County is that some teachers felt the district’s newly approved salary supplement increases signaled progress.
“People in Cumberland might be satisfied with the new supplement that the board and Dr. Bracy enacted,” he said, noting that both classified and certified staff will see increases. “They may see that as a step in the right direction and might not see the same stress that some other people are seeing in other parts of the state.”
He said he did not personally walk out but stressed that teachers shouldn’t be judged either way.
“Whether you did participate or not, it doesn’t mean you’re satisfied,” Spencer said. “It also says something on your behalf—that you are committed to your students and want to make sure you showed up for them.”
Teachers Say the Walkout Highlights a Bigger Battle Ahead
Teachers’ frustrations, Keener said, stem from three main issues: low pay, relentless pressure around testing data, and a constant shortage of classroom resources.
She described colleagues working second jobs, paying out of pocket for classroom tools, and teaching under “inaccurate” data mandates that she believes do not reflect students’ real learning.
“This job is literally killing people,” she said. “We’re stressed, we’re underpaid, and some of us are working multiple jobs just to survive.”
Spencer said long-term solutions require more than one-time financial boosts or supplements.
“We want to stay. We love teaching,” he said. “But the state needs to actually come to the table and address the real issues.”
Both teachers said that whether or not Cumberland County educators walked out this month, their message remains the same: They want to be heard, and they want meaningful change.
To contact education reporter Dasia Williams email dwilliams@cityviewnc.com.