Well that didn’t take long–after reporting earlier this week that among the state’s largest school systems, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools was holding tight and would remain open during the May 16 teachers rally in Raleigh.
But today we learn that WSFCS has buckled and will close next Wednesday:
Beverly Emory, the superintendent of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, said Wednesday that classes are canceled for May 16, the day thousands of educators from across North Carolina are expected to gather in Raleigh for the March for Students and Rally for Respect. It will be an optional work day for all employees….“Today, we have decided that based on what we believe will be the most safe environment for youngsters that we will call off school on the 16th for students,” Emory said at a news conference.
What strikes me are the comments of Ronda Mays, the president of the Forsyth County Association of Educators, who—according to the Winston-Salem Journal—-said she “was not only proud to be an educator in the school system but proud of the time and attention school officials took to look into all possible options to make sure ‘the needs of our students and our educators were being considered.’”
Really? Whatever your position on the teachers rally–pro or con—it is most certainly not a proud moment when school is cancelled because teachers are not showing up for work. Note the reader comments beneath the Journal article—all negative regarding the decision to cancel school. A small sampling indeed, but somehow I believe it represents a much larger number of citizens.
