NCAE calls school closures for protest a ‘powerful choice’ drawing online backlash
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- NCAE posted on Facebook highlighting districts closing for the May 1 protest.
- At least 20 North Carolina school districts will close on May 1 due to the teacher rally.
- Social media reaction was largely positive on Facebook and more negative on X.
School districts across North Carolina are closing on Friday due to the teacher protest in Raleigh, but some don’t support the decision to cancel classes.
A Facebook post from the North Carolina Association of Educators promoting how some school districts are closing due to the May 1 protest has gone viral. As of early Wednesday afternoon, the post had drawn more than 1,200 shares, 2,400 likes and 500 comments on Facebook, as well as reaction on X.
“Nearly 20 school districts across the state have made the powerful choice to support their workers,” NCAE, which is organizing Friday’s protest, said in the Tuesday Facebook post. “It’s a strong reminder of what’s possible when we unite in support of our colleagues and students!”
As of Thursday, at least 20 of North Carolina’s 115 school districts changed their schedules to close on May 1 due to the teacher rally. NCAE encouraged school employees to request May 1 off, putting some districts in a position where they said they didn’t have enough subs to fill in for absent workers.
The teachers will march for issues such as higher teacher pay and more public school funding.
School closings praised as supporting teachers
The response to the NCAE post was largely positive on Facebook.
“Every district needs to participate in order to make the message more clearer,” Tom McCaffrey, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg parent, said in a Facebook comment. “I’m thankful mine is one of the ones that support the teachers.”
The state’s five largest school districts are all closing May 1 due to the teacher rally This includes Wake County, which announced Thursday that it will switch year-round schools, modified-calendar schools and early colleges to remote learning. Wake’s traditional-calendar schools already had a previously scheduled teacher workday for Friday.
Before the announcement, teachers at Wake’s non-traditional calendar schools had urged the district to not make them report to school Friday so they could join the march.
“Get with the program Wake County Public School System!” Shannon Wymer, a Wake County year-round teacher, said in a Facebook comment. “You have more calendars than just traditional.”
Several school systems announced this week that they’re closing on Friday, and more could still come.
“They are closing faster than we can update the map!” NCAE said in a Facebook comment
Critics call May 1 protest a ‘stunt’
The reaction to the NCAE Facebook post and the school closures in general was more negative on X. The school closures became a trending topic on the social media platform previously called Twitter.
“The @NCAE is bragging about how many school districts they’ve closed down,” Andrew Dunn, publisher of the Longleaf Politics newsletter, said in a post on X. “That’s exactly how you know their strike is about power, not students.”
Democratic elected officials have largely said they understand why teachers are protesting at a time when the state ranks 46th in the nation in both average teacher pay and spending per-pupil. But the rally has largely been criticized by Republicans.
“It’s not just students — parents across North Carolina will bear the burden of the NCAE’s latest stunt this Friday,” the North Carolina Republican Party said in a post on X.
This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 4:52 PM with the headline "NCAE calls school closures for protest a ‘powerful choice’ drawing online backlash."
