COLUMBIA, S.C. — The biggest thing the teachers participating in the rally say they want is more funding to help with issues they face every day, like mental health and overcrowding classroom sizes. Many educators are hoping the rally at the state house Wednesday will make an impact for students all over the state.
"it is important to take this one day. And this one day might become so important later on for all the future days," said Lexington County Teacher Katie Johns.
Teachers are using the hashtag #AllOutMay1. They say it is a movement for educators who are not happy with the legislative process.
"Our representatives are asking for our input, but I don't necessarily think they are taking our input that we give them and making decisions based on that input," Johns said.
SC for ED board member and teacher Paige Steele and fellow educator Katie Johns are pushing for an impact that will help both present and future students. They are mainly pushing for more funding.
"The state needs to fully fund education right now," Steele said. "We are $533 per student short of what the EFA law requires, and that, for our district, looks something like between $14 and $15 million that our district could be using to put into the classrooms."
Both teachers are hopeful that funding could be used to address mental health issues and over crowded classroom sizes.
"It's probably our biggest need as far as what is going to impact students the most," Steele said. "That's not something as a teacher that I can do. I'm there for my kids as much as I can be, but I'm just not licensed to help them in the ways that they need help."
Steele and Johns will attend the rally not just for themselves, but for all the educators and students that can't be there.
"The biggest outcome we are hoping for is commitment from the legislature to really listen to teachers, to let us come to the table to draft the legislation and reform bills so that we can really make sure it's going to impact students and schools in a positive light," Steele said.
Meanwhile, Steele said this is not a walkout, but a planned use of their freedom of speech.
"Teachers are taking personal days that they've earned, schools are doing the best they can to plan around that and that are biggest hope and all we can really ask for is to say we want to use our first amendment rights and speak up for our students," Steele said.