It’s Thursday, February 1.

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Good morning, readers. 

Hundreds of Durham Public Schools educators and staff called out of work for a “sick out” yesterday to protest an error that led to more than 1,300 classified staff being informed earlier this month that they won’t continue to receive raises they had been promised.

Durham Public Schools announced Tuesday evening that it was closing several schools across the district in anticipation of having too few teachers and staff.

At 10 a.m. workers and their supporters gathered at the district’s Staff Development Center on Hillandale Road to rally, make signs, and coordinate more formal plans for an afternoon protest organized by the Durham Association of Educators that took place at the district’s Central Office on Cleveland Street downtown. 

At the later event, supporters, who included students and their families, held signs indicating the name of their schools and expressing their dismay about the pay situation. “WTF….Where’s the Funds?” read one sign. “Did you let ChatGPT write the budget?” questioned another. 

The group filled the entire city block by 3 p.m.

Khalilah Karim is a DPS parent who ran for Durham City Council last fall. She brought her children to the afternoon protest.

“People don’t strike for no reason. That’s usually your last step,” Karim says. “I’m just a parent. I don’t know all the things [the workers] are missing, all the stuff that they need. But I know that my kids love school and when they don’t get to go, it’s disruptive. And I know this disruption is to make sure she continues to have the good learning environment that she has by going to Durham Public Schools.”  

The district has scheduled a meeting this Friday at 2 p.m. to discuss the situation further. 

Have a good Thursday.

—Jane

Editor’s note: Earlier this month, The Assembly reporter Tim Funk wrote about Mark Harris, the Baptist minister and politician who stepped aside in 2019 after ballot fraud tainted his congressional race. Harris now says the seat was stolen from him—and he wants it back.

Join our partners at The Assembly this Friday for a virtual discussion about the story with Funk and contributing editor John Drescher. You will have the opportunity to hear about the reporting and writing process, and ask your own questions about the story.

Who: Reporter Tim Funk, in conversation with contributing editor John Drescher

What: Live discussion and Q&A

When: Friday, Feb. 2, 1-2 p.m.

Where: Virtual; register here

Hope to see you there!

Durham

WUNC looked back at DPS school board meetings to try to understand how the payment error happened. While the board intended to pass raises for classified staff last year following the recommendations of a pay study, it never formally approved the raises, and the district never included the raises in its budget.


The City of Durham sued the Durham Housing Authority twice last year over alleged disability-based discrimination.

Wake

The family of the Raleigh police officer, Gabe Torres, who was killed in the mass shooting in the Hedingham neighborhood in 2022 will receive additional benefits.

Orange

Graduate students at UNC are calling for more action from the university to address mental health.

North Carolina

Despite numerous scandals, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is expected to win the Republican nomination for governor. 

Year-end fundraising numbers for candidates running for office this year were released.

Today’s weather

Sunny with a high of 58 degrees.

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