Guilford County Association of Educators

07/09/2026

Josh Stein signed the state budget today, after more than two full years without one. Many teachers and staff will finally see their first raise since the 2024-25 school year, but it's not nearly enough.

07/09/2026

Your Guilford delegates have made it home from the NEA Representative Assembly in Denver.

Please be sure to ask them about the business they participated in, the national level elections for union office, and the Days of Learning sessions where we heard from union siblings across the country (including a good number from here in NC!) about their powerful union work.

Delegates, feel free to add more in the comments section!

Guilford delegation:
Joanna Pendleton
Kenya Donaldson
Liz Hackney
Amy Harrison
Shana Richards
Tanisha Richards
Crystal Satterfield
Alexa Veach

06/29/2026

GCAE Statement on Guilford County Budget Approved 6.25.26

We are very disappointed with this year’s local budget process and outcome. We know that the County Commissioners’ June 25 approved budget will not meet the basic needs of our public schools. As such, we are facing reductions and cuts to staffing, equipment, facilities, and programs. Knowing that our school district was already making cuts where possible and doing more with less year after year, receiving less than a quarter of the district’s funding increase request is devastating.

We want to acknowledge that the manager’s budget proposal, presented on June 4, was adamantly supported by GCAE and many of our partners in the community. That proposal still fell short of the school district’s budget request, but it provided enough for our schools to function while keeping property owners from bearing too large a burden in taxed property value increases.

The whole budget process, including some very valuable collaboration between the Board of County Commissioners and Board of Education, was upended with SB 889 being signed into law. SB 889 put a moratorium on state-mandated property reappraisals for this year, forcing the county into a difficult position of having to raise the property tax rate in order to gain just a portion of the revenue the reappraisal would have raised. Throughout SB 889’s journey through the NC legislature, GCAE members have been in communication with legislators and the Governor to raise the alarm about the impact this bill would have on our public schools. Despite our efforts and those of other public school advocates, the bill was passed by both houses of the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Stein.

We know that the real winners here are not our local property owners, and certainly not our local elected officials. The real winners are the North Carolina General Assembly and the corporations who fund them. Legislators like John Blust, Alan Branson, and Phil Berger, all representing Guilford County, want to wrest control away from local governments for their purpose of consolidating their own power, influence, and pocketbooks.

Worst of all, the ones who lose the most are our students, and we will not stand for that. Local and state elections will continue to decide the fate of our students this November, and we must elect public school champions to every seat.

Public school workers, it’s going to take you and your coworkers coming together to build the power we need to overcome continued attacks on our public schools. The situation is urgent, and the time is now to join your union: ncae.org/join

06/12/2026

Also from FOX8 with some explanation from County Commission Chair Skip Alston (see comments to write your letter to Governor Stein):

GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — A bill that would delay the impact of recent property reappraisals in a handful of counties is headed to the governor’s desk, and supporters say it provid…

06/12/2026

Here is some more detail on SB 889 from WUNC. They note that the House passed the bill on the second reading with 72 votes, BUT there was also a third reading which only passed with 70 votes, making a veto override less likely. Don't forget to send a letter to Governor Stein! tinyurl.com/vetoSB889

https://www.wunc.org/politics/2026-06-10/nc-house-passes-property-reappraisal-delay-bill-2026

The legislation impacts nine North Carolina counties. It is part of the Republican Party's effort to curb the impact of property taxes.

06/11/2026

RED ALERT! SB 889 has made its way to Governor Stein's desk. We need him to VETO. Send a letter: tinyurl.com/vetoSB889

Background:

Many of you showed up and showed out last week at the County Commission Budget Public Hearing. The message was clear: We need tax relief AND funding for Guilford County schools and services. We asked Commissioners to adopt the manager's proposed budget, which lowers tax rates for property owners after this year's re-evaluation AND collects new revenue for schools and services.

But this week, SB 889 made its way through committees and all the way to the House floor. The bill is a moratorium on property re-evaluations for this year. It was originally set to affect 12 counties in NC, but 7 have been protected via exemptions or other legislation. Guilford is the largest county affected and has the most to lose.

SB 889, if signed into law, would decimate our local 26-27 budget. Without a revenue increase, our schools literally can't even keep the lights on. We're looking at cuts to public school staffing and programs, no raises for even our lowest paid public school workers, and cuts to county services too.

On top of all that, a one-year moratorium only provides temporary "relief" to property owners, delaying the inevitable property re-evaluation and promising an even higher tax hike when it does finally come.

This legislation, championed by John Blust and Alan Branson, is targeted, malicious, and meant to disenfranchise a specific local government that corporate-funded privatizers in the legislature see as "too liberal."

Send your letter today: tinyurl.com/vetoSB889

06/09/2026

Join your GCAE coworkers to endorse candidates for the 2026 General Election! We'll be doing a few interviews next week, and we'll have a big meeting with an endorsement recommendation and vote on June 24.

Note: Just because your favorite candidate isn't getting interviews does NOT mean we're not endorsing them! Some of our candidates who have been endorsed in the past don't need a fresh interview for the upcoming election. Reach out if you have questions.

Info here: tinyurl.com/GCAEendorsements

06/01/2026

This Thursday, the Board of County Commissioners will be hearing from our community regarding the 26-27 budget.

THE BOTTOM LINE: We need our commissioners to have the political courage to provide relief for property owners AND fund our services and schools. That means approving a budget that lowers the tax rate but not all the way to revenue neutral (no increased revenue for 26-27).

Commissioners need to hear from YOU, so come fill up the gallery with public school supporters, and sign up to give public comments if you can. We'll help you with your message!

Register: tinyurl.com/BOCC6-4-26