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Union County teacher urges 'Kids Over Corporations' campaign at school board meeting
Summary
Pamela Carlton, a Union County teacher and president of the local educators association, used public comment time to promote a statewide NCAE campaign — "Kids Over Corporations" — and criticized state tax and voucher policies, urging restored funding for public schools.
Pamela Carlton, a teacher and president of the Union County Association of Educators, addressed the Union County Board of Education during public comment to promote a new North Carolina Association of Educators campaign she said is aimed at reversing long-term cuts to public school funding. "Our new statewide campaign is called Kids Over Corporations," she said, calling for greater public investment in schools and an end to private-school vouchers that she described as diverting funds from public classrooms.
Carlton summarized several broad claims about state policy and funding, saying that "$18 billion have been lost in revenue every year since 2013" from tax cuts, that the North Carolina corporate tax rate is scheduled to fall to zero by 2030, and that "over $1 billion has been taken from public schools to fund private schools and vouchers." She framed the campaign's goals as securing higher per-student funding, smaller classes, better pay and healthcare for educators, and restoration of collective-bargaining rights for public school workers.
The board's public comment rules and process were read aloud before speakers; board members did not respond to public comments during the meeting other than to ask for clarifications if requested. Carlton distributed a petition and a QR code for further information during her remarks.
Context: Carlton positioned the campaign as part of a statewide push by the NCAE to change tax and education policy at the General Assembly. Her remarks were delivered during the board's allotted public comment period; the board did not take formal action on the matters she raised during this meeting.
What was said verbatim: "So our new statewide campaign is called Kids Over Corporations," Carlton told the board. "We want to win funding for our children that they deserved. We need the billions that they have taken to put back into our public schools. $20,000 per student funding, that's what we're working for." The transcript records additional factual claims by Carlton about revenue, per-student funding and voucher spending; the board did not verify or endorse those figures in the meeting.
Next steps: Carlton encouraged participation in the campaign and circulation of a petition. The board's agenda did not include any follow-up vote or referral connected to the public comment.
