Durham Association of Educators (DAE) is a local affiliate of the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) and the National Education Association (NEA), the largest public school workers’ union in the country. We are a member-led organization of educators and allies, committed to leading the fight to defend and transform public schools so that every young person can achieve their full potential and live happy and healthy lives. We believe that educators, in collaboration with parents, students, and community allies, have the knowledge, skills, and power to build the schools and communities that ALL Durham residents deserve.
What do we do?
DAE is committed to developing worker leadership within Durham Public Schools, organizing our school buildings and communities, and winning the schools that our students, parents, and educators deserve.
Organizing & Wins from the ’24/25 School Year
Helped defeat billionaire-backed, anti-public school privatizers with 360 canvassing shifts filled and over 2,500 votes confirmed for pro-public school candidates (Allison Riggs, Mo Green, and Josh Stein)
Delivered a petition signed by a majority of bus drivers and bus monitors with demands to solve the transportation crisis that led to improved routes and a new bus driver supplement
Held over 40 platform development sessions across the district to develop our first ever Meet & Confer platform with workers’ top priority improvements for DPS
Called our first ever public negotiation meetings with the Superintendent and all 7 Board of Education members where hundreds watched our elected Meet & Confer team propose 9 urgent solutions to DPS’s top issues. These meetings resulted in:
- A bus driver monthly supplement increase, increased bus driver sub pay, and a certified supplement increase were included in the budget request for this upcoming year
- Social workers were granted Master’s Pay for this year and back pay from last year when they were excluded
- DPS admin emailed contracts to all certified staff
- Superintendent agreed to our No Collaboration with ICE demands
Won the first ever Meet & Confer policy in NC public school history which will give workers a seat at the table in district decision-making from now on!
- DPS admin’s version of Meet & Confer: 4 meetings per year; handpicked workers on bosses’ side of the table; pay as the only meeting topic allowed for discussion; requirement to submit our membership list to Dr. Lewis to certify
- The policy we ultimately won: 7 meetings per year; only supervisors and directors on bosses’ side of the table; meeting topics include pay, working conditions, and student learning conditions; neutral 3rd party certification process
- Public Meet & Confer negotiation sessions between our elected Meet & Confer team and DPS Admin begin on October 16th (from 6-8pm at the Staff Development Center, 2107 Hillandale Rd.)
Led the founding of a new labor and community coalition called Durham Rising to build working class power across Durham to demand that Duke start paying its fair share to our community
Durham Association of Educators 