SALISBURY — Rowan County residents were among thousands of protesters who gathered for the last Moral Monday protest held in Raleigh.
Ron Turbyfill, of Landis, attended the rally last week with his wife, Kim. They both have had 30-year careers in education.
“We’re both really concerned and upset about what the legislature has done,” he said.
Turbyfill retired in 2008 as the principal of Hanford Dole Elementary School. He has returned to work since then, including as an exceptional children’s teacher in the Cabarrus County School System last year.
His wife, Kim, retired from North Rowan Middle School as a media specialist.
“It’s really a career Kim and I loved so much,” Turbyfill said. “Every teacher puts their heart and soul into it. … But the very foundational benefits of being a teacher are being stripped away.”
His concerns echo those of many who have spoken out against the Republican-led General Assembly and Gov. Pat McCrory.
The budget, which the governor signed, includes no raises for teachers or any state employees. It stops pay increases for teachers who earn master’s degrees