by Val Young
President of the Forsyth County Association of Educators
FCAE at the Educator Rally for Justice
The Forsyth County Association of Educators (FCAE) is part of a three-tier labor organization that is working to change the perception of our association from being an organization for teachers to being an organization that is inclusive of all who make this school district work. It is important to us that we hear the voices that help our school system move forward. Because we are an advocacy group that endeavors to do good works in our community, FCAE wants to make sure that our name/organization is held in high regard by the community. To this end, we engage our members in social justice/equity issues, community service projects, and systems change. We are represented on many committees that help voice our opinions on how our school system moves forward. FCAE joins like-minded advocate groups that want to be change agents. We need to be a driving force to change the face of education for our students and families of Forsyth County.
Our History and Key Facts
The Forsyth Carolina Association of Educators is the local affiliate of a three-tiered system with NEA being our National organization and NCAE being our state organization.
- The North Carolina Education Association was organized in 1857 and the North Carolina Teachers Association was organized in 1880.
- The North Carolina Association of Educators was formed on July 1, 1970, by the merger of the North Carolina Education Association and the North Carolina Teachers Association.
- NCAE is the state’s largest education advocacy organization for public school employees and represents active, retired, and student members.
- FCAE is a local affiliate of the largest professional employee organization in the nation.
- FCAE is an all-inclusive Association with any categories of professional school personnel eligible for membership.
Our Association will not shy away from doing good works in our community. It means having an Educator rally for justice to shine a light on injustice like the death of George Floyd. We needed our students to know that we will stand up against injustice.
FCAE advocates towards issues important to our most precious ones — our students. The issue of opening schools during the beginning of the pandemic was something we were not prepared to do if we could not enter schools safely.
There are times when we have a call to action that calls for us to gather at the school board meeting and voice our concerns about important issues. Joining with district leadership to talk about classified compensation to the bus driver shortage and a major problem with the increase in supplement pay as promised. We are always ready to advocate for our members.
FCAE knows that all our good works can not just be in the schools: they must flow into our communities. We have fed the homeless, collected 300 boxes of cereal, and collected 1,333 pounds of food for the Second Harvest Food Bank.
In everything we do, we are working to make sure our community is a better place because of the work of FCAE. Aligning ourselves with The Forsyth Promise, Action4Equity, Nourishing Forsyth, Forsyth County Educator Partnership, Winston-Salem Foundation, WS/FCS, NCRSP, and so many other groups helps us grow as a community advocacy organization that makes a difference in the lives of every family and student in our community.
For more information or to get involved with FCAE, visit their website.
Photographs provided by Val Young of FCAE events, including attendance at the Board of Education meeting, community action events, rallies, and conferences.