RALEIGH -- On the heels of state lawmakers approving another stop-gap spending measure, giving them about two and a half more weeks to work out a two-year budget agreement, educators visited the General Assembly in Raleigh to demand a budget before school starts.

Melinda Zarate of the NC Association of Teacher Assistants, said Thursday that the budget is 44 days late, and lawmakers' irresponsible delays are undermining public schools.

"Teachers are underpaid. Thousands of teacher assistants are threatened with pink slips We don't have enough supplies, we don't have enough text books. School administrators are sounding the alarm. We need a state budget."

Zarate said many districts have already started firing Teacher Assistants in anticipation of massive layoffs after state lawmakers proposed the elimination of 8,500 teaching assistant positions.