Not surprisingly, commentary on the teacher rally focused on teacher pay – and teacher politics. Namely, will the red tide that swamped the Legislative Building Wednesday swamp the Republicans in November and sweep in the Democrats?

Both parties were ready. The Republicans covered their windows with selective numbers on their teacher pay record. They rolled out their rhetoric about unions and union thugs. Governor Cooper and Democrats said it’s about priorities: Should corporations and the wealthy get more tax cuts, or should teachers and schools get more money?

The most striking thing about Wednesday, though, was the marchers’ real message. It was much more than teacher salaries. It was a “March for Students and Rally for Respect.”

Students. Respect. Not just pay.

The marchers made clear in their signs, interviews and conversations that they are deeply and sincerely concerned not just about their own financial situations, dire as they may be, but also about what’s happening to their students today and what will happen when they leave school.

Classrooms that wilt in 85-degree heat. Trailers crowded with classes of 35 middle-schoolers. High turnover in support staff. Not enough nurses, safety officers, counselors and janitors. Administrators who are overwhelmed, undertrained and oblivious. And politicians who don’t get it.

Today, the teachers returned to their classrooms. Still lingering in Raleigh are vital questions: Who will listen to, not just talk at, teachers? Who will truly respect teachers? And who will see to it that teachers, who know the most about schools, have a real voice in what happens in schools?