The State Board of Education met in Raleigh on Wednesday for the first time since lawmakers announced plans for an average 8% raise in teacher pay. But board members expressed skepticism about whether the proposed increase would make a meaningful difference for teachers.
During a legislative update, board members noted the increase would come after teachers have gone a full year without raises. Board member Alan Duncan said rising living costs and higher health care expenses for state employees have been eating into teacher pay.
“This doesn’t really repair all of that,” Duncan said. “It’s a nice figure to put out there, but when you put it into this full context, teachers are not ahead at the end of the day.”
Board member Catty Moore also pointed out that while the average raise for teachers would be around 8%, reports suggest veteran teachers would see smaller raises than early-career educators. She said those veteran teachers would still not receive new step increases between 15 and 25 years of experience, a longstanding complaint from educators.
Moore also noted that proposed limits on local property tax increases could hinder counties that want to address pay gaps through local supplements.
"There is more behind how you look at the raises when you look at what it actually looks like in implementation,” Moore said.
