Governor Pat McCrory wants to make sure all teachers currently enrolled in master’s programs qualify for the ten percent automatic pay raise that, up until now, has come with the degree. State lawmakers eliminated the pay bump for advanced degrees this year. Right now teachers have to receive their masters by April 1 to qualify for the higher pay. McCrory urged the school board to help extend the cutoff date.
“I encourage you to support our efforts to re-instate master’s pay for those teachers who are currently in the program to then attain that master’s pay once they get their master’s degree,” said McCrory.
The state board of education votes Thursday on whether to extend the deadline to May, so that teachers can finish the spring semester.
McCrory also said North Carolina shouldn’t be adding new standardized tests for students. Last year, the state gave students standardized tests in several new subjects. That was part of the state’s agreement to get federal Race to the Top money. McCrory wants to ask the U.S. Department of Education for a waiver to reduce the number of tests the deal requires the state to give.
