Frustrated and tired teachers aren’t holding back on their needs for better pay. Earlier this month, hundreds of teachers called out of work to hold protests across North Carolina in support of better teacher pay. They also called out the lack of a state budget, which has stymied potential raises for state employees like educators.
Multiple rankings regularly place North Carolina near the bottom of the country for teacher pay. The National Education Association ranks North Carolina 43rd in the nation, with an average teacher salary of $58,292, and 39th for starting teacher salary, at $42,542.
Another recent report from the libertarian Reason Foundation ranked North Carolina 40th for teacher pay when accounting for inflation, and found that teachers’ inflation-adjusted salaries had effectively decreased by more than 20% between 2002 and 2022 — the third largest decline in the country.
On the next Charlotte Talks, we look at why it’s been such an uphill battle for educators to get paid what they deserve and what’s at stake if they don’t.
GUESTS:
Lynn Edmonds, outreach director for Public Schools First NC
James Farrell, education reporter for WFAE
Amy Tice, organizer with NC Teachers in Action
