North Carolina teacher walkout results in modest raises

North Carolina legislators released a budget on May 28 that included a modest salary increase for teachers after a one-day teacher walkout shut down the state’s public schools on May 16. The Republican-majority Legislature’s new fiscal plan gives North Carolina teachers a 6.5 percent average pay raise. Under the new pay system, teachers with 15 to 24 years of experience will now receive a base salary of $50,000. Teachers who reach 25 years of experience will see their base salary capped at $52,000.

“While there has been some very modest movement for our most experienced educators in the General Assembly’s budget, they continue to be disrespected with raises that shortchange their commitment to our students and this state,” said Mark Jewell, the president of the North Carolina Association of Educators, a professional association. North Carolina outlaws collective bargaining in the public sector.

Jewell also blasted the state Legislature for spending “almost twice as much on a pay-for-performance bonus scheme than on serious raises for experienced educators.”

The new budget calls for bonuses of up to $2,000 a year for some teachers. Principals stand to earn up to $20,000 in performance bonuses under the plan.
The News & Observer, May 28