State Leaders Announce Plan To Raise Starting Teacher Pay PDF Print E-mail
Education
By Administrator   
Monday, 10 February 2014 17:08

RALEIGH, (SGRToday.com) - Public school teachers just beginning their careers in North Carolina will soon make substantially more money. On Monday, a team of state officials, led by Gov. Pat McCrory, announced a plan that raises beginning teacher base pay from $30,800 to $35,000.

 
The 14 percent hike in pay will be implemented over two years. In year one, teachers at this level will receive a $2,200 hike. In year two, they will find an additional $2,000 in their paychecks.
 
The pay increase is the first step in the leaders' commitment to improve teacher and state employee salaries, according to the governor. He was joined in the announcement by Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, Senate Leader Phil Berger, and House Speaker Thom Tillis. 
 
“There’s no greater investment we can make than in preparing our kids for the future, and there’s no question that high-quality teachers lead to better student achievement,” said McCrory, Forest, Berger and Tillis in a joint statement. “That’s why we are committed to boosting starting teacher pay to $35,000 over the next two years.”
 
“Making North Carolina a regional leader and nationally competitive will help us attract the very best talent to our schools and brand our state as a teaching destination, not a layover.”
 
The new plan was unveiled to teachers and students at Ragsdale High School, where McCrory went to school in the 1970s. Funding for the proposed raises will come from additional and available revenues and will not require a tax increase.
 
Gov. McCrory proposed a pay raise for teachers in his first budget last year, but cost overruns in Medicaid and other costs prevented the raises from being approved.
 
The four state leaders also responded to feedback from educators by announcing plans to extend supplemental pay for teachers with master’s degrees to those who have completed coursework in a graduate program as of July 1, 2013.
 
State leaders intend to announce pay increases for more teachers and state employees as the revenue outlook becomes clearer and available.
Last Updated on Monday, 10 February 2014 17:08
 
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