Neighborhood Schools are in Trouble
Strong neighborhood public schools are essential and fuel well-functioning communities and society:
- Children who attend high-quality preschool programs are 50% less likely to need special education services later. (National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER))
- Every $1 invested in public education returns $2.50 in economic growth through increased productivity and reduced public costs. (Economic Policy Institute)
- Adults with more years of education are less likely to suffer from chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC))
- Approximately 68% of state prison inmates did not receive a high school diploma, suggesting a strong correlation between lack of education and higher incarceration rates. en.wikipedia.org
The North Carolina Constitution guarantees the right to a basic education for all children:
Article I, Section 15:
- The people have the right to an education, and the state is responsible for protecting and maintaining that right.
Article IX, Section 2:
- The state provides a free, uniform system of public schools open to all students and offer equal opportunities.
North Carolina is losing K-12 teachers to neighboring states.
NC LOST 10,000 TEACHERS IN 2023. THE HIGHEST LOSS IN TWO DECADES!
While many areas of public education need funding improvements, teacher pay is most urgent. NC is hemorrhaging teachers with a ten-year 51 percent decrease in teacher preparation program enrollment, leading to less certified teachers in the classroom across the state.
Facing NC's Educational Failures
These are shameful, embarrassing and unacceptable realities.
NC's INVESTMENT IN K-12 EDUCATION RANKS 49th IN THE US!
NC now ranks 49th out of 50 states in percentage of state GDP invested in K-12 public education. This is a minor improvement over our previous ranking of dead last at 50 out of 50!
NC AVERAGE TEACHER PAY Fell to 43rd in 2024!
NC’s rank for average teacher pay in the country is moving in the wrong direction and from 36th in 2022 to 38th in 2023. It is projected to fall further to 43rd for 2024!
NC STARTING TEACHER PAY RANKS AT THE BOTTOM IN THE SOUTHEAST
Starting teacher pay is below that of South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama — and even Arkansas. NC loses teachers to neighboring states at an alarming rate.
5,000 NC TEACHERS SHORT IN 2022
Starting the 2022 school year short 5,000 teachers means that more than 75,000 students started school either without a teacher, or existing teachers started with larger than the recommended class size to accomodate them.
3,000 NC TEACHERS SHORT IN 2023
The 2023 school year started with less teacher shortages only because schools hired more uncertified teachers.
Legislators allocated more than $750 million in taxpayer money for people to use on private school vouchers.
- 91% of private schools receiving this tax money are religious schools.
- Only 2% of recipients require that teachers be certified.
- Only 8.5% of recipients report student outcomes.
- Most families who would receive taxpayer dollars to attend private schools made over $115,400, with 18% making over $259,000, per year.
- Follow this link to learn more. https://www.publicedworks.org/voucher-series/
The NC House budget shows promise for teacher pay
A budget advanced by the NC House would take steps to significantly raise teacher pay in the state:
•Public school teachers would see an average raise of 8.7% over the next two years.
•Including step increases, raises would range from as much as 17.7% over two years for beginning teachers to 6.4% over two years for teachers with 10 years of experience to 2.1% over two years for teachers with more than 25 years’ experience.
•It would increase the state’s base pay for starting teachers from $41,000 to $48,000 in 2025-26 and $50,000 in 2026-27.
What NC teachers say
We can do better
NORTH CAROLINA CAN AFFORD TO DO BETTER as we have the resources. We are the #1 state for business, but #49 out of 50 states in percentage of GDP invested in K-12 education. That is simply unacceptable. Legislators fund vouchers for private schools with tax dollars that could otherwise go to public schools.
There is huge support for paying teachers better
Our recent poll revealed that when informed that K-12 public school teachers make 26% less on average than comparable college-educated workers, 82% of NC voters say teachers should be paid closer to what comparably educated workers make, compared with 12% who disagree.
How much more?
78% of NC voters say K-12 public school teachers should be paid more than the 3% raise they’re currently scheduled to receive for 2024-25. Some 20% said teachers should receive a 5% raise, 22% said they deserve an 8% raise, and 36% said they deserve a 10% raise. Just 4% said teachers deserve no raise.
You can make a difference
- Make a tax-deductible contribution to keep this campaign going so North Carolinians learn the facts.
- Find out where your legislator stands on paying NC teachers the professional wage they deserve, funding our schools and keeping tax payer money out of vouchers for millionaires.
- Vote for those who support public schools
Do it for our children. Their future matters.