A critical time for public education
Published July 27, 2023
By Eric Davis
Editor's note: This was initially published in Higher Ed Works.
With the state budget for the next two years still unsettled, the Chair of the State Board of Education says it’s a critical time to tell legislators to support public education.
“A budget really speaks to our values,” State Board Chair Eric Davis says in the accompanying video.
NC House Speaker Tim Moore said last week that budget negotiators had agreed on pay raises for teachers and state employees.
At a time when average teacher pay in North Carolina ranks 34th in the nation and starting pay for teachers ranks 46th, Gov. Roy Cooper proposed an 18% raise for K-12 teachers over two years.1 The state House proposed teacher raises of 10% over two years.2 And the state Senate proposed raises of 4.5% over two years.3
Moore did not disclose the size of the raises, but he said House budget writers were “very pleased” with the agreement.4
SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION, though, goes well beyond salaries.
“So if you value your child, and you value public education and you value that teacher, I encourage you to contact your legislator,” Davis says. “Tell them about your child. Tell them about your teacher. Tell them how proud you are about your school.
“And encourage them to appropriately fund our schools in this year’s budget.”
1 https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article272994945.html.
2 https://www.higheredworks.org/2023/03/house-budget-raises-for-teachers-but-we-can-do-better/.
3 https://www.higheredworks.org/2023/05/senate-budget-simply-not-enough/.
4 https://www.wral.com/story/nc-lawmakers-agree-on-state-worker-pay-edge-closer-to-budget-deal-as-session-drags-on/20964316/.
