"It's A New Morning For Education in North Carolina" | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Press Release:

Governor McCrory, Lt. Governor Forest, Senate Pro Tem Berger, and Speaker Tillis announce teacher pay increases in North Carolina.

    Raleigh, NC  -  Today, Lt. Governor Dan Forest joined Governor Pat McCrory, Senate Pro Tem Phil Berger, and Speaker of the House Thom Tillis in Jamestown, North Carolina for a major announcement on education. Standing together, the four leaders made their first announcement on their intentions to raise the starting salary for entry-level teachers in North Carolina.

    "It's a new morning for education in North Carolina. One that brings together the top leaders of our state to address one of the most pressing issues we face, teacher pay," said Lt. Governor Dan Forest. This new plan, unveiled to teachers and students at Ragsdale High School, will increase starting teacher pay by $2,200 this year and by an additional $2,000 the following year. Funding for the proposed raises will come from additional and available revenues and will not require a tax increase. These two raises combined equal an almost 14% increase in starting pay for entry level teacher in North Carolina.

    Governor McCrory, Lt. Governor Dan Forest, Senate Pro Tem Berger, and Speaker Tillis were clear in stating that raising teacher pay is an important first step for education reform in North Carolina. There is much more to come.

    At the press conference, Lt. Governor Dan Forest stated, "Regardless of political affiliation, we all strive to provide the best education in the world to students right here in North Carolina. Why would we dream of less? Why would we stop short of that goal?" And this unified strategy in increasing the starting pay for entry level teachers by almost 14% is the first significant step towards achieving that stated goal. With additional increases in revenue, and as the costs of the Medicaid entitlement become clearer, state leaders intend to announce pay increases for more teachers and state employees.

    Audio Clip: https://soundcloud.com/danforestnc/starting-teacher-pay-increase/s-Hoic9

    For more information contact: Kami Mueller at (919) 733-7350, or by email at kami.mueller@nc.gov.

    Contact:

    Kami Mueller
     Director of Communications, Lt. Governor of North Carolina, Dan Forest

    P: (919) 508-0109 •  C: (765) 215-1334  •  kami.mueller@nc.gov  •  kami.mueller@me.com