Lessons Learned: Why don’t we invest in our children?
RALEIGH (August 14, 2025) – As students head back to the classroom, we’re diving deeper into the struggles educators are dealing with in our state.
Over the next several weeks, we will publish a series of articles to address how legislative actions – and inaction – in North Carolina over the past few decades have contributed to harm in our public schools.
Lessons Learned: NC teacher pay falls to bottom of rankings
RALEIGH (August 20, 2025) – It’s no secret that pay is a concern for North Carolina teachers – the latest report from the National Education Association ranks the state 43rd in the U.S. for average teacher salaries.
It hasn’t always been this way. Based on a table from the American Federation of Teachers, 25 years ago the average teacher salary in 1999-2000 in North Carolina was $39,404, which ranked 22nd in the nation.