Republicans are finally leading again on teacher pay in North Carolina | Opinion

It might be hard to believe now, but for a brief, shining moment, North Carolina was a national leader in teacher pay.

After decades of stagnation, Republicans in the General Assembly passed a series of raises that vaulted the state into the top two spots for largest teacher pay increases in the country. In the 2014, 2015, and 2016 budgets, salaries jumped year after year until North Carolina reached the middle of the pack — a major turnaround for a state that once ranked near the bottom.

Then, the politics changed.

When Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper broke the Republican supermajority in 2018, the teacher pay debate ground to a halt. Each year, he proposed larger raises than Republicans and vetoed budgets that didn’t meet his demands.

The result? Petty fights over percentage points replaced real progress, and some years, teachers got nothing at all.

Amid the stalemate, the General Assembly shifted its priorities to private schools and school choice, largely leaving teacher pay behind. But now, it looks like Republicans are leading again on public education.

A new bill from Wake County Rep. Erin Paré would raise starting teacher pay to $50,000 — up from $41,000 currently — while increasing salaries across the board. The $1.6 billion plan would put North Carolina among the most competitive states in the country for new teachers. Even Democrats admit it would be a strong move.

But will it be enough to change the conversation?

What $50K means

Just a few years ago, $50,000 was the average teacher salary in North Carolina. Making it the starting salary would be a game-changer.

Overnight, North Carolina would leapfrog states like New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut to land among the top 10 nationally in starting pay — and first in the Southeast by far.

That’s a big deal for recruitment, especially when 23% of the state’s education graduates don’t take teaching jobs in North Carolina within two years, according to a new report from the nonprofit BEST NC. Paré told me that the $50,000 figure is one that large districts like Wake and Mecklenburg have been asking for to help them bring in top teachers.

It also makes public school teaching financially competitive with other career paths. Consider:

• The average starting salary for a UNC-Chapel Hill graduate is $58,000.

• At N.C. State, humanities majors average $47,000—and English majors just $37,000.

• At 10 years post-graduation, the average salary for a UNC system graduate is $60,000, while liberal arts majors make about $47,000.

Under this plan, a teacher in a typical North Carolina school district would also make $60,000 after 10 years — right in line with other professional careers.

Breaking the cycle

For years, North Carolina’s teacher pay debate has been stuck in a loop. No matter how much salaries increase, it’s never framed as enough. The conversation focuses on percentage hikes and national rankings — but not enough on what teacher pay should actually accomplish.

The goal isn’t just spending more, it’s spending smarter. Teacher pay should be structured to:

• Attract top talent by making teaching a competitive career for high-achieving graduates.

• Keep the best teachers in North Carolina, rather than losing them to other states or professions.

• Reward excellence—not just longevity.

Democrats say they want these things, too. But their approach is often unfocused — pushing for across-the-board raises instead of targeted pay structures that actually make the profession more competitive. Instead of prioritizing where raises will have the biggest impact, they push for everything at once, knowing full well that’s not realistic.

That’s why setting this bill and its $50,000 baseline makes sense. It opens the door to a bigger conversation about making sure teacher pay actually improves education.

Could this bill finally change how North Carolina debates teacher pay? Paré told me she hopes so, and early reactions suggest it might.

Instead of arguing that the plan doesn’t go far enough, the N.C. Association of Educators is questioning whether Republicans will follow through.

“It’s going to take more than a bill. It’s going to take legislative leadership with the strength and commitment to get it through the budget process,” NCAE president Tamika Walker Kelly said in a statement. “That’s something we haven’t seen in a long time.”

What happens next

Let’s be clear: This bill won’t pass as a standalone measure. Teacher pay will be decided in the budget, where it will become a bargaining chip in larger negotiations. Paré said that her bill sets a “marker” as the budget comes together.

But the fact that Republicans are putting a serious offer on the table matters. After years of neglecting teacher pay, they’re leading again.“There’s a lot of support,” Paré told me. “I’ve been really encouraged by Republicans from all over the party coming together on it.”

Now, Democrats have a choice. They’ve spent years demanding higher teacher pay. Now that Republicans have put forward a real plan, can we move on from debating how much is enough?

North Carolina can keep replaying the same tired teacher pay debate or finally build a system that rewards and retains great teachers. It’s time to start making real progress.

This story was originally published March 9, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Republicans are finally leading again on teacher pay in North Carolina | Opinion."