Former N.C. Gov. Jim Hunt recently called Gov. McCrory and the General Assembly to take action on teachers’ pay and it would behoove McCrory and the members of the legislature to take note of Hunt’s request.
Hunt, a Democrat, successfully orchestrated and implemented the bipartisan Excellent Schools Act in the late 1990s, which raised North Carolina’s teacher pay from 43rd to 21st in the nation.
Hunt is cognizant that raising teacher pay requires tough decisions and that money doesn’t grow on trees. Yet he is also conscious of the fact that teacher pay is an issue of serious concern for all North Carolinians and the future of this state.
Today, the average North Carolina teacher salary is about $10,000 less than the national average.
However, the problem has escalated from mere budgetary constraints to teachers feeling that they are undervalued and not worth the efforts for prioritization.
The General Assembly has taken away teacher tenure and eliminated funding for thousands of positions, sending the message that education, teachers and the children of North Carolina are not of the utmost importance.
Hunt’s recommendations to raise teacher pay should be heeded, or at the very least considered. He was part of the impetus to turn around North Carolina’s education system in the 1990s and the leaders of North Carolina now have a similar opportunity today.
It’s not only the responsibility of parents, but also the business community to keep putting pressure on elected officials in order to ensure the future security of North Carolina.
There should no longer be a debate about raising teachers’ pay. The governor and the General Assembly are aware of their options and strategies and it’s time to start acting upon them.
