An across-the-board, 2 percent raise for all teachers was among a sweeping array of intended education initiatives Gov. Pat McCrory unveiled today at North Carolina A&T University.
Among the initiatives included in his “Career Pathways for Teachers Framework” is a long-term plan to change the way educators are paid in the state, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
McCrory also reintroduced one-time salary bumps for teachers earning advanced degrees in their core subject areas.
Step one of his plan is giving raises to veteran teachers–2.8 to 4.3 percent depending upon experience. Beyond these raises, McCrory said the framework establishes a “modern, more professional pay structure” that allows individual teachers to significantly increase their earnings beyond base pay.
Under his plan, educators would have the opportunity for more compensation by taking on leadership roles and teaching “high-need” subjects or at “high-need” schools.
He intends to implement the initiatives–at the school district level–by 2018, supported by a $9 million fund to assist districts in creating their own local “Career Pathways” plans for incentives and performance-based pay.
Pilot initiatives in eight school districts would form the foundation of a statewide model for performance-based compensation. Eight additional pilots will start the following year.
“Research and common sense tells us that the quality of teacher standing before a student is the biggest factor in that child’s education,” McCrory said. “We must make it possible for our best teachers to remain in the classroom instead of leaving to earn more income as an administrator or by abandoning the profession.”
In addition to “Career Pathways for Teachers” framework, the governor announced today that he will increase funding for early childhood education by $3.6 million and double state funding for textbooks to $46 million.
