N.C. LEGISLATORS CONTINUE TO RAISE PAY FOR TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS
In 2017 N.C. was ranked Number One in the United States for fastest rising teacher pay. In spite of the rhetoric that the N.C. legislators neglect teachers’ pay, Republican legislators continue to provide teachers with annual pay raises and increased benefits since being elected to the majority in 2011. Teachers’ average salary increased from $45,737 to $51,214 a year for the first time. The 2018/19 Revised Budget includes a net increase of more than $818 million to fund an increase by 6.5% in average pay, opportunities for performance-based bonuses up to $2,000 a year, and other benefits.
BENEFITS ARE ADDED TO TEACHER PAY
By 2017 North Carolina spent approximately $2.8 billion on employee benefits, such as health insurance, retirement benefits and social security. The total dollar value increase is 16%.
North Carolina’s Nationally Certified Teachers Receive Salary Supplements
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is the highest credential in the teaching profession. About 21,000 N.C. teachers have earned it. Teachers who are certified receive a 12% salary supplement to their regular pay for the 10-year life of the certification.
Special Needs Education Savings Account
The legislature heard from many families of students with special needs with problems and expenses that come with educating their children. The General Assembly allocated $3 million for this program in the 2017-2019 Budget. It provides up to $9,000 annually to families with children suffering from autism, visual or hearing impairment, developmental and intellectual disabilities and multiple orthopedic impairments.
School Safety Plan
The General Assembly provided $35 million for a school safety package for 2018/2019 school year. It contains safety and violence prevention improvements that were debated publicly following the February school shooting in Parkland, Florida. More than half of the package goes to grants for local school districts and law enforcement to hire additional campus police officers, school nurses, psychologists and social workers and to fund school security equipment such as cameras and reinforced doors.
By: Joanne Thomas
References.
Carolina Journal, John Locke Foundation, March 16, 2018, May 30, 2018
Civitas – Capitol Connection, February, 2018, May 15, 2018
Speaker Moore.com “New Era For Education”
N.C. Department of StateTreasurer.com, Press Releases, 11/2/2017 and 4/26/2018
Henderson County Republican Party will hold their annual Precinct Meeting and County Convention on March 10, at Apple Valley Middle School (43 Fruitland Rd, Hendersonville, NC 28792) 
Congressman Mark Meadows and Sue Frazier-Jones, Rugby Precinct Chair. RuthEllen could not be there for the presentation. Picture was taken at the WNC Gun Show.
