Any experienced, veteran teacher here in North Carolina knows the differences in the salary schedules that have guided pay for the last ten years.
Sometimes one graph can put things into sharp perspective.
Derek Scott has been following trends in public education and possesses that gift of explaining concepts that many politicians hope to keep vague (for spinning purposes) in ways that make startling sense. His wife is a school board member in the state’s largest school system and many of us public school advocates really respect his work. In fact, he has been translating numbers and trends in public education for years.
And he does it well.
Last spring, he posted the following in response to a post on this blog about changes in teacher pay over the last ten years in North Carolina. It’s worth visiting again.
Hard to be an experienced teacher and not see the clarity in what he is saying.
Here is a closer look at that chart:
Remember we no longer as teachers receive longevity pay and inflation affects any profession.
Simply put, this NCGA does not want to have veteran teachers in our schools.
caffeinated rage 
What underscores this point is the not so obvious gift the GOP legislative leadership gives itself: as veteran teachers quit, and those left behind experienced frozen pay scales, GOP will be able to award continuing and generous tax cuts to the wealthy.
Education Payroll, as the single largest item in the state’s budget, dropping year after year, will be the source of these tax cuts as North Carolina school children suffer. School districts across North Carolina struggle to find science and math teachers who readily find jobs offering substantially higher starting salaries and NO $50,000 ceiling.
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This is what happens with super-majorities in the State House and Senate. Thankful for Governor Cooper and the 2018 election.
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