The GOP-led NC legislature’s 2013 decision to end graduate degree pay bumps for new teachers entering the teaching profession was not only misguided, but another wave in the assault on public education here in the Old North State.

If the North Carolina General Assembly thinks that abolishing the graduate degree pay increases for teachers is a good policy, then it needs to convince North Carolinians that our state does not need veteran teachers who are seasoned with experience. Teachers who seek graduate degrees in education (and/or National Certification) are themselves making a commitment to pursue careers in public education. When the state refuses to give pay bumps for graduate degrees, then the state just ensured that North Carolina will not have as many veteran, experienced teachers in our schools in the near future. Those teachers will not be able to afford to stay in the profession. Yet, we as a state cannot afford to lose them.

In fact, just look at the latest attrition numbers:

Take a look at the states that surround North Carolina.

While NC shares a border with 4 other states, it does not take long to travel to some others.

Some lawmakers like to construct “favorable” comparisons to other southeastern states to make the argument that we as a state are fairly treating our teachers.

Of the 10 states in the map above, guess how many give teachers a raise for having a graduate degree obtained after 2014?

9 of them. The only one that does not is North Carolina.