Special to IFN
RALEIGH — Gov. Josh Stein visited Davidson Elementary School on Friday with Rep. Beth Helfrich to celebrate Legislators in Schools Week, outline his priorities for investing in North Carolina’s teachers and students, and call on the N.C. General Assembly to pass a comprehensive budget.
“Teachers across our state are working hard to prepare our students to succeed, and we must join them in investing in student success,” Stein said. “I’m eager to partner with my colleagues at the General Assembly to invest in our children’s future and give North Carolina teachers a real pay raise.”
“Our public schools deliver for students, families, and communities every day — despite immense challenges and continued neglect from our General Assembly. School leaders, teachers, and staff are showing up, doing the work, and shaping our state’s future in powerful ways,” Rep. Helfrich added. “My colleagues should have seen that firsthand in classrooms this week, and we should return to Raleigh ready to match that effort with a budget that truly invests in our schools and the people who sustain them. They’re doing their jobs. It’s time we do ours.”
Last month, as part of his proposed Critical Needs Budget, Gov. Stein proposed a $397 million investment in teachers and instructional support aimed at raising starting pay to the highest in the Southeast. The proposed budget would increase starting teacher pay by 13 percent and average teacher pay by nearly 6 percent, restore master’s degree pay, and increase compensation for experienced teachers and other critical school personnel who support student learning and well-being.
Stein recently joined education leaders at BEST NC’s annual North Carolina Education Innovation Lab, where he discussed how implementation of the Science of Reading and Advanced Teaching Roles programs helps improve student success and support educators. In partnership with Speaker Destin Hall and President Pro Tem Phil Berger, Stein also announced the formation of a Blue Ribbon Commission on Public Education. The commission will examine teacher training and student advancement, administrative operations, educational leadership, and accountability.