Stein's $1.4B Plan for Teacher Raises, Education Funding

It's March 23rd.

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North Carolina Governor Josh Stein is pushing a $1.4 billion plan to raise teacher pay and

boost education funding.

This comes as state lawmakers dragged their feet on a budget deal that's now stalled

for over two years.

Earlier this week, Stein highlighted the need for action during a speech at an education

event in Kerry.

He stressed that strong public schools benefit every kid in the state, no matter the politics.

Teachers here earn an average of $58,292 a year, putting North Carolina 43rd nationwide

and behind.

All neighboring states.

That gap of nearly $14,000 below the national average hurts hiring and retention.

Stein's proposal includes an average 6% raise, plus bonuses for master's degrees and extra

pay for veterans in the classroom.

Local leaders in the Senate and House control the $30 billion budget, but talks remain stalled

with no deal in sight.

Lawmakers return in April, so it's unclear if this push will break the impasse and finally

deliver those long overdue raises to educators.