Stein touts historic teacher pay raises as NC students return to school

Stein said the budget strengthens public schools by investing in teacher recruitment and retention through apprenticeships and professional development. It also enhances training for early math educators, helping to set students up for success later on in their education and careers. 

“When we invest in our kids, we invest in their future,” Stein said. “We invest in our future, so I am proud that we’re sending our kids back to school this year with a budget that higher prioritizes them.”

The spending plan also includes more funding for North Carolina’s Principal Recruitment Supplement Program, initially launched in 2019, aimed at attracting high-performing principals to low-performing schools through a $30,000 annual salary supplement.

In Charlotte, Tuckaseegee Elementary School’s performance grade rose from a D to a B in two years under the leadership of LaTresha Wilson, the state’s 2026 Southwest Region Principal of the Year and a speaker at Stein’s event.

Wilson’s story in public education began well before she became a principal, she said. It started when she was a little girl sitting in a public school classroom. 

Wilson said she sees her younger self in the eyes of her students, and it reminds her of the importance of education. 

Great leaders and teachers rely on investments in teacher pay, literacy, mathematics, student wellness, and school facilities, she said. 

“We aren’t just funding schools. We are funding possibilities. We are funding potential. We are funding the next generation for North Carolinians,” Wilson said. “When we invest where the need is greater, we don’t just change schools. We change trajectories.”

GOP leaders say the NC budget offers ‘historic’ raises. A top education panel says it’s not enough.

Jeremiah Tucker, student body president at Broughton High School in Raleigh, said his mother has been an educator for 27 years. It’s given him a deep appreciation for teachers everywhere, especially their dedication to their students and their families.

He said educators are the backbone of society. 

“My mother’s pay doesn’t represent her sacrifices,” Tucker said. “It doesn’t account for the long hours she spent designing lesson plans for her kids. It doesn’t represent the money toward school supplies that sometimes even comes out of her own pockets.”

That’s where the budget comes in. While it’s a starting point, there’s still room for improvement, Tucker said, especially in raising pay for veteran teachers.  

The raises move the state’s ranking for overall teacher pay from 47th in the country to 40th.

“I see this budget as a launching pad, not a landing spot,” Stein said. 

Republican lawmakers spent more than a year debating over the budget, disagreeing on income tax cuts and teacher raises. 

House Republicans wanted to boost teacher salaries, especially for those new to the classroom. The Senate, on the other hand, wanted smaller raises for teachers.

Upon releasing the spending plan, House Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, said the budget included “historic raises” for teachers. 

Hall’s and Senate Leader Phil Berger’s offices did not immediately respond to NC Newsline’s requests for comment.