This past Friday, educators from Sampson County joined other school staff, administrators and other public education officials gathered in Raleigh to voice their concerns as several school districts in the state face budget cuts, staffing shortages and dwindling resources.
The rally, organized by the North Carolina Association of Educators, was designed, organizers said, to give educators a way to peacefully voice growing concerns over the state’s current educational status. A large percentage of these concerns were centered around teacher pay in the state.
For the 2024-25 school year, North Carolina’s average teacher salary ranked 43rd in the nation for the second year in a row, according to data from the National Education Association, coming in at about $60,323. According to this report, the average teacher pay in the nation was $74,495, meaning teachers in the state earned around $14,000 below the national average in 2024-25.
“Dedicated educators show up every day in classrooms across this country to inspire, support, and lift up their students, but too many are struggling to stay in the profession they love,” said NEA President Becky Pringle in a press release. “They deserve pay that reflects their expertise, the strong support they need to succeed, and the respect that honors the essential role they play in shaping the future of this nation.”
The NCAE is asking for a 25 percent pay raise across the board and a funding investment of $20,000 per student by 2030. However, this goal may be a ways away despite the rally held by the association. According to a report from the NCAE, North Carolina is estimated to rank 46th in the nation for teacher pay in 2025-26 and is the only state in the nation where teacher salaries are projected to decrease this year, going from $60,323 to $59,971. This is largely, the group noted, due to lawmakers remaining at a standstill on passage of a budget.
Without the financial plan in place, many educators say, school systems across the state remain unsure what can be set aside for teachers and various other educational needs.
Friday, several educators from the Sampson County area marched alongside their fellow teachers, including educator Jannet Lopez. Lopez formerly worked with Sampson County Schools as a teacher before moving to the Harnett County School District last year.
“There were literally thousands of people who showed up,” said Lopez. “We heard from leaders, people from NCAE, all speaking on the importance of funding for public schools and not having a budget passed since 2023. More than anything, the focus was on how we’re number 43 in the nation with teacher pay. There was a mixture of people. There were teachers, parents with children, I could tell there were students there as well. Several community advocates had tents set up with water.”
According to Lopez, she was drawn to the rally as a result of her own “low teacher wages.” Having worked with two school districts, Lopez had many current and former coworkers who informed her of the rally.
“I’m an educator in Harnett County Schools, but I live in Sampson County and worked with Sampson County Schools since 2017 up until last year. I have several coworkers and we all formed a group at the protest. I wanted to go because of my own low teacher wages in comparison with today’s economy. It was also because of the poor conditions of my classroom; the lack of student materials and resources available to them. At my school in Harnett County, we had a student protest for similar reasons and so I saw that and thought if they can do it, I can do it,” said Lopez
According to Lopez, the NCAE’s asking price of 25 percent pay raise across the board and a funding investment of $20,000 per student by 2030 is more than fair. To get there, however, Lopez states that legislators and school officials will need to work hand in hand with teachers to ensure this goal can be met.
“I think local authoritative figures in education should be advocating and demanding on behalf of teachers and students to the proper legislative bodies to have funding for schools and teachers,” said Lopez. “As a community, families, parents, teachers, we should see and feel our local leaders doing that and putting that into action.Right now one of the projects I’m working on with organizations like LatinxEd is to just be making appearances at school board meetings and making a series of public comments. I do plan to be attending board meetings from here on out just to be heard.”
Lopez believes that it doing this, she and others can help pave the way for a better educational future.
“Well paid teachers and well funded schools benefit everyone,” said Lopez. “Budgets and other systems within each school system would benefit from revision to keep up with the time. Being 43rd in anything nationwide should light a very urgent fire under all in North Carolina.”