State Superintendent June Atkinson is asking lawmakers to consider a 10 percent raise for teachers across the board. Atkinson delivered her proposals to a group of lawmakers Wednesday.
She asked them to consider teacher raises, bonuses for instructors in leadership roles and more money when students exceed growth expectations.
"I believe that North Carolina needs to be bold. And we are grateful that our economy is becoming better, that the General Assembly has more money with which to deal, perhaps," Atkinson said.
Increasing teacher salaries by that figure would cost about $580 million. Following her presentation, some lawmakers expressed concern about the overall cost, while others asked about the practicality of implementing changes to the compensation system.
In an interview, Atkinson called on a layered approached to better compensation. In addition to across the board pay increases, Atkinson recommends more money for teachers in leadership roles, paying teachers to go to low performing schools, and bonus pay.
The General Assembly reconvenes in late April.
