Submitted by Steve (not verified) on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 1:02pm.
It seems like there has been a lot of confusion lately about teacher salaries in our state. Unfortunately, this article doesn't do a great job of clearing it up. So, I will. The reason for the confusion over teacher pay is that while teachers are getting a 1.2% increase, the salary scale (which pays on levels of experience) is frozen. For example, a year 8 teacher made 35,380 last year, and according to last year's salary schedule, a year 9 teacher makes 36,670. But instead, with the salary schedule still frozen, the teacher does not see this experience-based increase, and the salary schedule adjusts to show that his year 8 salary is now the year 9 salary. The 1.2% increase applies to what he/she was making, resulting in a salary of 35,800, more than the teacher made last year, but less than teachers in their 9th year the previous year. This is what has happened the past four years with frozen salaries in North Carolina. It is also worth noting that with the salary schedule frozen since 2008, year 9 teacher (with the 1.2% raise) this school year is making a little over $2,000 less than a year 9 teacher four years ago.
clearing up the confusion
It seems like there has been a lot of confusion lately about teacher salaries in our state. Unfortunately, this article doesn't do a great job of clearing it up. So, I will. The reason for the confusion over teacher pay is that while teachers are getting a 1.2% increase, the salary scale (which pays on levels of experience) is frozen. For example, a year 8 teacher made 35,380 last year, and according to last year's salary schedule, a year 9 teacher makes 36,670. But instead, with the salary schedule still frozen, the teacher does not see this experience-based increase, and the salary schedule adjusts to show that his year 8 salary is now the year 9 salary. The 1.2% increase applies to what he/she was making, resulting in a salary of 35,800, more than the teacher made last year, but less than teachers in their 9th year the previous year. This is what has happened the past four years with frozen salaries in North Carolina. It is also worth noting that with the salary schedule frozen since 2008, year 9 teacher (with the 1.2% raise) this school year is making a little over $2,000 less than a year 9 teacher four years ago.