NC teacher vacancies up 27% from 2021 as NCGOP refuses to properly fund schools, pay educators
State Republican lawmakers have once again refused to adequately fund public schools and pay our teachers and staff fair wages – and the NCGOP’s failures are leaving schools short on teachers.
Schools in North Carolina are back in session and the numbers behind the teacher shortage have become clear. According to The News & Observer, the North Carolina School Superintendents’ Association (NCSSA) is reporting a shortage of 3,619 K-12 teachers, 850 exceptional children’s teachers and 5,700 other positions across the state. The NCSSA said the shortages would be even worse if schools weren’t filling openings with unlicensed teachers.
This entire situation was predictable and would have been unavoidable for any state with a legislature controlled by people who actually value public education.
- The NCGOP’s failure to spend the money necessary to have a top-quality public education system hasn’t just resulted in staff shortages, but has also led to schools with failing heating and cooling systems, unsafe drinking water and buildings that are literally falling apart.
- There is very little monetary incentive to become a teacher in North Carolina. Teacher salaries start at around $37,000 and our state ranks in the bottom third for average teacher pay in the country.
- Republican extremists in the legislature are now trying to tell teachers what they can and can’t teach in the classroom, something that teachers across the country disagree with.
Teachers have made it clear why they’re leaving the profession – low pay, lack of funding for school improvements, right-wing attacks on learning. The possible solution is just as clear: Republicans need to do what they’ve been court-ordered to do and fund the Leandro plan, which will provide billions of dollars to improve public schools, help educators and ensure every student obtains a sound, basic education.
