Teachers’ emails to lawmakers express the pain that is driving them to march | Opinion
Thousands of North Carolina teachers will march again to the State Legislative Building in Raleigh on Friday to demand better pay.
Given how they’ve been treated, it’s surprising that there are still thousands left to march. If they were less dedicated to their work, most of the state’s 90,000 teachers would have found something else to do.
Instead, they continue to teach children and try to educate lawmakers. Of the two, the children are the better learners.
This is the third time teachers have marched at the capital. They also did so in 2018 and 2019.
But the Republican lawmakers who control the legislature still haven’t grasped the seriousness of the situation. They’ve approved modest raises and boosted starting teacher pay, but the increases have been eaten up by inflation and rising health insurance costs and veteran teachers don’t benefit from raising the minimum pay for new teachers.
So here they come again, a long line of teachers whose pay ranks near the bottom nationally. They’re making another appeal — this one intensified by North Carolina being the only state in the nation that hasn’t passed a new state budget. The deadlock has frozen pay for teachers and state employees for months while inflation grinds away at the value of their paychecks.
Before the teachers get to Raleigh, some have already pled their case in emails sent to all lawmakers or all members of the state Senate. Usually they get no reply. Here is a sampling from several of those appeals.
A teacher seeking more attention for veteran teachers:
“Over the past two years, teacher pay has essentially remained flat. For many veteran teachers … there has been no increase at all during this time. Even more concerning, when raises are proposed, these experienced educators are often not treated equitably and receive smaller increases than their less experienced counterparts. This creates a growing gap that undervalues the very teachers who have committed the most years to our schools.
“These are educators who have spent years building expertise in the classroom, mentoring new teachers, and supporting students well beyond the school day. It is difficult to understand why that level of dedication continues to go unrecognized in our salary structure.”
A teacher points to the shrinking value of paychecks:
“When monthly premiums and healthcare expenses increase, what appears to be a pay raise on paper frequently results in little to no increase in take-home pay. In some cases, teachers actually see less money in their paychecks than the year before. This reality makes it difficult for educators to feel that their work and dedication are truly valued.
“Teachers are asked every day to invest in the future of North Carolina by educating its children. The question many educators are beginning to ask is whether the state is equally willing to invest in the teachers who make that future possible.”
A teacher who says many teachers must work second jobs:
“North Carolina ranks 43rd in the nation for teacher pay. When adjusted for inflation, teachers in this state are earning less than they were over a decade ago. From 2002 to 2022, salaries dropped by more than 20% in real terms. More than half of teachers, over 51,000 across the state, do not earn a living wage. Those numbers alone should be enough to prompt immediate action. But what they don’t fully capture is the day-to-day reality behind them. Teachers are working second and third jobs just to make ends meet. They are driving buses, waiting tables, freelancing, working summer programs, anything to close the gap between what they earn and what it actually costs to live. This is not a fringe issue. It is the norm. And it is pushing the profession to a breaking point.”
A teacher on teachers leaving:
“Sadly, teachers are leaving at an alarming rate. I teach at one of the top schools in our county. The teachers in my school love our administration, our team, and our students. However, we have two third-grade teachers who have quit mid-year just this year. There are five other third-grade teachers actively seeking other jobs for next year (me included). That is seven out of 13 teachers in one grade level (that I know of) who are trying to leave a career they have a passion for. We can’t transfer schools and make it better. We are in the best school. It’s a state issue, and you can help us.”
The neglect of teacher pay and lack of funding for counselors, psychologists, nurses and other support personnel is stunting the education of a generation of students and weakening North Carolina. On Friday, teachers again will take that message directly to lawmakers. If lawmakers don’t act, the next mass action won’t be teachers coming to Raleigh. It will be teachers leaving their jobs.
Associate opinion editor Ned Barnett can be reached at 919-404-7583, or nbarnett@newsobserver.com
This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 4:30 AM with the headline "Teachers’ emails to lawmakers express the pain that is driving them to march | Opinion."