Cook Supports Largest Teacher Pay Increase in State History | Eastern NC Now

News Release:

    Raleigh, N.C.     Senator Bill Cook (R-District 1) attended a press conference on Wednesday, May 28, 2014, that announced a proposal to allocate an average of 11.2 percent permanent pay raise for North Carolina public school teachers. The $468 million increase would go in affect beginning July 1. The increase would be the largest in state history and would boost North Carolina from 47th in overall teacher pay to the middle of current national rankings while also enhancing from 9th to 3rd in the Southeast.

    "Teachers are the most important asset in the classroom and with this legislation we will be better able to compensate them for their hard work," Cook said.

    The plan, which replaces the archaic 37-step system with an entirely new base pay scale designed to attract and keep the best teachers in the classroom, would provide more than a $5,800 average salary increase per teacher in the first year of implementation.

    "When the General Assembly adjourned last July, I traveled around Senate District 1 talking with educators and students. I visited with about twenty five schools in seven out of the eight counties in the district," Cook said. "I greatly appreciated the respectful feedback that I received. Where furthermore, I took several of those issues back to Raleigh to be addressed during this short session."

    The Senate proposal would repeal the automatic loss of tenure in 2018 and instead offer teachers a choice of whether to maintain that status. Teachers who decide to work on annual contracts for the 2014-15 school year would move to the new pay scale and receive the substantial salary increase. Those who choose to keep tenure would remain on the current pay schedule.

    "My goal for education is every educator's goal, and that is I want our students in North Carolina to have the best education possible," Cook said.

    The plan would also provide an additional $39 million for pay raises for other public school employees. It matches the governor's proposal to provide principals and other school administrators with an average two percent increase. And non-instructional public school employees would receive a $500 flat raise.

    "I fully support and recognize the importance of this compensation plan for our teachers, administrators and other public school employees. I strongly believe that there is no greater investment we can make than in preparing our kids for the future," Cook said. "That is why I'm committed to recruiting and retaining the best and brightest teachers to educate our students."

    Finally, the proposal fulfills the commitment state leaders made earlier this year to extend supplemental pay for teachers with Master's degrees to those who have completed at least one course in a graduate program as of July 1, 2013. And it expands opportunities for local school systems to recognize and reward top performers by allocating funds for up to 35 percent of teachers to receive pay for excellence increases.

    "The best teachers should be recognized and rewarded. This law expands the number of teachers who will be rewarded with salary increases for excellent performance," Cook said.

    Senate Republicans pledged to pay for the raises with recurring revenue sources and without a tax hike.
Senator Bill Cook (R-District 1) joined with other State Senate Members to announce a plan that would allocate the largest teacher pay increase in state history. Shown (left to right) are Senators: Joyce Krawiec, Tommy Tucker, Cook, Neal Hunt, David Curtis, Andrew Brock, Bob Rucho, Dan Soucek, Jerry Tillman and Phil Berger.


Contact: Jordan Hennessy
     jordan.hennessy@ncleg.net, •  (252) 619-3606


     300 N. Salisbury Street
     Room 525 • Raleigh, NC 27603

    Phone: (919) 715-8293  •  Fax: (919) 754-3296  •  bill.cook@ncleg.net