CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The group gathered in front of Charlotte's Government Center, holding signs saying that teachers in North Carolina need to be paid more.
The group says teacher salaries in North Carolina ranked 46th out of 50 states in the country, and are lower than average salaries in nearby states.
That results in teachers leaving schools in North Carolina for higher-paying jobs elsewhere.
North Carolina's teachers average almost $46,000 per year while Virginia averages $48,000, and South Carolina $47,000.
"At my children's elementary school this year we lost a third of our teachers at the beginning of the school year," said Jill Carilli, who has two daughters in Union County schools.
"These are great teachers that are hard to come by. And we just can't continue as the state to treat these teachers like they're expendable," Carilli said.
The group said they will contact legislators and push for teacher pay raises in the upcoming legislative session.
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