North Carolina stays 46th in teacher pay

RALEIGH, N.C. — (AP) An annual study on public schools says North Carolina still remains near the bottom when it comes to teacher pay.

The National Education Association report found North Carolina ranked 46th among the states and the District of Columbia in average pay during 2012-13, just like last year. The state's average of $45,737 is more than $10,000 below the national average. The NEA calculated North Carolina as seeing the largest decline in average pay over the past decade when accounting for inflation at 15 percent.

NEA said North Carolina's average starting pay ranked 48th at just under $30,800.

North Carolina teachers have received one across-the-board raise since 2008. Gov. Pat McCrory and legislative leaders have vowed to raise starting pay this coming year and work on better pay for other teachers.

WSOC