Under the state’s current legislative budget structure, certain educators receive well-deserved financial bonuses when their students achieve high growth on state exams. Yet, thousands of their peers, who face the exact same high-stakes testing pressures, are completely excluded.

Look at the reality in our schools:

1. 5th and 8th Grade Science teachers spend hours End-of-Grade (EOG) preparation. Their student scores directly impact school report cards. Yet, if they hit maximum growth milestones, they receive $0 in state performance bonuses.
2. 6th–8th Grade ELA (English Language Arts) teachers carry the burden of adolescent literacy and critical reading EOGs. They are entirely left out of the state performance bonus pool.
3. 3rd Grade Math teachers and High School End-of-Course (EOC) educators (Math 1, Math 3, English 2, and Biology) face the same unfair exclusion, getting locked out of rewards for the exact same student testing achievements.

According to a recent report by the Public School Forum of North Carolina, the disparity in teacher pay contributes to the challenges of maintaining an experienced teaching workforce, particularly in underprivileged areas. Research from the Learning Policy Institute highlights that supportive measures, like bonuses, significantly impact teacher retention rates, thereby providing more stability and continuity in student education.

These discrepancies not only undermine the value of the contributions of these teachers, but also they also make it increasingly difficult to attract and retain high-quality educators in our already under-funded school districts. As critical as STEM and literacy are touted to be in our state and national educational agendas, it is time that the pay reflects that for these critical educators. 

We call on the NC General Assembly and the Education Appropriations Committees to expand state performance bonuses to include teachers of ALL state-tested subjects. Fair compensation shouldn't depend on the subject you teach.