As North Carolina’s Teachers Leave “In Droves,” Josh Stein Calls for Raising Teacher Pay While Mark Robinson Calls to Defund Public Education

New reporting from the News & Observer reveals that “North Carolina’s teacher turnover rate has soared by 47%, with 1 in 9 educators having left the profession” between March 2022 and March 2023. Yet, Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson recently shared his belief that “school systems get better results on less money” and called to “defund” public education. 

“Years of underfunding has tanked North Carolina’s ranking in starting teacher salaries lower than all our neighboring states – and the results are harmful to our kids’ education and to our economy,” said Attorney General and Democratic nominee for Governor Josh Stein. “It’s past time our teachers got a real pay raise, but my opponent wants to defund our schools and make it even harder for teachers and kids to succeed. As Governor, I will continue fighting for strong public schools.”

Josh Stein has consistently called for raising teacher pay to better recruit and retain teachers. As Attorney General, he has worked tirelessly to fully fund public education, working to negotiate the Leandro settlement and ensure kids receive a sound basic education.