UNC FactCheck: ‘He might be living on a different planet’: Bishop, McCready clash over teacher pay in Wednesday’s debate

By Paige Masten

This is the first in a series of stories on the debate Wednesday night.

Republican state Sen. Dan Bishop and his Democratic opponent, Dan McCready, squabbled over teacher pay in the 9th Congressional District debate hosted by WBTV and the Charlotte Observer Wednesday night. 

When moderator Christine Sperow asked the candidates to address the economic concerns of rural farmers, McCready quickly transitioned to Bishop’s performance on teacher pay. McCready argued that the state of public education in North Carolina is harming rural North Carolinians just as much as the Trump administration’s trade policies. 

“We have got to be investing in our public schools,” McCready said, “alongside taking on China, to make life better for so many people.” 

Bishop interjected, saying he supported teacher pay increases in the state budget for five consecutive years. A sixth and seventh consecutive raise would be possible, Bishop said, if Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper hadn’t vetoed this year’s state budget. Bishop is right —  the past five budgets have increased teacher pay — but critics say these raises weren’t enough. 

When adjusted for inflation, teachers are actually making less now than they were before the Great Recession. McCready said the average teacher salary in North Carolina is “almost $10,000 less than the national average.” 

McCready’s statement is mostly true. Last year, the average teacher salary in North Carolina was $53,975 — compared to the national average of $61,730. North Carolina currently ranks 29th in the nation for teacher pay. 

However, most North Carolina teachers aren’t making $53,975. 

The North Carolina Association of Educators says this number is skewed by a number of factors, including the large number of long-term educators at the higher end of the pay scale and the local supplements that some counties pay to their teachers. 

Without supplementary pay, the average NC teacher makes only $49,395 annually. 

Following the Great Recession, North Carolina teacher pay took a hit — and it still hasn’t recovered. 

In 2009, Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue cut all state employee salaries by 0.5 percent, and a two-year pay freeze caused North Carolina to plunge to 49th nationally in 2013 for average teacher pay. Despite the pay raises that Bishop mentioned, the General Assembly has yet to restore teacher salaries to pre-recession levels. 

Even so, Bishop claimed his record in the General Assembly was proof of his dedication to the issue. 

“One of the big differences between us is you get a bunch of promises from Dan McCready,” Bishop said. “From me, you get a record of legislative accomplishment.”

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