As lawmakers return to Raleigh, education supporters call for improved public school funding
Sen. Sydney Batch, Sen. Kevin Corbin, Superintendent Mo Green and state Board of Education Member Catty Moore in a panel discussion at the "Eggs & Issues Breakfast" on January 28, 2025 (Photo: Ahmed Jallow)
One of the state's leading education research and advocacy organizations — the Public School Forum of North Carolina — on Tuesday unveiled its Top Education Issues for the 2025-26 legislative biennium, calling for equitable school funding, competitive teacher pay, support for student well-being, and greater accountability for all schools receiving public funds.
'These priorities were informed by the students, educators and families we work with every day across the state,' said Dr. Lauren Fox, the Forum's senior director of policy and research. 'We know these issues are shared by many people across North Carolina, and we look forward to partnering with stakeholders to support our students, teachers and schools.'
The top education issues, released at the 10th annual 'Eggs & Issues Breakfast' event, which drew more than 400 attendees, outline key priorities for the upcoming legislative session that gets underway in earnest on Wednesday.
This year's list begins with calls to ensure North Carolina's public school funding system is 'equitable, adequate and flexible to meet students' unique needs.' When adjusted for regional cost differences, North Carolina ranks 48th in the nation for per-student spending, falling nearly $5,000 below the national average, and 49th in 'funding effort.'
'Increased school funding is tied directly to improved test scores, higher graduation rates and better lifetime earnings,' Fox said. 'Our children need adequate and equitable funding, and we need a system that is flexible and efficient to ensure individual student needs are being met.'
The Forum is also pushing for competitive teacher pay in North Carolina. The state ranks 42nd nationally for beginning teacher salaries and 38th for average teacher pay, with educators earning about 25% less than comparable college graduates in other fields. Compensation is consistently cited as a top reason why teachers are considering leaving the profession.
'We find ourselves in North Carolina spiraling towards the bottom with regards to what we are paying our educators, we we're better than this,' said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Mo Green during a panel discussion that also included Senate Democratic Leader Sydney Batch of Wake County and Republican Senator Kevin Corbin, who represents the state's far western counties.
Green said that increasing base pay for educators should be the top priority before addressing other compensation initiatives. 'I want you to hear very clearly that where my mind and heart is we have got to increase the base compensation for our educators, and we must do that substantially and just to be real clear with you when I talk about educators, I'm absolutely talking about teachers, but I'm also talking about beyond the teachers as well.'
Other priorities on the Forum's list of priorities for the coming year:
Address critical needs to support child well-being and success both in and outside of school
Adopt assessment and accountability policies that are fair and effective
Calls for accountability
Private schools receiving vouchers have fewer standards placed on them than traditional public schools. Teachers are not required to be licensed, and background checks are only required for the school's top administrator—not for employees who work directly with students. There is no mandated curriculum, and no publicly elected school board oversees the school's budget.
'What's good for the goose is good for the gander,' Batch said. 'If we are taking public dollars and we are putting them in anything, we should be able to have a whole lot of clarity and insight and transparency about how that money is being spent.' Batch said that parents deserve to know the outcomes and performance data for any school receiving taxpayer money, just as they would for their local public school.
Corbin, who chairs the Senate Education Policy and Appropriations committees, agreed that accountability should be consistent. 'I think everybody should be held accountable the same way,' Corbin said. 'I'm not sure why it's that way, and I've asked that question too. I think that's something I'm going to ask about and find out why it's not that way, and we'll see what we can do.'
State lawmakers return to Raleigh on Wednesday to resume the work of the 2025 legislative session that got off to a ceremonial start earlier this month. The Forum's calls for greater public education investments figure to meet resistance from the GOP-led General Assembly, which has prioritized tax cuts and expanding investments in private school vouchers in recent years over boosting funding for traditional K-12 public education.
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