Earlier this week, legislators from North Carolina announced details of a tentative budget agreement including a 7 percent pay raise for teachers in public schools. The leaders announced that out of the $21.3 billion spending plan, $282 million would be dedicated to teacher salary increases. 

According to The New York Times, the money would raise the state's average pay for public school teachers to 32nd in the nation from 46th. Phil Berger, president pro tem of the Senate, said it amounted to "the largest teacher pay raise in state history without raising taxes."

Representative Nelson Dollar gave a hint of where some of the money might come from, saying lawmakers found "economies and efficiencies" in the education system and reductions in the Medicaid system. The new plan, the article said, would preserve teacher assistant positions. 

"We all know you can't give a 7 percent raise without doing a lot of bad things," said Adam Linker, a health policy analyst with the North Carolina Justice Center. 

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Article by Kassondra Granata, EducationWorld Contributor