This last year, the legislature and governor in North Carolina enacted legislation affecting the teaching profession in North Carolina.

Scott Imig and Robert Smith at the University of North Carolina in Wilmington decided that it was important to hear how the legislation affected those in the state’s schools:

They wrote:

In the summer of 2013, the North Carolina legislature passed broad educational reforms. Among these were the abolishment of tenure, the end of additional compensation for teachers who earn a graduate degree, removal of class size caps, and implementation of a voucher program. As professors who interact daily with current K-12 educators, we heard numerous anecdotes this fall about declining support for public education, increased teacher attrition, deteriorating morale, and concerns about pursuing advanced degrees. While the anecdotes were fairly consistent, there was not, to our knowledge, available data that captured the immediate and potential long-term effects of the policy changes. 

Imig and Smith surveyed more than 600 educators in the state to get their perspective on the changes. Their report is titled “Listening to Those on the Front Lines.”

Here is what they found.

• Over 96% of the educators who participated think public education in North Carolina is headed in the wrong direction.

• Two-thirds of teachers and administrators indicated that recent legislative changes have negatively impacted the quality of teaching and learning in their own school.

• Over 74% of respondents indicated that, as a result of the legislative changes, they were less likely to continue working as a teacher/administrator in NC.

• 97% of respondents think the legislative changes have had a negative effect on teacher morale.

• 98% of teachers and administrators surveyed believe that the removal of financial incentives for pursuing advanced degrees will have a negative effect on the quality of teaching and learning in North Carolina’s schools.

• Nearly all respondents indicated that the failure to give teachers a raise in pay will have a negative impact on the quality of public education.

• Ninety percent of teachers and administrators indicated that the removal of tenure, with all teachers placed on 1-, 2-, or 4-year contracts by 2018, will have a negative effect on the quality of public education in NC.

• In regard to the legislature’s plan to eliminate tenure and identify the top 25% of teachers for annual pay raises, approximately 7% of teachers indicated they would give up tenure in exchange for the supplement (64% would not give up tenure and 28% are uncertain).

• 38% of respondents believe the Read to Achieve Program will have a positive impact on the quality of education in the state. Among elementary teachers, this figure is just 20%.

• A significant portion of teacher and administrator comments described working harder to protect students from the perceived effects of the recent legislative changes.

• Nearly 87% of respondents think the voucher plan, providing eligible families with a $4,200 annual voucher to allow a child to go to a private school, will have a negative impact on the state’s public schools. 

What are the chances that the governor and the legislature will care what teachers and administrators think about their legislation?