When thousands of teachers rally in downtown Raleigh on Friday, one of the top issues they are seeking to change is their pay.
North Carolina does not offer master’s pay for teachers who earned their master's degrees after 2013.
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Republican leaders got rid of the pay bump, saying master’s degrees don’t improve student outcomes. Since then, House leadership have proposed bringing it back for teachers whose master’s degrees are in the subject they teach.
Stetson Glass, a 10th grade English teacher with a master’s degree, said he feels undervalued by the lack of master's pay.
“The teachers are doing what they should be doing. We're getting the education that we should be getting. We are fulfilling the requirements that are asked of us, and yet we're not being compensated fairly,” said Glass.
Glass and his wife are raising six children in Johnston County. He says as the cost of living continues to rise, it’s becoming harder for them to pay their bills.
“We have to strain and think hard and critically about how we're going to allot certain finances, because what we planned on and what's actually happening are not the same result,” he said.
Glass plans to attend the "Kids Over Corporations" rally organized by the North Carolina Association of Educators. It is scheduled Friday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Halifax Mall in downtown Raleigh.