By Amy Cockerham
Public Ed Works 

RALEIGH (May 14, 2026) – During Teacher Appreciation Week, Public Ed Works staff launched our latest billboard campaign and shared heartwarming stories about the teachers who shaped us.

And this week, legislators announced an agreement on average teacher raises of 8%!

We’re grateful to the legislators who hammered out the budget framework – particularly House Speaker Destin Hall and House Appropriations Senior Chair Donny Lambeth, R-Forsyth.

With the help of Roy Williams, our campaign encouraged legislators to “Pay the dadgum teachers!”

Some 120 billboards like the one below are posted all around North Carolina:

The latest estimates from the National Education Association rank North Carolina 46th in the nation in average teacher pay. 

Appalled by the data, our staff spoke out with personal stories about their favorite teachers.

Jennifer Hodges, a retired teacher of 25 years, shared how her third-grade teacher Mrs. Calabrese ignited her passion for reading.

“Today, our North Carolina teachers deserve more,” Hodges said. “Let’s ensure that we support and pay our dedicated teachers what they deserve.”

“I grew up in a very rough neighborhood in the turbulent 1960s, and people like me were not expected to excel, but I did,” Battle said. “Public school teachers, they don’t just educate. They help change lives for the better.”

David Rice, the son of two teachers, shared how his parents supported students in tough times.

“Teaching is not an eight-hour job,” Rice said. “It is not a nine-month job. You meet students where they are, whenever they need it, with what they need.”

“This is Teacher Appreciation Week, but we need to appreciate them 52 weeks a year,” Rice said.