North Carolina legislation · 2025-2026 Session
North Carolina S850: Pay Teachers What They're Worth Act.
Status: Introduced, April 29, 2026
What the bill says
An act to increase educator salaries, to reinstate education-based salary supplements for educators, to establish the paid student teaching grant program, and to require the north carolina collaboratory to study improving educator compensation.
From the introduced text:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO INCREASE EDUCATOR SALARIES, TO REINSTATE EDUCATION-BASED SALARY SUPPLEMENTS FOR EDUCATORS, TO ESTABLISH THE PAID STUDENT TEACHING GRANT PROGRAM, AND TO REQUIRE THE NORTH CAROLINA COLLABORATORY TO STUDY IMPROVING EDUCATOR COMPENSATION. Whereas, North Carolina continues to experience teacher shortages in multiple subject areas and geographic regions; and Whereas, student teaching is a full-time professional requirement that often prevents teacher candidates from maintaining outside employment; and Whereas, financial barriers during clinical preparation discourage many prospective educators from entering the profession; and Whereas, competitive salaries and stronger teacher preparation pipelines are essential to ensuring that North Carolina students have access to qualified teachers; and Whereas, the purpose of the following enactment is to strengthen recruitment and retention of educators by improving compensation and supporting teacher candidates entering the profession; Now, therefore, The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: PART I. RAISE SALARIES FOR TEACHERS AND INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT PERSONNEL SECTION 1.(a) The following monthly teacher salary schedule shall apply for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to licensed personnel of the public schools who are classified as teachers. The salary schedule is based on years of teaching experience. 2026-2027 Teacher Monthly Salary Schedule Years of Experience "A" Teachers 0 $5,000 1 $5,091 2 $5,183 3 $5,274 4 $5,366 5 $5,457 6 $5,576 7 $5,687 8 $5,796 9 $5,907 …
Sponsors
- Bradley, Woodson (D, 42) · primary sponsor
- Adcock, Gale (D, 16)
- Chitlik, Sophia (D, 22)
- Garrett, Michael (D, 27)
- Mohammed, Mujtaba A. (D, 38)
- Murdock, Natalie S. (D, 20)
- Salvador, DeAndrea (D, 39)
- Smith, Kandie D. (D, 5)
- Theodros, Caleb (D, 41)
- Waddell, Joyce (D, 40)
Latest actions
- : Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget
- : Withdrawn From Com
- : Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
- : Passed 1st Reading
- : Filed
Subjects: COUNSELING, EDUCATION, GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, EMPLOYMENT, MENTAL HEALTH, STATE EMPLOYEES, HEALTH SERVICES, PSYCHOLOGY
Common questions
- What is S850?
- S850 is a bill in the North Carolina Legislature (2025-2026 Session): Pay Teachers What They're Worth Act.
- What does S850 do?
- In its own words: An act to increase educator salaries, to reinstate education-based salary supplements for educators, to establish the paid student teaching grant program, and to require the north carolina collaboratory to study improving educator compensation.
- What is the status of S850?
- Introduced as of April 29, 2026. Latest action: Re-ref Com On Appropriations/Base Budget (April 29, 2026).
- Who sponsored S850?
- Bradley, Woodson (D, 42), with 9 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for S850?
- On the North Carolina Legislature website: https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S850
Source: official North Carolina record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.