Several weeks ago, The News & Observer ran an article in their “Reality Check” series titled “New report says average NC teacher salary is now over $60,000. Is the figure accurate?”

It caught my attention, so I started a response. As often happens, however, other things got in the way, and the response sat. My dander is still up, and the question’s still roiling me, so let’s start over with the relevant details.

Does the average teacher in North Carolina now make over $60,000? That’s a straightforward question. For many years, the answer to all questions about teacher salaries was provided by staff at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NC DPI) using a straightforward methodology. Results for these queries have been published annually by NC DPI in the “Highlights of the North Carolina Public School Budget” report. The results have been largely without dispute and controversy — until this year.

According to 2025 annual report, estimated average teacher compensation for teachers in North Carolina was $61,449.

Is the figure accurate? That’s the question the N&O asked Tamika Walker Kelly, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE).

For years, Walker Kelly made a career out of parroting average pay figures from NC DPI and NCAE’s parent organization, the National Education Association, and using them to advocate for higher pay in North Carolina. Not so this year.

Walker Kelly takes issue with the figure. According to the article:

I would disagree that it [the NC DPI average salary figure] is an accurate reflection of educator pay here in our state. … We know that the DPI figure includes local supplements, extra local bonuses that come from local revenue sources through the county. We know that our colleagues in rural counties, in some of the low-wealth districts, are getting much, much less.

Walker Kelly also criticizes the figure because the NC DPI average includes some of of the highest paid positions in the state, such as people who are paid extra for having a master’s or doctoral degree or certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).

Instead of the $60,323 figure, Walker Kelly said that the $53,295 average base teacher salary is a better figure. She noted that the state’s teacher pay scale maxes out at $55,950 a year, which according to her, causes North Carolina to be less competitive and less able to retain good teachers.

Interestingly, when commenting on the latest teacher salary estimates from the National Education Association survey, Walker Kelly didn’t question the validity of the numbers.

These are some statements that raise more than a few eyebrows.

Where do you start?

As I said previously, the teacher salary numbers distributed by NC DPI were seldom — if ever — questioned. If they were, it was usually by people on the opposite side of the teacher salary debate from Walker Kelly. Why question the numbers now? In the last three years, average teacher salary has increased from $56,991 to $61,449. Average salaries are increasing, and Walker Kelly is disputing that fact.

Why question the numbers now? It’s a legitimate question that should be asked. It’s also a question the N&O conveniently ignores. The N&O reached out to Walker Kelly to comment on the numbers. Why not contact those who develop the numbers and ask how they are derived? No effort was made to explain the numbers.

Walker Kelly takes issue with the NC DPI figure because it includes salary supplements and local bonuses. She also criticizes the NC DPI average because it “includes some of the highest paid positions in the state,” such as people who are paid extra for having a master’s degree or NBPTS certification.

Walker Kelly’s views on what should or shouldn’t be included in the calculation of average salary reflect a tortured logic. Aren’t salary supplements — whether they be local or for credentials — given to teachers as part of their pay? Don’t average teacher salaries include salaries that are both higher and lower than the stated average?

Walker Kelly tries hard to say that the average teacher salary should include only the state average and not local supplements, bonuses, or other income. For years, NC DPI has calculated the average teacher salary from figures that include income, supplementary pay, and bonuses. Why? Because average teacher pay should include all teacher pay — salary, supplementary pay, and bonuses — no matter where it comes from. It’s a method NC DPI has employed for years. People — including the NCAE and those advocating for higher teacher salaries — have been happy to recite the figures for years with never a question about how they were derived.

Why Walker Kelly takes issue with the numbers now is a question only she can answer. Why the N&O didn’t ask the question, ask another group for comment, or follow up with a comment from NC DPI with explanations about the average teacher salary figure says more about the paper than it sheds light on the current teacher salary debate.