The WNCT story did not mention Logan Smith, Communications Director for Progress North Carolina, or his Huffington Post opinion piece, “In North Carolina, Teachers Work Second Jobs to Make Ends Meet.” But there were plenty of similarities between the WNCT report and the piece published by HuffPost in December.
For example, WNCT says,
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 16% of teachers across the country work second jobs outside the school system. Yet in North Carolina, that number is much higher at nearly 25%–the third highest in the entire country.
Smith writes,
According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, about 16 percent of teachers nationwide are forced to work a second job outside the school system. In North Carolina, however, that number is closer to 25 percent — third-highest in the entire country.
WNCT,
Teaching salaries in our state have declined more than 17% over the last 10 years—more than any other state in the country.
Smith,
In fact, teaching salaries in North Carolina have declined more in the last 10 years than any other state in the country at a rate of 17.4 percent.
WNCT,
A 2015 Wallet-Hub survey found North Carolina to be the second worst state in the country for teachers.
Smith,
A 2015 Wallethub survey found North Carolina to be the second-worst state in the country for teachers, a small improvement from the 2014 study which ranked the Tar Heel State dead last.
WNCT,
The National Education Association ranks North Carolina 42nd in the country for teacher pay.
Smith,
For one thing, the National Education Association has ranked North Carolina 42nd in the country for teacher pay.
WNCT,
She works 15 to 20 extra hours a week at her second job, on top of the average 53 hours teachers work every week.
Smith,
The average teacher in North Carolina works 53 hours per week, according to NCES data.