CHARLOTTE, N.C. (July 27, 2014) North Carolina teachers are being offered substantially higher salaries to move and teach in Texas.
The Charlotte Observer reported that the Houston Independent School District held a job recruitment fair Friday in Charlotte after similar events in Greensboro and Raleigh.
Teachers say the Houston offer, with a starting salary of more than $49,000, is enticing, especially for young teachers.
The average starting salary for a North Carolina teacher is less than $31,000, which is below all neighboring states.
The National Education Association says the state's slip to 46th for teacher pay is the result of five years of pay freezes.
Houston Federation of Teachers president Gayle Fallon says the salary differences make North Carolina teachers "easy pickings."
The Houston district is the largest in Texas and seventh-largest nationwide.