A new television advertisement from Democratic gubernatorial candidate Roy Cooper is slamming Governor Pat McCrory on teacher pay. But at least one of Cooper's claims in the ad isn't quite right.
Cooper's new ad features a teacher who suggests she had to move to another state because her pay was so low. It's an emotional story. But what of the stats cited in the ad? Here's one:
"At first, I was so happy to teach in North Carolina. But we've fallen to 41st in teacher pay..."
The narration goes on to slam incumbent Gov. Pat McCrory on education funding. And while it's true that North Carolina's nationwide ranking on teacher pay has been low the past few years, the claim that the state has "fallen" to 41st since McCrory took office misses the mark.
The fact-checking organization Politifact North Carolina took a look at the statistics used in the ad, and when McCrory was sworn in, the National Education Association ranked the state 43rd in teacher pay. While North Carolina fell in the rankings that first budget year, it has risen since then.
So Cooper's claim on teacher pay is not true. But the issue remains a campaign flashpoint.
In their ads, McCrory and other Republicans take credit for increasing teacher pay in the state budget – something Cooper calls an election year gimmick that hides low wages for North Carolina's educators.