INSTITUTE INDEX: Gambling away the future of North Carolina schools

North Carolina's estimated national ranking in average salary for public school teachers this year: 48

The average estimated salary for the state's public school teachers: $45,355

The estimated national average: $56,689

Percent change in the average public school teacher salary in North Carolina from 2002 to 2013: -15

North Carolina's estimated national ranking in per-pupil spending for the school year that just ended: 49

Percent change in funding for textbooks in North Carolina between 2009 and today: -80

Additional textbook funding in the state budget plans introduced by Gov. Pat McCrory, the House and the Senate, respectively: $23 million, $10 million, $0

Average percent salary increase for teachers proposed respectively in the budgets of McCrory, the House, and the Senate: 2, 5, 11

Number of teacher assistant positions that the Senate spending plan would cut to pay for its teacher raise, which would be contingent on teachers giving up their career status: 7,400

Amount the North Carolina House says it's counting on receiving from the state lottery due to increased advertising to pay for its proposed raise for teachers, even though its own spending plan restricts lottery advertising: $106 million

Revenue North Carolina lost for the 2014-15 fiscal year as a result of cuts to personal income and corporate taxes passed by the legislature last year: $438 million

Number of people who preregistered for a recent job fair held in Raleigh by the Houston Independent School to recruit unhappy North Carolina teachers: 350

Amount by which the starting salary of a teacher in Houston exceeds that of her counterpart in North Carolina: $16,005

Number of teachers in Wake County, North Carolina's largest school district, who have left their jobs since the beginning of this school year: 612

Percent increase that represents over last year, a figure that's been called "alarming": 41

Number of teachers and parents who showed up at the legislature this week to hold a sit-in protesting education cuts as part of Moral Monday but who instead ended up in a surprise meeting with state Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger: 15

Number of previous times a senior legislative leader has met in public with Moral Monday protesters: 0

Number of changes Berger promised to make to his chamber's budget as a result of the meeting: 0

(Click on figure to go to source.)