CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has proposed a $30 million “teacher village” that is supposed to provide affordable housing for educators. But the idea is being met with some backlash from some advocates and teachers.
“It’s kind of a slap in the face because they’re like, ‘Okay we know we only pay you this amount of money so we’re going to put you in this village,’” Angela Browder, a Charlotte-area instructor, said.
“I think they will continue to be angry until they finally address the elephant in the room -- just pay a higher salary,” former CMS teacher Ayumi Nagano Durden said.
The proposal was put in front of the city council on Monday, June 3. It comes as teachers continue to push for higher pay and the district struggles to retain teachers.
“Our voices are continuing to be ignored. We’re always screaming we need a livable salary and they’re just like, ‘Oh no, we’re going to create a teacher village,’” Durden said.
The average teacher salary at CMS is less than $47,000 per year. The average cost to rent a 2-bedroom apartment is more than $1,700 per month, which means more than $20,000 of the average salary goes to rent.
The council decided they would allocate funding towards the housing concept, leaving some teachers with questions and others saying this will only cause bigger issues.
“Obvious by our actions how frustrated people are," Durden said. There’s an extreme teacher shortage in NC, classrooms are being overcrowded because there are enough teachers to teach."
The proposal and budget are set for a vote on Monday, June 10.
Contact Anna King at aking2@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X, and Instagram.