By Amy Cockerham
Public Ed Works

APEX (February 18, 2026) – Former Wake County teacher Kathryn Hall weighs in on how North Carolina can best support teachers as election season ramps up.

“When you’re going through school to be a teacher, you learn about all of these methodologies of science behind how students learn and psychology and reading and math,” Hall said.

“We talk about ‘Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs’ which is just the basic needs that humans need in order to function and learn.”

The theory suggests food, shelter and safety are among the most basic important factors that affect behavior.

“If my students were exhibiting a behavior that was out of the realm, the first thing that I checked to make sure was… ‘Did you have breakfast? Did you sleep well last night?’” Hall said.

The very same concept can be applied to teachers.

“Having a solid foundation where you are making a livable wage, where you’re not having to juggle the day to day of being a teacher and then work a second job, or worry about your bills being paid, or try and find a roommate,” Hall said.

“All of these pieces is going to take away from the energy that you were able to put into your students, because you cannot pour from an empty cup.”

The latest report from the National Education Association ranks North Carolina 43rd in the U.S. for average teacher salaries. 

“There’s a lot that is wrong and that is hard in the education system,” Hall said.

“Do I think increasing teacher pay is going to fix everything? No. Do I think it’s going to give teachers the bandwidth to pour more into their students? Yeah. And I think that the teachers deserve it. And I think that the students deserve it.”

To show your support, choose legislators that put public education first. Early voting has already started in North Carolina, with primary elections set for March 3. To find your site and sample ballots, visit https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/vote-early-person.

---

Starting in 2020, Hall taught fourth and fifth grade for four years in Wake County. She now serves as Public Ed Works’ Development Campaign Manager.