Arizona teachers to stay away from school again
Governor offers raise; Colorado educators also protesting underfunding
PHOENIX – Arizona teachers plan a third day of rallies at the state Capitol on Monday despite an announcement Friday that Gov. Doug Ducey and the Legislature’s Republican leaders had reached an agreement that includes a 20 percent raise by 2020.
Ducey’s plan does not address other demands, and the Republican announced the deal after teachers had left the Capitol for the day. Ducey, who is seeking re-election, did not talk with them Thursday or Friday.
Legislators in the GOP-dominated Arizona House and Senate adjourned early for the week on Thursday.
“I’m disappointed they left. I’m disappointed they won’t have a conversation,” said Barbara Skinner, an instructional specialist in Mesa. “We want people to know that this isn’t something that just happened a week ago. This has been 10 years in the making.”
Arizona teachers want the 20 percent raise but also have four other demands, including raises for support staff, yearly teacher raises, a restoration of $1 billion in state money for education that has been cut since the recession and no new tax cuts until the state per-pupil monies reach the national average. Arizona’s 2017 per-pupil expenditures were $7,501; the national average was $11,642, according to a National Education Association report released earlier this month.
Educators also protested Friday in Colorado.
“I’ve had enough of not having enough,” said Martha Petty, who teaches media studies at Harris Bilingual Elementary School in Fort Collins, Colo., and has been teaching for 32 years.
While teachers in both states are concerned about their salaries – average teacher pay in Arizona is $47,403, ranking 44th among states and the District of Columbia, and Colorado teachers average $51,808, 31st in the nation – what they say they really want is respect and financial support for their classrooms.
Since 2009, Colorado legislators have reduced the amount of money they directed to help rural schools, those serving high populations of at-risk students and those serving communities with a high cost of living.
Colorado lawmakers don’t have the power to raise taxes without asking voters. So the teachers union is backing a ballot initiative to raise taxes on people earning more than $150,000 a year and corporations.
Colorado’s teachers used personal days Thursday and Friday to make their trek to the Capitol and have heard supportive messages from Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper.
“We see you. We hear you,” said Hickenlooper. “We are working with you, not just today.”