Arizona teacher strike: Teachers vote to hold walkout starting Thursday

More than 1 million students in Arizona go to public school in more than 200 districts, which have varying walkout plans. The state's largest, Mesa Public Schools, has said it would close and hourly staffers would not be paid.

Both my children are in the Mesa public school district and I just received notice that schools are closed starting Thursday until further notice.

My wife and my mother are teachers here in the valley and they will be at the capital on Thursday.

Doug Ducey did say he would up teachers pay 20% over the next 2 years but he refused to meet with the teachers about it. He also refused to acknowledge the terrible pay for teaching staff as well as enormous class sizes.

The worst possible thing we could do is not take action right now," said Noah Karvelis, an organizer for Arizona Educators United. Around 57,000 teachers submitted ballots and 78 percent voted in favor of the walkout, according to the Arizona Education Association.

It could pose child care difficulties for thousands of families and leave teachers at risk of losing their credentials. How a strike could play out in more than 200 public school districts will vary, but could leave hourly workers like custodians without their paychecks. Beth Simek, president of the influential Arizona PTA, said she feels the pain of teachers who are torn. Some are concerned about the effect on support staff and what kids might do without school, she said. "I know they're toiling with that," Simek said. "I also know they need these raises."

The vote in Arizona came after Ducey's pay raise plan didn't address other demands, including more overall school funding. Some walkout supporters say they want to send a message that other workers, such as bus drivers and receptionists, should get raises, too.

The Arizona Education Association, which supports the grass-roots campaign and helped announce the vote results, previously warned its 20,000 members about a 1971 Arizona attorney general opinion saying a statewide strike is illegal under common law and participants could lose their teaching credentials.

At this point, a walkout is needed. Since I have been of voting age in Arizona two different tax increases went into effect to give more funding to schools. Neither tax actually went to the schools. One of them is still tied up in litigation because the state says they can spend the money on whatever they want.

What is really starting to upset me is the ignorance that surrounds the teaching position and what all it entails. I cant believe how many people think that teachers only work 9 months out of the year and that it is an 8 to 5 clock in clock out job.

My wife comes home every day after working from 7am to school close and she still is not done. She still has lesson plans and IEP's to write.

What does ATS think? Ultimately the kids are the ones getting the short end of the stick


Source

Side note: as I write this at 8pm my wife is still working on her IEP's

I'm in AZ.

Hard to keep good teachers.

The pay is lowest or 2nd lowest in the entire country.

a reply to: Annee
I’m in AZ too. The teachers have my full support. Governor Ducey doesn’t seem to understand that they don’t just want raises for themselves (although they certainly should get raises), they want and need school funding at least back to the 2008 level. My company is instructing HR to allow parents to use alternative work schedules, as well as saying no penalties will be incurred if they have to take leave to care for their kids during the walkout.

a reply to: PraetorianAZ

Teachers are some of the most underpaid people on the planet. Most folks have no idea how much time goes into teaching when the teachers are not at school. And it's exhausting and draining. They have to be teachers, counselors, guards, performers, babysitters, referees,community organizers, etc....all rolled into one. And these days, they don't have a lot of support in disciplining children. I'm not talking spanking (which by the way, was practiced when I was in grade school! The principal had a round flat paddle hanging on the wall of his office, and it did get used), but verbal discipline, etc. Teachers and their principals are all afraid to correct a child for bad behavior, because they are afraid of being sued, etc.

I pray that their walk-out is productive and they get the raise they so badly deserve!

originally posted by: gwynnhwyfar
a reply to: Annee
I’m in AZ too. The teachers have my full support. Governor Ducey doesn’t seem to understand that they don’t just want raises for themselves (although they certainly should get raises), they want and need school funding at least back to the 2008 level. My company is instructing HR to allow parents to use alternative work schedules, as well as saying no penalties will be incurred if they have to take leave to care for their kids during the walkout.

Ducey is not trustworthy.

He says one thing - - then votes party line.

If I may ask what percentage of the student body is illegal aliens?

originally posted by: Annee
I'm in AZ.

Hard to keep good teachers.

The pay is lowest or 2nd lowest in the entire country.

The ranking of teachers varies with what study you're looking at. John Hook was on KTAR this afternoon and said that teacher pay, in and of itself, ranked 38. Overall spending is what's in the basement.

yeah man here's the deal


we need someone to stand in the gap left over from govt being too big

the gap....is what the creator wants filled no matter who does it.....crap the young upcoming teacher types just have so much properness and energy.....their momentum makes the whole city of families and their young ones develope....grow socially and spark their mends

no other sector can perform so much of the social correctness....or civility

governor or state is money hungry and hold the teacher machine down for other state items......send me in coach...i'll kick some AZ.governor azz

originally posted by: Peacetime

originally posted by: Annee
I'm in AZ.

Hard to keep good teachers.

The pay is lowest or 2nd lowest in the entire country.

The ranking of teachers varies with what study you're looking at. John Hook was on KTAR this afternoon and said that teacher pay, in and of itself, ranked 38. Overall spending is what's in the basement.

As always, depends on who you ask - - or who says what.

I'm here. I know its bad.

a reply to: PraetorianAZ

I think it's about time we had a reform with the salaries of one of the most important jobs in our society.

Underpaid teachers = frustrated teachers
Frustrated teachers reflects on the children and the classroom environment.

Congress's salaries only seem to go up and up... Year after year..

originally posted by: PraetorianAZ

More than 1 million students in Arizona go to public school in more than 200 districts, which have varying walkout plans. The state's largest, Mesa Public Schools, has said it would close and hourly staffers would not be paid.

Both my children are in the Mesa public school district and I just received notice that schools are closed starting Thursday until further notice.

My wife and my mother are teachers here in the valley and they will be at the capital on Thursday.

Doug Ducey did say he would up teachers pay 20% over the next 2 years but he refused to meet with the teachers about it. He also refused to acknowledge the terrible pay for teaching staff as well as enormous class sizes.

The worst possible thing we could do is not take action right now," said Noah Karvelis, an organizer for Arizona Educators United. Around 57,000 teachers submitted ballots and 78 percent voted in favor of the walkout, according to the Arizona Education Association.

It could pose child care difficulties for thousands of families and leave teachers at risk of losing their credentials. How a strike could play out in more than 200 public school districts will vary, but could leave hourly workers like custodians without their paychecks. Beth Simek, president of the influential Arizona PTA, said she feels the pain of teachers who are torn. Some are concerned about the effect on support staff and what kids might do without school, she said. "I know they're toiling with that," Simek said. "I also know they need these raises."

The vote in Arizona came after Ducey's pay raise plan didn't address other demands, including more overall school funding. Some walkout supporters say they want to send a message that other workers, such as bus drivers and receptionists, should get raises, too.

The Arizona Education Association, which supports the grass-roots campaign and helped announce the vote results, previously warned its 20,000 members about a 1971 Arizona attorney general opinion saying a statewide strike is illegal under common law and participants could lose their teaching credentials.

At this point, a walkout is needed. Since I have been of voting age in Arizona two different tax increases went into effect to give more funding to schools. Neither tax actually went to the schools. One of them is still tied up in litigation because the state says they can spend the money on whatever they want.

What is really starting to upset me is the ignorance that surrounds the teaching position and what all it entails. I cant believe how many people think that teachers only work 9 months out of the year and that it is an 8 to 5 clock in clock out job.

My wife comes home every day after working from 7am to school close and she still is not done. She still has lesson plans and IEP's to write.

What does ATS think? Ultimately the kids are the ones getting the short end of the stick


Source

I'm a former middle school science teacher that taught in the Phoenix greater area in Az.

There are so many issues that need to be addressed, from low pay to schools without sufficient funding or school supplies. In my first year as an 8th grade science teacher, despite needing a laundry list of science materials to do my job, I literally had zero. I got donated about $1000 in lab equipment halfway through the year. Even with such help, I had to buy science supplies on a regular basis using my own modest teacher salary. Also, people don't realize this but if a teacher is working with low income students that are often several years behind grade level, and you are expected to have them meet testing and curricular requirements, your job can easily become a 7 day a week, 12 hour a week day job.

Then you have class sizes that are far too large, and all kinds of issues compounding that from poverty to gangs. Discipline problems can become extreme and teaching very difficult. The number reason cited for teacher burnout and resignation is such issues.

People don't understand that when you are dealing with 7 hours a day of insane, disruptive, disrespectful classrooms, it can be incredibly stressful and if bad enough, traumatic. The 7 odd hours a day is just active teaching, not all of the meetings, grading, planning, etc.

originally posted by: odzeandennz
a reply to: PraetorianAZ

I think it's about time we had a reform with the salaries of one of the most important jobs in our society.

Underpaid teachers = frustrated teachers
Frustrated teachers reflects on the children and the classroom environment.

Congress's salaries only seem to go up and up... Year after year..

I agree. Many people don't realize how difficult it can be to be a good, effective teacher. It's a serious profession, and evidence shows that education is one of the most important investments for both society and individuals.

a reply to: PraetorianAZ

Well twenty percent is a bit of a stretch and a stupid promise to make, but expecting twenty percent is just grasping at straws.

Do students in AZ have mushrooms growing on the walls like in Detroit? Or how about air conditioning? Detroit students don't have heat in the winter.

originally posted by: wantsome
Do students in AZ have mushrooms growing on the walls like in Detroit? Or how about air conditioning? Detroit students don't have heat in the winter.

It depends. Like I said, we were severally lacking funding and supplies at my school. Th building was new, so it had AC. Not much else.

There are areas of AZ however that are in the mountains and snowy, so you could run into similar issues as cold states if the facility is old and in a low income district.

found it myself

PHOENIX — The number of people in this state illegally dropped by close to 12 percent between 2009 and 2012 according to a new study. But despite the drop, more than 121,000 students in public schools in Arizona is the child of at least one parent who is not here legally. Probably close to 97,000 of those were born in this country and are U.S. citizens. But the data suggests that they would not have been born here — and enrolled in Arizona schools — had one of their parents not entered the country illegally or overstayed a visa. And the balance of those 121,000 were not born in this country and are themselves undocumented. tucson.com...

there's your problem

originally posted by: PraetorianAZ
What is really starting to upset me is the ignorance that surrounds the teaching position and what all it entails. I cant believe how many people think that teachers only work 9 months out of the year and that it is an 8 to 5 clock in clock out job.

I'm not a big proponent of the argument that "people are ignorant of how much a teacher has to work to fulfill their duties"

Im more inclined to believe the issue is that most people just dont find it "extraordinary" that teachers have to work more than their 8 to 5 class schedules in order to fulfill their obligations.... most professionals have to work more than 40 hours a week for their given salary. So they are simply not sympathetic when a teacher laments about something they also must do.

Being a teacher is hard no doubt; but being a lot of other things is also difficult. The argument cant be "I work hard dam it!" because the response will always be "So? So do I!"

That said I asked the Google some simple questions about average salaries in AZ and NY (where I live)

AZ Teacher: $47,000
AZ Engineer: $94,920
AZ Pharmisist: $119,450

NY Teacher: $70,518
NY Engineer: $83,870
NY Pharmisist: $119,350

It certainly seems that Arizona Teachers are being under valued just from a quick comparison point of view. So I can certainly understand why they are striking and I hope they get some of their demands met.

originally posted by: Quetzalcoatl14

originally posted by: wantsome
Do students in AZ have mushrooms growing on the walls like in Detroit? Or how about air conditioning? Detroit students don't have heat in the winter.

It depends. Like I said, we were severally lacking funding and supplies at my school. Th building was new, so it had AC. Not much else.

There are areas of AZ however that are in the mountains and snowy, so you could run into similar issues as cold states if the facility is old and in a low income district.

AZ - - we had mold.

What does that have to do with the low pay of teachers in AZ?

Growing Number of Arizona Schools Facing Mold Problems: www.webwire.com...

originally posted by: Annee

originally posted by: Quetzalcoatl14

originally posted by: wantsome
Do students in AZ have mushrooms growing on the walls like in Detroit? Or how about air conditioning? Detroit students don't have heat in the winter.

It depends. Like I said, we were severally lacking funding and supplies at my school. Th building was new, so it had AC. Not much else.

There are areas of AZ however that are in the mountains and snowy, so you could run into similar issues as cold states if the facility is old and in a low income district.

AZ - - we had mold.

What does that have to do with the low pay of teachers in AZ?

Growing Number of Arizona Schools Facing Mold Problems: www.webwire.com...

I was responding directly to someone else's response regarding AC in AZ schools versus heat in Detroit schools. I'm a former AZ teacher, and am intimately aware of teacher pay thanks.