Arizona Governor Doug Ducey agreed to a 20% pay raise for teachers by 2020 after previously offering only 1%, on top of last year’s 1%..
Teachers are wary.
“The Associated Press notes that the educators “were also seeking increased pay for support professionals, a permanent raise structure, and a freeze on corporate tax cuts until per-pupil spending reaches the national average.” Ducey’s proposal didn’t include more spending on those items.”
“On Wednesday, Arizona teachers staged a statewide “walk-in,” demanding an increase in pay and more funding for schools overall. And, organized by a recently formed advocacy group, Arizona Educators United, teachers had also discussed the possibility of staging a walkout if Republican lawmakers refused to reinstate about a $1 billion in cuts in state education funding over the last decade.
“The governor’s proposal includes a 9 percent increase that would go into effect this fall, bringing the median teacher salary in Arizona to $52,725.
“Ducey also pledged to give teachers a 5 percent increase in the fiscal year 2020 budget, and another 5 percent in the year after that.
“Those increases, coupled with the 1 percent increase teachers were given last year, would add up to the 20 percent raises and make the average teacher salary $58,130, Ducey said.
“As Casey Kuhn, reporter for NPR member station KJZZ wrote, Arizona teachers are among the lowest paid in the country, according to federal data. Average salaries last year were actually $8,000-$9,000 less than 1990 salaries when adjusted for inflation.”
An article I read today but will post tomorrow said that Republicans planned to link the pay offer to their voucher expansion proposal, which educators and parents have been fighting and which will be the subject of a statewide refendum, unless the Republicans find a sneaky way to keep it off the ballot.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
It will be interesting to see what strings are attached.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! A $20,000 raise as long as you go to work for a charter school.
LikeLike
It is 20%, not $20K, it could actually be more than $20K
LikeLike
Semi-kidding . . .
LikeLike
and who/what will be strategically weakened as the money gets moved around: no pain for the rich, manipulation only around monies already earmarked for public programs
LikeLiked by 1 person
Teachers should be wary. The new strategy is to give them a raise to get them to step down in their opposition to vouchers and “choice”. Rick Hesse said as much.
LikeLike
I hope Arizona keeps to the terms. Most politicians can’t be trusted.
LikeLike
Do not trust this man he has lied too many times. Why do you think he had to pass Prop 123? He stole from our funds to pay us back as per a supreme court order??? He is a slick politician who gave he is staffers a 20% raises thinking that the teachers only deserved a 1% raise? My school has no funding for major repairs. A leaky roof has made one room in one building to toxic to enter because of the mold. I have been under treatment for over a year for Miotoxins from being in that room. It costs me about $150 a month in medical bills and testing. My last 1% raise went to health insurance cost increases. I now get $2 less per a pay check. Does Ducey care? NO! Mold reduces cognitive ability. Does he care about the safety of our children NO!
LikeLike
Raises are necessary, but a t what cost? It seems to me that they are trying to bait a trap, extorting teachers to adopt the voucher expansion. This raises the interesting question of what would be considered acceptable in a pay raise situation. Ideally the raise would come with no strings attached, but in a less than ideal world, where is the line drawn of “good with the bad”? Is there a line?
LikeLike