Arizona teachers have voted overwhelmingly to walk out in response to state budget cuts over many years. Here is news from Linda Lyon, president of the Arizona School Boards Association.
Arizona, like West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Kentucky, is a “right to work” state.
Here is the press release from the Arizona Education Association.
“Today, the Arizona Education Association (AEA) and Arizona Educators United (AEU) announced in front of AEA headquarters, that 78 percent of 57,000 Arizona educators voted to walk out of Arizona’s schools – citing 10 years of drastically underfunded schools resulting in overcrowded classrooms, crumbling infrastructure, and low wages for educators. Facebook video | YouTube video
“After years of starving our schools, some classes are stuffed with kids, while others sit empty because there isn’t a teacher to teach,” says AEU organizer and Littleton elementary music teacher Noah Karvelis. “The #RedforEd movement has provided educators the opportunity to voice what action they want to take in an historic statewide vote.”
“This vote was not an easy decision for educators,” says AEA Vice President and Isaac Middle School teacher Marisol Garcia. “As I turned in my ballot today, I thought about my son, my colleagues, and my students. By voting today, I am standing up for my son and all students in Arizona and the public schools they deserve.”
“We’re using textbooks from the 1990s because there’s no money for books. That’s just one of the reasons we’re fighting to make Arizona’s kids, schools and educators a higher priority in the governor’s office,” says AEA President and Mesa government teacher Joe Thomas.
“As educators, the students are at the center of everything we do. Every student deserves a chance at a quality education, and access to services like nutrition, health, and after school programs.
“The decision to walk out also comes on the heels of weeks of #RedforEd walk-ins and a disingenuous budget proposal from the governor that claimed a raise that excluded support professionals like counselors, bus drivers and cafeteria workers – and was not supported by actual funding.
“Education isn’t just a job, it’s a calling. That’s why we’re walking out,” said Noah.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
YES. More power to you and do not back down.
The nation is WATCHING. Go Arizona.
Teachers are FIRST RESPONDERS. Teaching is a CALLING, not just any job.
Teachers are WAYFINDERS.
The problem is, when people call teaching a “calling,” it’s an excuse to not pay teachers, because, well, if it’s a “calling,” someone will do it for little pay.
Teaching IS a job, one I had to get a bachelor’s degree to do, and I SHOULD be paid a salary that reflects that, as should we all.
AGREE, Threatened Out West. Teaching is definitely a job and teachers “SHOULD be paid a salary that reflect that, as should we all.”
I’m proud to be backing our Arizona teachers! I did after-school programs in several school districts for 12 years and have seen, first-hand the situation in our schools. I’m wearing red today!
After years of starving our schools, some classes are stuffed with kids, while others sit empty because there isn’t a teacher to teach,” says AEU organizer and Littleton elementary music teacher Noah Karvelis. “The #RedforEd movement has provided educators the opportunity to voice what action they want to take in an historic statewide vote.”
“Noah reincarnated as a teacher”
Two by two, they made the hike
The teachers to the ark
Noah helped the teacher strike
To free them from the dark
For forty days and forty nights
They paced the picket line
And finally, they saw the lights
The sun began to shine
The funding came to starving school
Like birds upon the wing
And Noah’s ark was needed fuel
For Arizona’s spring
A teaching moment is coming.
With the deals that teachers have now, you can’t hope to make improvements to the schools in a fiscally responsible way
Sigue la lucha hasta que venzamos.
How we will know when we’ve won?
When the teachers have the majority say in the curriculum for their own classrooms. When the administrators become the facilitators for that to happen and cease being supposed “líderes” (meant in the Spanish sense of caudillo or strong man). When the standards and testing regime is overthrown. When children cease to be abused by those GAGA Good German teachers and adminimals who should be protecting and nurturing them. When the schooling experience becomes such a satisfying experience for the students that they can’t wait to get up in the morning and get to school.
That’s just a few thoughts, although, I’m sure you and I could come up with more.
Kudos to these brave teachers, they are leading the way to a rebirth of unions and giving a voice not only to teachers but also to the beleaguered working class in this country. The smug arrogant corporate shills thought they had trampled out the union movement in this country. Think again, these teachers are leading the way; they are mad as hell and they’re not taking it anymore.
And it’s happening in “right to work” states, which the oilygarchs undoubtedly just assumed would always just stay in line.
Interesting times.
I wonder if it’s a social movement “tipping point”. The fact that it’s spreading like wildfire from state to state would seem to indicate as much.
If so, that is very bad news for the oilygarchs.
Love “OILYGARCHS.”
Godspeed folks. I admire your courage.
“This, for Gov. Doug Ducey, is the nightmare scenario.
Thousands of teachers voting to go on strike next Thursday because they just don’t trust this governor.
They don’t believe his sudden, desperate proposal to boost their pay 20 percent by 2020 is real.
They don’t believe it’s anything more than an election-year ploy built on wishful thinking rather than a real source of funding that teachers can rely on in future years.”
The Arizona governor’s reply reminds me of an old Popeye meme: