US: Arizona lawmakers reach deal while teachers demonstrate

Friday, April 27, 2018

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (R) has announced state lawmakers have reached a deal to fund the disputed 20% by 2020 teacher salary increase and a portion of the $1 billion USD that was cut during the Great Recession. Ducey’s announcement comes after teachers went on strike for two days closing the majority of public and some charter schools.

The initial deadline for lawmakers was Wednesday at 18:00 MST (0000 UTC Thursday), but allowed it to lapse immediately starting demonstrations along a 25 mile (40.2 km) stretch of Baseline Road lining it with teachers wearing red shirts, symbolizing the #RedForEd movement.

Since the strike began, multiple protests have occurred, the largest, thus far, was Thursday when 50,000 teachers demonstrated in the streets of Phoenix, Arizona. The demonstration shutdown Jackson Street going west starting at Chase Field, a Major League Baseball park, 3rd Street going north, and Washington Street going west to the Arizona State Capitol building, approximately a 2 mile (3.2 km) walk in a moderate, for the area, 97°F (36°C) temperature.

Downtown traffic was effected, causing vehicular detours and the temporary disabling some mass transit routes steaming from the Valley Metro’s Van Buren Street/Central Avenue hub located in downtown Phoenix, which is one mile north of Washington Street. Phoenix Metropolitan Area’s Light Rail system remained operational throughout the demonstrations without interrupting service from Downtown Phoenix to Sky Harbor Airport, Arizona State University in Tempe, and Arizona’s third largest city Mesa.

Thursday’s demonstration was not the first outside the Arizona Capitol Building. Educators and the #RedForEd supporters have staged multiple demonstrations urging the state legislature to adopt the budget measure for weeks with little traction. However, Ducey, after characterizing the situation as a “political circus”, endorsed the 20% raise by 2020 on April 12, 2018.

Ducey’s plan involves a 9% increase for the 2018-19 school year, followed by a 5% increase for both 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years. Which produces an aggregate 20% increase, with stipulation regarding inflation and economic growth. If Ducey’s education plan goes into effect, the average Arizona teacher’s salary would be $52,725 USD during the 2018-19 school year and the 2020-21 school year with the full 20% increase an average salary would be $58,130 USD, all without state taxes going up, hedging on continual economic growth. According to the National Education Association, the national average salary for the 2017-18 school year is $58,950 USD placing Arizona 45th nationally. An additional $100 million USD will be available for educational discretionary funds, of the $1 billion USD cut.

The budget, with the educational funding, was not brokered until late Friday while the state legislature remained adjourned since Thursday until the recess ends on Monday. The earliest time the budget could be approved is Monday morning, and the teachers on strike have not indicated if they will continue strike until the budget is accepted with the funding.

In an effort to aid parents, districts have preemptively cancelled classes giving parents time to find appropriate childcare, during school hours. During the strike, 75% of Arizona schools, 1,112 total, were forced to close and, of the 1.1 million public school students, 840,000 remained out of class. School districts have been developing contingency plans if the teacher strike continues in the case where the funding measure is not accepted for an extensive period of time or other adverse situation.

In the meantime the Red Cross and aid organizations, like the St. Mary’s Food Bank, started preparing Tuesday for food distribution sites intended for students whom get reduced or free breakfast and lunch meals, the priority students whom’s primary source of food is the school system. Other groups are setting up free child care services for households lacking the ability to care for a student during the times they are usually in school. Cities throughout the state have also accessed emergency funds for parks and recreation programs giving parents additional options.

There are several unanswered questions if the strike persists for an extended period of time. School Boards are debating extending the school year, if they have funds to keep the schools operational during the extensions. Also, there is no indication if the federal government will supplement operational costs during the extensions or help with funding the salary increase. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) nor Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) have made statements about the teacher strikes or have been involved with the educational resolution. Also the economic effects of the teacher strike has not been released and if student educational performance has been adversely effected by the interruption.

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