Arizona Teachers Announce Walkout Vote Results Thursday

PHOENIX, AZ – Arizona teachers appear headed for a walkout. The #RedforEd group, which has been organizing rallies and actions across the state, has obtained permits to stage rallies at the state capitol on Friday and four days next week.

Teachers and other school employees have been voting since Tuesday on whether or not to stage a walkout. The results of the voting are expected sometime Thursday. Anticipating a walkout, many districts have drafted contingency plans.

Teachers are demanding a 20 percent pay increase and eduction funding to be restored to 2008 levels.

While Gov. Ducey said for weeks that he would not offer more than a 1 percent increase, last week he offered 19 percent over three years. (Get Phoenix Patch's daily newsletter and real-time news alerts. Or, find your local Patch here and subscribe).

Teachers and others have expressed skepticism about the plan, citing a lack of a plan to make it sustainable and the fact that it would cannibalize funding from other essential programs.

The Arizona PTA announced on Wednesday that, after further research, they are withdrawing their support for the governor's proposal.

"We can no long support the governor's proposal," says Arizona PTA president, Beth Simek, who added that they hope the governor comes up with a plan that "does not hurt others in the process."

Noah Karvelis, one of the leaders of Arizona Educators United – the group behind #RedforEd – said that the governor's plan "falls short for us in a lot of different ways.

"This doesn't do enough for our kids and colleagues."

Arizona teachers are part of a growing movement around the country that started with striking teachers in West Virginia and has spread to states including Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Alaska. In the past few weeks, they have seen support growing for their demands for a 20 percent increase in pay and a restoration of funding to education.

Arizona teachers are among the lowest paid in the country and even if they received a 20 percent hike, they would still make less than the nationwide average.

Many Arizona teachers work two or more jobs in addition to teaching so that they can pay the bills.

Ducey had responded for weeks by insisting that teachers would only receive a 1 percent pay increase and insisted that he would not meet with them.

Last Wednesday, teachers across the state staged a "walk-in" where they were joined by supporters as they walked in to school that day. Organizers estimate more than 110,000 people participated.

They are also upset with Ducey for not offering to increase education funding overall.

Patch recently reported on teachers using decades old textbooks, having broken equipment, and teaching in rooms with holes in the ceiling and torn carpet.

Teachers also want education funding returned to the level it was ten years ago. The state legislature determined last year that, when adjusted for inflation, the state spends more than $900 per student less than it did in 2008.

Along with that, the teachers want a guarantee that the state will not cut taxes until per student spending reaches the national average. Currently, the state spends nearly $4,000 less per student than the national average of $11,392.

As a result, the teachers say they are ready to vote on a statewide walkout.

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Photo of one of the ballot boxes via Arizona Educators United.