In a move that has lit a fire under Arizona educators, Republican leaders have brought forward proposals to increase teacher salaries while excluding other school staff from similar raises. According to 12News, two dozen educators assembled outside the state capitol yesterday, symbolically placing empty chairs to highlight the absence of GOP heavyweights like State Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma from the discussion table.
Putting forth a spectacle of unity, the teachers demanded that proposals include raises for all school employees, not just teachers. Melissa Germcheid, a physics teacher with the Tolleson Union Education Association, told 12News, "I’m calling on Republican legislative leaders who refuse to support raises for all Arizona educators to hear us out." The contention arose from Republican-sponsored bills seeking to extend Prop 123, set to expire next year, which currently provide funding only for teacher raises.
The exclusion of non-teaching staff from the raises has rankled many. Senate Education Chair Ken Bennett expressed his view that while non-teaching staff are "VERY IMPORTANT also," their wage increases could be managed from the larger portion of K-12 funding not designated by Prop 123. Proposed as a partial remedy to this issue, House Speaker Toma has mentioned support for "robust discussions" without committing to extending the Prop123 raises to all school employees. Meanwhile, education leaders like Marisol Garcia, president of the Arizona Educators Association, criticized the process for the lack of inclusiveness, stating, "The current four bills moving very quickly do not have input from educators, school board members, parents."
While the Republicans propose a strategic increase in teacher pay which opponents have quickly rebuked, critics suggest the GOP is flexing its muscles before a pivotal election. As AZ Central reports, Democrats claim the pay proposal is nothing more than a "shell game," despite the potential for it to elevate Arizona teacher salaries to near the national average. The step has led some, including Save Our Schools Arizona, to preemptively label the initiative as "unacceptable" and "smoke and mirrors," with opposition heating up even before the bill's ink has dried.
Despite opposition, Arizona faces a real teacher shortage, which the proposed pay raise aims to address by potentially bringing teacher salaries to $60,000 a year on average. Some see this as a political move by Republicans to appear more education-friendly before crucial legislative elections. Concerns about spending cuts if K-12 funding exceeds a certain percentage of the general fund are dismissed by supporters like Rep. Matt Gress as "highly unlikely." However, education groups, including the Arizona Education Association, argue that education support professionals are also underpaid and should be considered for raises, as reported by AZ Central.
