Arizona Capitol Times Your Inside Source for Arizona Government, Politics and Business
An education funding revolution has swept across conservative red states this year as teachers demand higher salaries and more resources for their classrooms.
Teachers in five states have gone on strike in order to make their voices heard.
In Colorado, teachers went on strike to protest a Republican-backed bill penalizing striking teachers. In Kentucky, teachers went on strike to protest changes to their pensions.
But in West Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizona, teachers walked out to demand higher wages. Arizona teachers went on strike for a shorter period of time, and will end up with higher wages than teachers who walked out before them.
There is no money in the budget for a 20% increase in teacher pay. Arizona has a higher cost of living than Oklahoma and West Virginia. Arizona’s starting salaries for teachers are much lower than its neighboring states (California, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico).