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Douglas renews call for tax hike to fund teacher raises
In her annual State of Education speech Monday, Douglas cited statistics showing that more than one out of every five teaching vacancies at the beginning of this school year still remained unfilled four months later.
Ducey courts school districts with more K-12 money
Looking for a scapegoat a year ago, Gov. Doug Ducey accused school officials for the woes of the Arizona teacher, whose average salary is among the lowest in the nation. Nearly a year later, the governor sounds like a changed man.
Ducey budget proposal makes public school teacher pay raises permanent
One year after claiming local school officials can’t be trusted, Gov. Doug Ducey now has faith that state monies are going to pay teachers higher salaries.
Report shows lots of teaching job vacancies, uncertified teachers
A new report shows that nearly 2,000 teaching positions in Arizona remain vacant four months into the school year. And 866 have quit since August or just never showed up.... […]
Teachers say low pay ends careers in Arizona, leaves some at crossroads
Arizona teachers have not been quiet about their reasons for abandoning the profession and even the state: high stress, low morale and low pay. Yet the state’s response has not been enough to end the ongoing crisis, a new report from a Washington D.C.-based think tank concludes.
Teacher shortage hits state’s schools for deaf and blind too
The Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind have continually struggled to recruit and retain teachers who know their subject matter and are certified to teach students who are blind or deaf.
Christine Thompson: Fired (up) over Arizona’s education policy
Christine Thompson may be most known for the drama that very publicly unfolded when Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas in 2015. But over the past four years she also experienced a different sort of “whirlwind."
State ironing out performance pay program for public schools
High-performing schools got a temporary boost in state funding because of their standardized test scores, but the additional money has proven to be incredibly short-lived for some schools under Gov. Doug Ducey’s signature performance pay plan.
Teachers union takes Ducey to task for pay raises for aides
Arizona’s teachers union called for a 20 percent pay raise for all educators in the state, arguing that if it’s good enough for Gov. Doug Ducey’s deputies, it’s good enough for teachers.
Arizona governor gives raises to aides despite lean budget
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has given 44 of his staffers raises of up to 20 percent despite offering teachers raises of less than 1 percent because of a lean budget.
We have made Arizona teachers ‘test prep robots,’ ‘slaves to the test’
AzMERIT scores are in, and schools are being issued grades based on how their students performed on a test taken six months ago that measured math and English language skills. Teachers across the state are running for cover, hoping and praying their students fared well on these high stakes tests. Some will celebrate while others will wonder if they will lose their jobs. But all still must teach.
Arizona public schools find ways to adapt to funding cuts
Arizona consistently ranks among the lowest in the nation for its per-student funding, a fact often cited by advocates hoping for a better financial picture for the state’s schools. But, as funding levels continue to lag years after the Great Recession, schools find ways to make do.
