Arizona Teachers Say No More. I Stand with Them.
Teachers in Arizona are on the brink of a strike. Today, at least 9 schools are closed as teachers held sick outs, walk outs and are rallying at the state Capitol. Our current governor, Doug Ducey, has ignored teachers for years and we have reached a breaking point. Teachers in Arizona are the lowest paid in the nation and cuts to K-12 in Arizona have been the most severe. Educators are rightfully demanding raises and to be treated like professionals. I stand with our teachers and school support staff. We can no longer sit quietly as Ducey and Republicans further decimate our schools; it is time to fight.
As story after story comes forward - teachers working 2 and 3 jobs, watering down their own children’s milk to get through the month, or being forced from the profession they love just to make ends meet - a grassroots movement, #RedforEd Arizona, has gained major momentum with more than 36,000 members in a matter of a few weeks.
Meanwhile, dark money deceptive advertisements began airing across the state attempting to portray a false narrative around Ducey's accomplishments. Ducey has been a part of the Betsy DeVos agenda his entire tenure passing the largest voucher expansion in the country last year. Unfortunately for them, the Ducey and DeVos lies about school funding aren’t fooling anyone. Combating dark money has been as simple and compelling as teachers posting their pay stubs online, telling the real story and telling the truth.
Last week, Arizona teacher Elisabeth Milich posted a photo of her salary on Facebook and USA Today picked up the story. Her salary is $35,490 per year after many years teaching with a bachelors degree and additional professional development. (The Federal Poverty Level for a family of four in Arizona is $25,100.) She posted the photo after seeing her expected pay raise for taking professional-development courses; the amount, $131 per month.
"This is my new pay after taking a few professional development classes," Milich stated in the post. "I actually laughed when I saw the old salary vs. the new one. I mean really, I need a college degree to make this? I paid $80,000 for a college degree, I then paid several hundred more to transfer my certification to AZ."
I love teaching. In a world of fleeting superficial fads, what we do is the opposite of temporary. Good teaching has impacts for generations and can have untold effects beyond the classroom. I also deeply believe in public schools. They are this country’s greatest invention and are the reason I am where I am at today. I’m running for governor to fight for public schools and I have a plan to make our schools great including giving teachers a real raise.
But this movement is about something much bigger than me. It’s about respect. It’s about the educators, kids, and families who deserve great schools in Arizona and who have been abandoned by their leadership. I stand with our Arizona teachers and support staff. I stand with #RedforEd. I am inspired by every single person that has supported and been a part of this movement. Thank you for giving my kids, your kids, and all the kids of Arizona a chance for a better future.
David Garcia is running for Governor of Arizona.