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Arizona teachers rally as funding vote nears to end strike
PHOENIX — Striking Arizona teachers who won a big pay increase but came up substantially short of achieving their demands for more school funding flooded the Arizona Capitol for a fifth day Wednesday hoping it will be the last they are out of their classrooms.
The Republican-controlled Legislature was considering a state budget that promises the first installment of a 20 per cent pay increase by 2020 and a partial restoration of cuts to education funding, but many teachers said if the lawmakers failed to act Wednesday, they would not go back to work.
A day full of delays led strike organizers to ask teachers to return Thursday, and some school districts that had planned to re-open cancelled classes. The House and Senate planned late-night debates on the budget package.
Teachers didn’t get everything they wanted, but believe they made major inroads. They had sought an immediate 20 per cent pay raise, competitive pay for support professionals, guaranteed annual raises, funding returned to 2008 levels and no new tax cuts until Arizona reaches the national per-pupil funding average.