PHOENIX , ARIZONA: Arizona GOP lawmakers have disclosed plans to introduce a legislation called "Teacher Pay Fund," which aims to enhance compensation for K-12 teachers in the state by 7%.
What is the Teacher Pay Fund?
Senate President Warren Petersen unveiled the proposal, aiming to boost the average teacher's salary from $56,000 to over $60,000 annually, funded through the land trust endowment - a long-term education fund.
What does National Education Association survey say about teachers' salaries in Arizona?
Notably, the National Education Association's survey places Arizona's average teacher salary at the 32nd spot nationwide, while per-student spending ranks at a low 49th in the nation.
The Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association's survey revealed that out of 7,518.3 open teacher positions at the start of the school year, 29.7% remained unfilled by September, partly attributed to Arizona's teacher salaries.
Beth Lewis, executive director of Save Our Schools Arizona, pointed out that the persistent teacher shortage in the state is exacerbated by low pay and inadequate working conditions, leading to challenges in recruiting educators.
Julie Garcia, a kindergarten teacher for 12 years, expressed the financial struggles she faces, “The teacher pay has been my biggest struggle in recent months, especially during this inflation. There are more times than I would like to admit that my family has had to wait a few days to get groceries or gas or have to use the dreaded credit card,” Garcia said at the Monday news conference.
“This is alarming for me and my family. Many teachers have second or third jobs and pick up many odd jobs to get by.”
Statistics from the Institute of Education Sciences indicate that 15.8% of public school teachers held additional jobs outside the school system during the 2020-2021 school year, earning an average of $6,100.
The GOP-proposed Teacher Pay Fund aims to bridge this financial gap.
Lawmakers and educators debate proposed Teacher Pay Fund
Representative Matt Gress praised the proposal for ensuring that every dollar directly benefits classrooms, bypassing administrative overheads and union complexities.
“What I really like about this proposal is it puts 100% of every dollar into the classroom. Arizonans want teachers to be paid more. Arizonans want more dollars to go into the classroom,” said Rep Matt Gress, R-Phoenix.
“It’s time to do the right thing to bypass administration and the education unions and get our teachers the pay raise they deserve.”
However, House Democratic Whip Nancy Gutierrez raised concerns about potential hurdles in the proposal's execution, citing imbalances caused by prior initiatives like universal school vouchers, which Democrats claim created a $400 million budget shortfall.
The Arizona Education Association supports teacher pay raises but contends that the current proposal falls short.
President Marisol Garcia stressed the need to include education support professionals in any raise, pointing out their underpayment and impact on daily student activities.
Save our Schools Arizona's Lewis emphasized the importance of holistic investment in education, highlighting deficiencies in the numbers of counselors, librarians, and nurses in schools and the burdens placed on classroom teachers.
The proposed Teacher Pay Fund has sparked debates among lawmakers and educators, raising questions about the comprehensiveness needed to address the multifaceted challenges in Arizona's education system beyond solely increasing teacher pay.
