Teachers across Arizona are poised to walk out of schools on Thursday.
Parents are finding arrangements for their children as schools determine if they can stay open.
Governor Doug Ducey is pushing the "20 by 2020" initiative, getting teachers a net 20 percent raise by 2020. It hasn't made headway in the legislature. In a pointed message, Ducey vetoed 10 bills on Friday. He wants the legislature to send him a state budget that boosts teacher pay.
Then Thursday, the Arizona Educators Association announced 78 percent of polled educators voted in support of a walkout to increase school funding and salaries.
Arizona Educators United, a coalition of teachers, staff and administrators, lists the demands of educators they represent:
20% raise for all teaching and certified staff
• 2018-2019 school year
• Built into the salary schedule at the district level, mandated by the state
Competitive wages for all classified staff
• Based on inflation rate of previous year
• Aim to pay job families comparatively/competitively with similar jobs in the local market
• Honor years of experience in school district employment
Return school funding to 2008 levels
• Decrease class sizes to 23:1
• Provide 21st century resources and curriculum materials
No new tax cuts until AZ per-pupil spending reaches national average
• Reapportionment of tax revenue should not hurt programs that help the low socio-economic status families and individuals
• Tax revenue should be generated from sources that are generated within the state economy
Yearly raises until AZ teacher salary reaches the national average
• Steps based on years of experience with no compression or reduction of years that qualify
• Lanes based on amount of education including work beyond an earned degree
It's unclear when a walkout would be called off.