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Could Arizona teachers be fired for walking out?

#RedForEd leaders appear to be aware of those risks.

By one estimate, Arizona hasn't seen a teachers' strike in the last 40 years.

The next strike could come Thursday, when #RedForEd leaders are organizing a walkout event.

Last week, teachers voted 78 percent in favor of walking out for higher pay.

The goal is pressuring Republican Gov. Doug Ducey to fund a 20-percent teacher pay raise and make up for school funding cuts over the last decade.

LIST: What school districts plan to do during walkouts Thursday

We've verified that a strike carries high risks for teachers and heavy burdens for schools and families:

  • Families would have to scramble to care for their children if a school shut down. The school year might be expanded to make up for lost days.
  • Schools could lose state or federal funding. Arizona students must attend class for 180 days, and there are just 40 days left in the current school year, according to Chuck Essigs, government relations director for the Arizona Association of School Business Officials.

If a school district falls short of 180 days, it could lose some government funding, Essigs said.

State School Superintendent Diane Douglas's office is checking with the attorney general on that question, said Douglas' spokesman Stefan Swiat.

  • Teachers would face the greatest risks. There are contract requirements that they work a specific number of days, Essigs said.

According to the Arizona School Boards Association, teacher contracts also include language barring coordinated efforts for a strike. Teachers could face discipline, lose their teaching credentials or even lose their job.

There is just one Arizona legal opinion on the books about a teachers strike. It's 47 years old.

"Teachers are public employees, and that it is therefore unlawful for teachers to strike," the opinion says.

#RedForEd leaders appear to be aware of those risks.

"If you think the superintendent's going to come to school that day and hand out pink slips, you're not ready (to walk out)," Arizona Educators United leader Derek Harris said in a Facebook post for teachers this week.

"If you haven't talked to your school district, you haven't talked to your superintendent (about a walkout), you need to make that a priority."

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