Teachers hope summer vacation comes before budget passed
The potential for red-clad teachers again descending on the Capitol could motivate legislators to wrap up budget negotiations before school is out for summer.
Many Arizona teachers already had plans to attend budget hearings and votes at the state Senate and House of Representatives. But legislators’ inability to adopt a spending plan sooner presents the Red for Ed movement with an opportunity to spend even more time at the Legislature’s doorstep.
The presence last year of tens of thousands of teachers on strike and dressed in red at the Capitol forced the hands of the Legislature and Gov. Doug Ducey to pass a 20 percent pay raise over three years. The Red for Ed movement has remained alive, but has not made a substantial presence during this year’s legislative session. That could change.
Classes end in the Phoenix Union High School District and Mesa Public Schools on May 22 and May 23, respectively, and other school districts across Arizona will soon dismiss their students, too, leaving teachers with ample free time to kick-start their summer vacation at the Capitol.
Read more: https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2019/05/16/teachers-hope-summer-vacation-comes-before-budget-passed/