Teachers in Phoenix area set to hold ‘teach-in’ at State Capitol
Mar 23, 2018, 5:16 PM | Updated: 5:32 pm
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
PHOENIX — Teachers in the Phoenix area will be holding a “teach-in” at the State Capitol as teachers continue protests through Arizona.
“After work on Wednesday, we are going to head down there around 4 p.m.,” Noah Karvelis, a spokesman for the group behind the initiative, Arizona Teachers United, told Mac & Gaydos on KTAR News 92.3 FM Friday. “Teachers are coming together at the State Capitol and essentially we’re going to do what we do best, we’re going to teach, we are going to continue our teaching day and teach down there.
“We’re going to address some issues that we think Arizona citizens, voters, other educators, parents need to know.”
During the first half of the March 28 event, there will be stations set up focusing on education funding, how the teacher crisis is functioning as well as food trucks and live music.
In addition, the teachers will also grade a big report card for Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, grading him on his performance, and even take attendance to see who decided to show up from the state legislature.
In the second part of the teach-in, the teachers are changing things up.
“Toward the second half, we are going to pivot and teachers are going to be giving some speeches on things that we think again people can benefit from especially our legislator and our governor,” Karvelis said.
Speeches include a high school economics teacher who is slated to talk on how economics work and a kindergarten teacher who will discuss how sharing works.
“At the end of the day, we took attendance in a fun way but also look who’s here, look who’s not here,” Karvelis said. “Also, look what we actually learned today about the funding crisis and I think it’s going to be really an empowering thing.”
The teach-in is just the latest protest to hit the state. Earlier this month, Ducey visited KTAR News 92.3 FM for his monthly exclusive interview with Mac and Gaydos as hundreds of educators and supporters gathered outside to call for higher wages.
Teachers in at least three Phoenix-area schools held a protest last Wednesday, calling in sick in order to participate in a #RedForEd protest at the Arizona Capitol.
The calls for higher wages and better treatment gained steam after teachers across West Virginia caused a nine-day shutdown of public schools due to a statewide protest. The strike ended after state officials vowed to raise teacher pay five percent.