Here is how Arizona school districts are preparing for teacher walkout
Apr 18, 2018, 4:35 PM | Updated: Apr 22, 2018, 9:17 am
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
PHOENIX — Teachers across Arizona have voted to stage long-term walkout to force a response on their demands for higher pay and improved classroom conditions.
Public school teachers across the state will go on strike starting April 26. Voting ended Thursday overwhelmingly in favor of the move.
They had marched and rallied in the streets for the third straight Wednesday, staging “walk-ins” before class.
Before the vote was final, several school districts were preparing for the possibility of a long-term walkout and how that would affect the students and their parents.
The following Arizona school districts have outlined their plans in the event of a walkout:
Deer Valley Unified School District
Superintendent Curtis Finch wrote parents:
“If a strike is planned, DVUSD will make every effort to avoid closing schools. We are currently working on plans to keep our schools open in the event of work stoppage.
“However, if we have too few staff members to safely hold school, we may be forced to closed schools. You may want to consider an alternative daycare plan in the event that schools are forced to close.
“In the event that we are unable to hold school, parents and guardians will receive a phone call and/or email (if provided to the school) with information about a school closure. This information will also be shared on the district website and on social media (Facebook and Twitter ).
Scottsdale Unified School District
“As you may have heard, Arizona teachers are considering potential action, such as a walkout, that could impact the school day. Our hope is that the district would be awarded of these date(s) in advance, but we are preparing for all possible scenarios. Plans will be developed with student safety as the top priority,” the district said in an email.
Gilbert Public Schools
Shane McCord, superintendent of Gilbert Public Schools, wrote parents:
“At the time of writing this, no decision has been made and no date has been set by the organizers. However, as a district we are proactively working to determine the potential impact on school operations. We are planning for all potential scenarios in order to minimize any potential disruption to your child’s education.
“Please be aware that In the event of a work stoppage it is possible that schools will need to close.
“Be assured that we will do everything we can to provide you with as much advance notice as possible.”
Mesa Public Schools
“District leadership has been meeting to determine plans for a potential teacher walkout. Our priority is the safety and welfare of our students. Liability and financial factors indicate that if a walkout is announced, the best option is to close our schools,” Superintendent Michael Cowan said in an email.
The letter continued to say that other staff members would not work and would not be compensated if the school were to close. Teachers would also be forced to work without pay by making up those days at the end of the school year.
Kyrene School District
“There are still unanswered questions that may cause some concern but the commitment we have always had is to the provision of a healthy, safe and productive learning environment, acting as good stewards of this community’s investments,” Superintendent Jan Vesely said in a post.
“As a district, we are encouraging our staff to avoid disruption of the school day or loss of classroom instruction as they express their support of the #RedForEd message. Any activity that forces the cancellation of class or interrupts the learning of the children with whom we are entrusted would be unacceptable and this position has been shared with our staff.”
Tucson Unified School District
In the event that Tucson teachers will participate in a walkout, Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo told the Arizona Daily Star that they should not worry about losing their jobs.
“This is not a confrontation,” Trujillo said.
“The #RedForEd movement and our teachers have been wonderful. They’ve exhibited great leadership in this movement, and certainly we don’t view any of their actions as anti-Tucson Unified School District.”
However, classes would be cancelled in the event of a walkout.
“I’m supportive of walk-ins. I’m supportive of #RedForEd. I’m supportive of gatherings before and after the work day. I can’t be supportive of an action that takes teachers away from students, particularly at a crucial point of the year when our kids need them most,” he said.
The district also sent out a form outlining what might take place and the best course of action for parents and students.
If school is closed, Tucson Unified’s highest priority is timely communication. The district will use its emergency notification system, its website, school websites, phone calls with district officials and verified district and school social media accounts to best get information out. If the closures last longer than a day, daily communication will continue to be provided.
If the school is closed, the before- and after-school childcare will be canceled. School trips will also be canceled.
Additionally, if a school does close, it must make up the time missed at the end of the year, according to state laws and current policies.
If schools don’t close, but have limited staff, bus transportation to and from school will be provided, but there may be limited academic instruction and support services.
Higley Unified School District
District officials said they would be counting votes at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, but did not have a set plan in place.
In the case of a walkout, certified and classified staff will be able to use their general leave days to receive pay or classified staff could receive pay for hours worked, said one employee with the district.
Peoria Unified School District
The Peoria Unified School District is committed to keeping our community up to date on any developments related to the walkout and the operation of our schools and will provide 24-hour notice if school will be closed.
Cave Creek Unified School District
Superintendent Debbi Burdick wrote in an email that she other officials “we will be meeting with our principals and directors to determine staff capacity to operate our schools” Friday.
She added that she would also talk with Arizona Educators United teacher representatives for each school and “After these meetings, we will finalize our plans for our students and send out our plans on Monday.”
In an email before the strike, Burdick had written, “If a walk out would transpire after a school day begins, we will make sure all students are supervised until an authorized parent or guardian can pick them up or until the end of the school day when they would return home at their normal time.”
Pendergast Elementary School District
“If a walkout or strike is called, we will have contingency plans in place,” Superintendent Dr. Lily Matos DeBlieux said. “Pendergast District and its twelve schools will keep schools open to serve breakfast and lunch to our students and ensure they are properly supervised. However, in the event we have too few staff members to ensure the safety on our campuses, we may be forced to close schools. We ask that you consider an alternative plan for your student(s) if our schools are forced to close.
“In the event that we are unable to hold school, we will use all modes of communication to alert families to the closures including our parent alert system, emails, phone calls, district and school websites, and social media.”
Paradise Valley Unified School District
“In the event of a work stoppage, we will make every effort to keep schools open. If we do not have adequate staff and campus security to safely hold school, we may have to close our schools,” Superintendent James Lee said in a letter. “We will do everything we can to provide you with as much advance notice as possible and use our SchoolMessenger notification system to provide information to you. Please make sure that your phone numbers and email addresses are current in our student information system.”
Madison School District
“A strike by teachers and/or support staff could result in an interrupted school day or a closed school. An interrupted school day would mean suspended instruction, temporary teacher and classroom changes, combined classrooms, large group school assemblies, or other structured activities,” Superintendent Quinn Kellis said in an email. “A closed school would mean a full cancellation of the school day, including a closed school office.
“The actual response plan for each school depends on the number of school staff who report to work and the number of students who attend on the day of the strike. All efforts will be made to keep each school open. If there are not enough teachers or support staff at the school to safely supervise students, the school will be closed. Administrators will give you the most advanced notice possible if a strike is planned. You may be asked to pick up your child after the school day has started.
“At this time, there is no specific date set for a strike. I am providing you with this notice so you can begin making plans should a school be closed with little or no advanced notice. Please update your home and cellular contact and email information as soon as possible. Madison will use all communication resources possible to communicate with you if a strike is scheduled. Please watch for future letters, emails, texts or other communications from the Madison School District.
Scottsdale Unified School District
“Scottsdale Unified School District does not want to see schools closed by a work stoppage. However, we may be forced to close individual schools due to staff shortages,” the district said in a letter to parents. “District leadership has been meeting to determine plans for walkout days. The number one consideration in these discussions is the safety and welfare of our students.
“SUSD will keep parents updated via phone calls, text message and email. Please make sure your contact information is up to date, and frequently check for communications from SUSD.”
The district said parents would be contacted about the status of the schools by noon on Tuesday, adding that only transportation for students in off-campus programs and high school athletics would be running in the event of a closure.
However, even if a closure were to occur, the district said activities such as graduation would still go on as scheduled.
If your superintendent, district or principal has contacted employees about potential strike plans, email us at webmaster@ktar.com.