Republican state lawmakers condemn teachers who called out sick for ICE protests

PHOENIX — Republican state lawmakers are speaking out against teachers who called out sick last week as part of a nationwide protest against ICE actions.

In a joint statement Wednesday, Rep. Matt Gress and Sen. Hildy Angius said the teachers’ actions forced many public school campuses to close.

Gress and Angius, both Republicans, chair the education committees in their respective chambers.

Tucson Unified School District closed 20 schools last Friday, Jan. 30, after thousands of employees called out sick, according to AZ Luminaria.

The sick‑outs coincided with a planned national day of protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, during which students dozens of Valley high schools walked out of class.

Gress in the statement called the teachers’ actions “unacceptable.”

“Families paid the price for political tactics that do not belong in public education,” Gress said.

Gress and Angius said legislation is being drafted to prevent similar school disruptions.

“Arizona students deserve classrooms that stay open and leaders who put education first,” Angius said in the statement. “We intend to act.”

Union leader accuses lawmakers of exploiting teachers for political purposes

Marisol Garcia, president of the Arizona Education Association, said that while the union was not involved in any planned activities, the exploitation of teachers for political purposes is “horrifying.”

“Any politician who uses Arizona’s overworked and underpaid educators as a political punching bag should be deeply ashamed of themselves,” Garcia said. “We urge all politicians to tone down their rhetoric for the sake of our schools and our students.”

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

Related

Students from around 30 Valley schools stage walkout as part of nationwide anti-ICE protestsHundreds call for Phoenix school board member to resign over his controversial political tiesWho is running to be Arizona’s next superintendent of public instruction?Kimberly Yee wins GOP primary for Arizona schools chief over Tom HorneArizona voters to choose Republican and Democratic nominees for top education positionFormer Mesa High School official claims that an inaccurate police report destroyed his career