PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said Thursday that he wants to see every teacher put more money in their pockets, a few days after educators protested his staff getting raises.

“I want to see every teacher in the state Arizona get a raise,” he told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News.

“We have $463 million additional dollars in this past year available for teacher raises. I’ve talked to many teachers who’ve received raises. I want to see every teacher get a raise.”

Ducey said his administration planned to keep funneling additional money into the state’s education system and pointed out that teachers received a small bump this year from Proposition 123 funding.

The stir over teacher salaries began anew last week after it was reported that some of Ducey’s employees received raises as high as 20 percent. Advocates have argued that money could have been given instead to educators.

Ducey said the reporter failed to understand that the bumps in pay were related to promotions and that his office has not increased its budget despite the raises.

“What I don’t want to do is confuse that with the misreporting and the confused reporting on what’s going on in the governor’s office,” he said.

“I want you to know there’s been no additional dollars spent in the governor’s office since I took office. We actually have 10 fewer employees in my administration.”

Ducey said statewide spending on government employees has actually decreased, another point the reporter did not note.

“I believe that article falls under the category of ‘Don’t believe everything you read,” the governor said.

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