Arizona educators push back against lawmakers on second day of walkout

PHOENIX — After weeks of pleading with lawmakers to raise their pay and better their teaching conditions, educators have begun to fight back.

“We’re not gonna take it anymore.”

Those Twisted Sister lyrics embodied the message that echoed throughout the Arizona Capitol on Friday, as educators and supporters gathered for the second day in a row to protest for higher wages and better classroom conditions.

But while the participants behind the #RedForEd movement hoped to appeal to state lawmakers, their calls for help fell on deaf ears, as the Legislature dismissed for the weekend on Thursday afternoon and have not returned to work.

“They fled from the red because they couldn’t handle it,” said Noah Karvelis, an organizer with Arizona Educators United, the group behind the #RedForEd movement.

“We’re here when they’re not because we fight for our kids when they will not.”

Gov. Doug Ducey proposed a plan earlier this month that, if approved by lawmakers, would have increased teacher pay by 20 percent by 2020 and would have pledged millions for districts to use for school maintenance.

But many educators pushed back on the proposal, saying it did not meet their demands and that there was no viable funding option to keep the proposal functioning past November.

However, it seemed like educators were not the only ones who were not a fan of Ducey’s proposal: State Sen. Steve Farley told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Mac and Gaydos this week that lawmakers did not have the votes to pass the plan.

Matthew Specht, spokesman for the Republican Caucus at the Arizona House of Representatives, said in an email that House leadership was at the Capitol “continuing to negotiate the budget,” but that there was no scheduled activity on the House floor.

Beth Simek, president of the Arizona PTA, praised the crowd for “[stepping] up with a very loud voice for our kids” during Friday’s rally.

“I know it’s hard, I know you don’t want to be here, I know you want to be in your classrooms,” she said.

“You love our kids. You love our kids the way I love our kids.”

But Simek stressed the importance of standing up to the Legislature in order to make their calls for a 20 percent raise, more pay for support staff and higher per-student funding a reality.

“We can no longer stand idly by and let these people bully us,” she said.

“When we talk about bullies to our kids, we tell them to stand up to bullies. I need you to help me stand up to these bullies and not let them push us around anymore.”

Arizona Education Association President Joe Thomas said there will be a third day of walkouts on Monday.

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