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LEGISLATIVE WORKSHOP

BY DON HARRIS

Douglas Emphasizes Support for Teacher Pay Raise,

Proposition 301 Extension and Expansion

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane By dedicating the additional funding to teacher
Douglas re-emphasized her strong support for salaries and to schools as she recommends, that would
increasing teachers’ salaries and for extending and provide close to an 11 percent raise for teachers. e
expanding Proposition 301. average teacher would receive nearly a $5,000 raise per
In an address to members of three public school year, she said.
organizations on Nov. 17, Douglas said, “ ere is no An extra $5,000 a year will pay for the average teacher’s
duty we have more important than educating our annual student loan, she said.
children.” Regarding addition funds for maintenance and repairs,
Douglas, a former school board member, kicked o Douglas recalled that when she was a board member
the Legislative Workshop sponsored by the Arizona the funds came from the School Facilities Board. Now
School Boards Association, Arizona Association Douglas schools have to apply for a grant, she said.
of School Business O cials, and Arizona School Douglas cautioned against asking for too much in a
Administrators, saying, “I know the challenges you deal with.” ballot measure, or voters might reject everything.
Douglas told of traveling around the state as part of her We Touting her Read20 AZ campaign, Douglas said, “Studies have
Are Listening Tour. She heard one shown that when a parent reads to a
key message repeatedly, whether “We need to pay our teachers better. That child or a child reads to a parent just
it was from urban or rural, liberal is why I’m advocating for the extension 20 minutes a day, the child’s reading
or conservative, Republican or skills develop dramatically.”
Democrat: “Overwhelmingly, what and expansion of Proposition 301 to a full Douglas also mentioned the
I heard, Arizonans have told me Arizona Broadband for Education
they want their teachers to be paid one cent immediately and permanently. Initiative, which uses federal grant
better,” Douglas said. It’s hard to believe it’s almost 20 years money to provide broadband internet
Within the rst three years on access to underserved and rural
the job, 42 percent of Arizona already (since it was passed by voters) schools at little or no cost.
teachers are leaving the profession. With the help of the Arizona
Arizona is ranked 49th for high and it will be sunsetting very soon.” Corporation Commission, the state
school teacher pay and dead last in — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas will receive more than $100 million
elementary school teacher pay. of federal dollars with the mission of
“ at’s not acceptable!” Douglas said. connecting every student in Arizona to broadband, Douglas said.
e superintendent recalled that she advocated a 5 percent Although it’s a federal grant, Douglas said, “It’s really our money.
pay raise for teachers last year, but the governor and Legislature e federal government just gives it back.”
were only able to pass a phased-in 2 percent raise. Already more than 100 schools and 80,000 students are signed
“We need to pay our teachers better,” she said. “ at is why up for this once-in-a-generation initiative, she said.
I’m advocating for the extension and expansion of Proposition On another issue, Douglas said she did not support Senate Bill
301 to a full one cent immediately and permanently. It’s hard 1042 which would have lowered teacher certi cation standards in
to believe it’s almost 20 years already (since it was passed by order to attract more teachers. “We need to raise standards,” she
voters) and it will be sunsetting very soon.” said. “We need to focus on increasing teacher salaries to help retain
Prop. 301 – a six-tenths of a cent sales tax – generates more and attract the best candidates.”
than $640 million annually, with about $500 million going to Douglas also commented on the A-F accountability system,
K-12 education. If Arizonans decide to expand Prop. 301 to saying she doesn’t believe that a single grade should de ne a school.
1 percent, it will generate around $400 million in additional She favors a more comprehensive grading system, whereby a school
funding for education every year. is rated on such things as extracurricular activities, the school’s
Douglas said she proposes that three-fourths of the mission, transportation data, test data, free-and-reduced lunch
additional money – $300 million – go to teachers’ salary and data, as well as other factors, helping parents and students make
$100 million to facilities. the best choice for their education.

10 THE EDGE WINTER 2018
THE EDGE |