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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 11 april 2018

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Arizona teachers join others nationally seeking pay hikes

By BOB CHRISTIE and ME- Karvelis said earlier that the to approve a statewide
LISSA DANIELS, Associated group sees no choice but walkout.
Press to move to walkouts. “It looks like we’re going to
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona The likely walkout is part of hit those numbers shortly
teachers who have orga- a wave of teacher rebel- here,” he said before head-
nized to push for big raises lions in states led by con- ing to school early Tuesday.
and a restoration of school servative leaders. In Okla- “In the meantime our gov-
funding are threatening homa, classes in the state’s ernor and our Legislature
a statewide walkout, fol- biggest school districts will have not responded to our
lowing the lead of educa- be cancelled for an eighth demands, our request for
tors across the country, in- day Wednesday because meetings. So it seems like
cluding Oklahoma where of protests. the only language they un- Teachers and supporters continue their walk circling the state
schools have been closed Leaders of Oklahoma’s derstand is escalated ac- Capitol as protests continue over school funding, Tuesday, April
for more than a week. largest teacher’s union tion here.”q 10, 2018, in Oklahoma City.
Leaders for a new grass- want a capital gains tax Associated Press
roots group called Arizona exemption repealed and
Educators United say they demanded the governor
could announce a date veto legislation repealing a
for action at any time. tax on hotel stays. Repub-
The group of about 40,000 lican Gov. Mary Fallin de-
members says Gov. Doug fied them and signed the
Ducey and fellow Repub- measure, while urging law-
lican lawmakers who con- makers to turn to other busi-
trol the Legislature have ness. Other states, includ-
not responded to requests ing West Virginia and Ken-
for negotiations. tucky, have seen teacher
Ducey, who is up for re- strikes or protests this year
election, said in a radio as the education commu-
interview Tuesday that he nity revolts against years of
would not meet with the cuts and lower spending.
protesting teachers be- Arizona education ad-
cause they are politicizing vocates say the state is
the issue. Instead, he said spending nearly $1 billion
he would continue meet- a year less on schools than
ing with school district of- before the Great Reces-
ficials and lawmakers to sion.
pass his budget proposal, The state’s teachers are
which adds some new among the lowest-paid
K-12 cash but not nearly in the nation. The teach-
enough to meet the teach- ers group that sprang up
ers’ demands. in March is demanding a
“What I’ve heard from 20-percent pay hike and
teachers is that they don’t annual raises, higher pay
want to walk out - they for support staff, a restora-
want to solve this prob- tion of school funding to
lem,” he said on KTAR ra- 2008 levels and an end to
dio. “And I’ll tell you the new tax cuts until per-pupil
people that are playing funding reaches the na-
politics, they want to walk tional average.
out.” The Arizona group has held
Outside the station, about #RedforEd protests at the
200 to 300 teachers pro- state Capitol and state-
tested. wide for weeks and plans
“We’re trying to get an- “walk-ins” for at least 1,000
swers, trying to get respect schools across the state on
is what it really boils down Wednesday. Karvelis said
to,” organizer and teacher 30,000 educators have rati-
Noah Karvelis told KTAR. fied the group’s demand
“He refuses to give that to list and they are close to
us.” getting enough teachers