The National Education Association has released a series of reports showing teacher pay in Arizona and around the country is lagging.
Arizona is nearly last in the nation for the amount of money the state spends on each student, making it hard to recruit and retain quality educators. The Arizona numbers are bleak for school spending. Average starting pay is 39th in the nation for Arizona teachers, and the average salary is 31st.
Becky Pringle, president of the association, said the state is following a national trend showing educator pay is not keeping up with inflation.
"That means many of our educators are effectively earning less today than they were 10 years ago," Pringle pointed out. "That has real consequences, not just for educators but for our students, our schools, our communities."
Pringle added when educators struggle, schools struggle and when schools struggle, students struggle. The data show teachers who are union members do better financially but it has not been the case in Arizona, a place where the state legislature is working to restrict union activity and punish teachers who threaten work stoppages, even if they are perceived to be coordinating work stoppages if one or more teachers are sick on the same day.
The news is better for higher education teachers in Arizona, where the average salary of just over $107,000 ranks at 18th highest in the nation. But for special education teachers, the numbers are bleak.
Darla Trujillo Knight, a special education teacher in the Gilbert Unified School District, said she is struggling.
"The cost of living continues to increase at a much higher percentage than teacher salaries, and unfortunately, salaries in our district are low and housing prices are quite high," Trujillo Knight explained. "After more than two decades in the classroom, my annual salary is just a little over $67,000, which isn't enough to cover our bills."
The association released its numbers in conjunction with Teachers Appreciation Week, during which it is urging constituents to contact state and federal lawmakers, calling on them to pass measures to increase teacher pay.
Source: Public News Service
