Corrected: An earlier version of this story misstated the pay raise West Virginia teachers received after their strike. They received a 5 percent pay raise.
Teachers across the state of Arizona will walk out on Thursday in the first-ever statewide strike to press for higher salaries and school funding.
The walkout is set for April 26, following three days of school 鈥渨alk-ins鈥� this week. Walk-ins are meant to be a nondisruptive way for parents and community members to join educators before or after school hours to show their support.
There were about 57,000 votes cast by school employees across the state, and 78 percent voted yes to the strike.
The announcement was made by both Arizona Education Association officials and organizers of the teacher-led Facebook group Arizona Educators United, which has about 45,000 members. Social media has been a driving force for this wave of teacher activism in Arizona.
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鈥淭his is undeniably and clearly a mandate for action,鈥� said Joe Thomas, the president of the state teachers鈥� union.
He added that educators were demanding action鈥攎ore school funding and a teacher pay raise鈥攆rom the state legislature and the governor. Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, has said he will urge the state legislature to pass a 20 percent pay raise for teachers. But many educators have remained skeptical of the plan, questioning where the money will come from. The state鈥檚 Parent Teacher Association has pulled its support from Ducey鈥檚 plan, calling it financially unsustainable. However, the Arizona School Boards Association and the Association of School Business Officials still support the plan.
In a series of tweets, Ducey said he was committed to making sure the teacher pay raise passed the legislature.
鈥淣o one wants to see teachers strike,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f schools shut down, our kids are the ones who lose out.鈥�
Noah Karvelis, a music teacher and an organizer of Arizona Educators United, told reporters that he didn鈥檛 want to put any limitations on how long the walkout would last.
鈥淲e鈥檙e truly in a state of crisis right now,鈥� he said, referencing 鈥渃rumbling public school infrastructure,鈥� broken desks, and outdated textbooks.
The voting took place over three days, after a series of peaceful demonstrations and electrifying protests calling for better pay and more school funding. Arizona teachers, on average, make about $48,000 a year鈥攁bout $10,000 less than the national average.
Teachers in Oklahoma recently concluded a nine-day walkout, as did West Virginia teachers last month. West Virginia teachers received a 5 percent pay raise after their strike. Oklahoma鈥檚 walkout ended on a more mixed note: Teachers received a $6,100 pay raise and some additional funding for schools, but legislators refused to bend to the teachers鈥� demands in full.
In Arizona, striking is illegal for teachers, according to a 1971 opinion by the state鈥檚 attorney general at the time. Teachers could be fired or have their teaching licenses revoked. But according to the Arizona Daily Star, the superintendent of the Tucson Unified district鈥攖he largest in the state鈥攕aid teachers won鈥檛 lose their jobs if they strike.
鈥淭his is not a confrontation,鈥� Gabriel Trujillo told reporters. 鈥淭he #RedForEd movement and our teachers have been wonderful. They鈥檝e exhibited great leadership in this movement, and certainly we don鈥檛 view any of their actions as anti-Tucson Unified School District.鈥�
