Arizona Teacher Walkout To Continue Monday

PHOENIX, AZ – Arizona teachers and educators gathered at the Capitol Friday in support of boosting their pay and education funding in the state. It was announced at the rally that the teachers' strike will continue on Monday, affecting nearly a million students.

Arizona Education Association President Joe Thomas made the announcement, according to AZ Central.

The state's teacher association will push for a ballot initiative to boost school spending, the AP reported, if the state's lawmakers don't provide new funding. Republican Gov. Doug Ducey hasn't met with the protesters. He has proposed a 20 percent pay increase, but his plan lacks other funding.

The rally began at 10 a.m., a continuance of Thursday's march and rally, which was cut short due to high temperatures, according to reports. With a temperature of 98 degrees, exacerbated by the dense crowds, event organizers decided to stop the rally for safety's sake.

Scheduled to last until 4:30 p.m., the rally ended at 1:30 p.m., according to AZ Central. The air was especially dangerous today as the National Weather Service issued an air quality alert, warning of excessive levels of ozone in the air and to decrease physical activity. There were reports of people passing out.

The Thursday teachers' march, a protest over low pay and poor education funding, saw over 50,000 estimated educators and supporters participating, according to police. A total of 852,000 students are effected by the strike.

Teachers are asking for a 20 percent increase in pay – which will still leave them making less than the national average – and while Gov. Ducey has said that he wants to increase pay 19 percent over three years, teachers and others have criticized the plan as not sustainable and not a real plan.

Just like their pay, Arizona educators want the state's per-pupil spending to approach, or match, the national average.

"Enough is enough, and we simply can't take it any longer," said Noah Karvelis, a 23-year-old Tolleson music teacher, according to the Phoenix New Times. "We can't continue to let our schools be underfunded."

SOME IDEAS ON WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR CHILDREN

More than 55,000 teachers and other school employees voted on whether or not to stage a walkout – 77 percent voted in favor of it.

Teachers, who announced the decision last week, picked Thursday to give districts time to prepare. (Get Phoenix Patch's daily newsletter and real-time news alerts. Or, find your local Patch here and subscribe).

This is what districts in the state are doing:

• Agua Fria Union High School District – Will remain open on modified early release schedule;
• Aguila Elementary School District – The district wants to keep schools open but, if they don't have the staff, they will close (Updates here);
• Alhambra Elementary School District – Schools will be closed on Thursday but hope to reopen on Friday, depending on staffing;
• Ampitheater Public Schools – Will announce plans on Wednesday;
• Avondale Elementary School District – They plan to keep schools open but will reconsider depending on staffing (Updates here);
• Balsz School District – Schools will be closed on Thursday and hope to reopen on Friday;
• Buckeye Elementary School District – Hope to remain open but recognize it may not be possible;
• Buckeye Union High School District – Hope to remain open but recognize it may not be possible;
• Cartwright Elementary School District – Schools will be closed Thursday, Friday, Monday;
• Caalina Foothills School District – Schools closed Thursday and likely beyond;
• Cave Creek Unified School District – Schools closed Thursday and Friday;
• Chandler Unified School District – Schools will be closed on Thursday though the district will still provide breakfast and lunch to students in need as well as some child care services;
• Chino Valley Unified School District – Schools will have three-hour early release on Thursday;
• Creighton School District – They want to keep schools open but are warning parents to be prepared for closures on Thursday and Friday;
• Deer Valley Unified School District – Schools will be closed on Thursday and the district will evaluate after that;
• Douglas Unified School Disgtrict – Is planning to keep schools open;
• Dysart Unified School – Schools will close on Thursday and remain closed until the walkout is over;
• Flagstaff Unified School District – Schools closed Thursday and remain closed until the walkout is over;
• Flowing Wells Unified School District – Schools closed Thursday and likely Friday;
• Fowler Elementary School District – They plan to open the school for students who have nowhere else to go and are working on plans in case they don't have the staff;
• Gilbert Unified School District – Schools will be closed starting Thursday and remain closed until the walkout is over;
• Glendale Elementary School District – Schools will be closed starting Thursday and remain closed until the walkout is over;
• Glendale Union High School – Schools will be closed starting Thursday and remain closed until the walkout is over;
• Higley Unified School District – Schools will be closed starting Thursday and remain closed until the walkout is over;
• Isaac Elementary District – They are trying to stay open and plan to serve breakfast and lunch for students who need it and after-school activities will be canceled;
• Kyrene Elementary School District – Schools will be closed starting Thursday and remain closed until the walkout is over;
• Laveen School District – All eight schools will operate on half-day schedules on Thursday and Friday;
• Liberty Elementary School District – They plan to cancel classes on both Thursday and Friday while previously planned field trips will go on;
• Litchfield Elementary School District – Schools will be closed starting Thursday and remain closed until the walkout is over while previously planned field trips will still take place;
• Littleton Elementary School District – Schools will be closed starting Thursday and remain closed until the walkout is over;
• Madison School District – Schools will be closed Thursday and Friday;
• Marana Unified School District – Schools will be closed on Thursday;
• Mesa Public Schools – Schools will be closed starting Thursday and remain closed until the walkout is over;
• Nadaburg Unified School District – They are working to keep schools open and will post updates here;
• Nogales Unified School District – The district passed a resolution supporting teachers but has not yet announced plans;
• Osborn School District – Schools will be closed starting Thursday and remain closed until the walkout is over;
• Palo Verde School District – They plan to keep schools open;
• Paradise Valley Unified School District – Schools will be closed starting Thursday but breakfast and lunch will be available for students in need;
• Payson Unified School District – Schools will be closed starting Thursday and remain closed until the walkout is over;
• Pendergrast Elementary School District – Schools will be closed starting Thursday and remain closed until the walkout is over;
• Peoria Unified School District – Schools will be closed on Thursday and Friday, maybe longer;
• Phoenix Elementary School District – Schools will be closed on Thursday and at 5 p.m. each day, they will make an announcement about the next day;
• Phoenix Union High School District – Schools will be closed on Thursday and Friday;
• Prescott Unified School District – Two hour late start on Thursday and Friday will be early release Wednesday schedule;
• Queen Creek Unified School District –Schools will be closed starting Thursday and remain closed until the walkout is over;
• Roosevelt School District – Schools closed on Thursday and Friday;
• Sahuarita Unified School District – Schools closed on Thursday and Friday;
• Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District – Plans to be open but have early release on Thursday and Friday;
• Scottsdale Unified School District – Schools will be closed starting Thursday and remain closed until the walkout is over;
• Show Low Unified School District – Planning to keep school open on Thursday but that could change while schools will be closed on Friday;
• Sierra Vista Unified School District – Schools closed Thursday until the end of the walkout;
• Sunnyside Unified School District – Schools closed on Thursday and Friday;
• Tanque Verde Unified School District – Plans to keep schools open;
• Tempe Elementary School District – They plan to stay open on Thursday and Friday but recognize that things could change;
• Tempe Union High School District – Schools will be closed starting Thursday and remain closed until the walkout is over;
• Tucson Unified School District – Schools will be closed on Thursday;
• Vail School District – Plans to keep schools open;
• Washington Elementary School District – Schools will be closed starting Thursday and remain closed until the walkout is over;
• Wickenburg Unified School District – WIll make an announcement by Wednesday at noon;
• Wilson Elementary School – Schools closed Thursday, may reopen on Friday.

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Photo via Arizona Educators United.