Arizona teachers deserve a giant pay raise. Here's how to ensure they actually get it

“We should be putting more money in the classroom and taking the politics out of it.” That’s the common sentiment I’ve heard about Arizona’s public education system when meeting voters across Greater Phoenix.

The universal wisdom of such a simple concept almost makes too much sense; I call it common sense.

That’s why I recently announced the “Pay Teachers First” plan to give every Arizona public school teacher a $10,000 raise – with 100% of new state dollars going directly to teachers, rather than bureaucracy, and significantly boosting starting teacher pay. We set our students up for success by attracting and retaining amazing teachers.

Teachers never got the full 20x2020 raise

As Arizona’s budget director, I’ve developed and negotiated state budgets that included the largest and fastest growth in per pupil education funding in Arizona history. According to the nonpartisan Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC), Arizona spends approximately $13,300 per student. The most ever.

However, according to the Arizona Auditor General, roughly 55 cents of every dollar our school districts spend goes to instruction.

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When the state enacted the “20x2020” teacher pay raise plan in 2018, the Legislature allocated enough funding to raise the average teacher salary by 20% over a three-year period. In fact, average teacher pays increased by only 16.5%.

The nonprofit Goldwater Institute concluded in a report that if school administration hadn’t rerouted hundreds of millions of dollars away, teachers could have received a whopping 28% raise.

The long-term practice of schools diverting state funds away from teachers and the classroom must come to an end. It has devastated the teaching profession.

My plan includes budget accountability

The Pay Teachers First plan pays teachers, not bureaucracy, and allows our state to aggressively raise starting teacher pay.

The plan includes budget accountability and more extensive parental/taxpayer transparency measures to protect investments for our teachers; prioritizing school funding for teachers first before any other spending can be budgeted – ensuring Arizona students receive the best education possible.

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As part of the proposal, schools must report more detailed, school-by-school level information to the Auditor General regarding academics, budget and procurement to qualify for the extra pay raise, promoting financial transparency and connecting spending with academic outcomes.

Hard-working parents deserve clear-cut information about their child’s progress and school performance. And Arizonans deserve to know how their hard-earned tax dollars are spent.

Giving Arizona’s estimated 60,000 teachers a $10,000 raise would cost the state roughly $600 million to $800 million a year, but it’s a critical commitment we must make.

Teachers are crucial. We must retain them

While Arizona’s average teacher salary has increased from $48,372 to $56,349 since the “20x2020” plan took effect, the starting salary remains in the low $40,000s – which is highly problematic for recruitment.

At the start of this school year, the ongoing critical teacher shortage – a six-year stretch – remains bleak with more than 2,000 regular education vacancies and 800 special education vacancies.

Typically, substitute teachers cover these classes, but in many cases, teachers “double up” and cover multiple classes.

As a former teacher, I can tell you – one of the most important factors in the academic development of a child is the teacher at the front of the classroom. Arizona’s teacher shortage acts as a barrier to ensuring that every child in Arizona has the opportunity to learn and reach their potential.

Consider recent data from the Department of Education, which showed the worst student performance in reading and math in more than 40 years. Post-pandemic, schools kept teachers and students out of the classroom. In turn, experts expect this learning deficit to impact America’s economic future and national security.

Teachers don’t go into this profession to get rich, but they also aren’t expected to live in poverty, either. Our students rightfully deserve the best education, and our teachers rightfully deserve to be valued.

I am proud to team up with dedicated public servants and prominent education leaders to strengthen Arizona schools. We will pay teachers FIRST.

Matt Gress is a Republican candidate for the state House in Legislative District 4, which includes north Phoenix, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. Gress serves as Arizona's budget director and was previously a public school teacher and school board member. Reach him at matt@mattgress.com.