Arizona Lawmakers Debate Teacher Pay Bill and Proposition 123 Renewal
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Arizona educators are urging lawmakers to renew Proposition 123 and pass legislation that would require district schools to spend at least 60% of their budgets on teacher pay, the latest education policy battle in the state.
The proposed bill would force district schools to spend 60% of their budgets on classroom instruction, including teacher salaries. However, Democrats have raised concerns that the measure does not include all essential student support services.
Classroom instruction, according to the auditor general, excludes all kinds of student support, instructional support, plant operations, Judy Schwiebert said. Schools under this bill would be forced to cut staff roles like literacy coaches, librarians, counselors, academic counselors, speech therapists, and bus routes, all of which are vital to student outcomes.
Schwiebert, a former Democratic state lawmaker who spent 27 years in public schools in Arizona, is among those who oppose the measure. She said Democrats have been in the lead to try to increase teacher pay for years, but she warned that Rep. Matt Gress and other Republican lawmakers may be using the bill as a wolf in sheep's clothing to essentially defund schools.
I can't tell you how many years, that was my top priority when I was in the Legislature, Schwiebert said.
Jaime Molera, a lobbyist and former Arizona superintendent of public instruction, was also interviewed about the dueling citizen initiatives focused on school voucher reform.
The bill represents another attempt by Republican lawmakers to address teacher compensation, a perennial issue in Arizona educational politics. The measure comes amid calls from educators to renew Proposition 123, which provides funding for public schools but is set to expire.
Arizona educators call for lawmakers to renew Prop 123 and fully fund public schools, Molera said.
Arizona's student-to-mental-health-professional ratios are among the worst in the nation, with the state having 716 students for every school counselor and 3,382 students for each social worker. Experts recommend ratios of 250:1 for counselors and 500:1 for school psychologists.
A few years ago, Texas had billboards all over Arizona saying come to Texas because they had a great, robust teacher salary program, Molera said. And a lot of teachers left. We need to make sure that we are competitive with other states.
The teacher pay bill has drawn objections from Democrats who argue that administrators in Arizona actually spend only 11% of their budget on administration, compared to charter schools that spend 22% of their revenue on administration.
To pretend that administrators are taking all the money for themselves is just a flat out lie, Schwiebert said.
The Arizona Senate has already passed a bill to reduce mental health education requirements in schools, another education measure that has drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers. The state legislature remains in session through mid-July as lawmakers work through their final agenda before adjournment.
Proposition 123 expiration has become a point of contention between the legislature and Governor Katie Hobbs. State Senate President Warren Petersen has discussed the friction with the governor over the state budget and the expiration of Proposition 123 for education funding.
Regardless of the final action on these bills, we are not likely so see results for a while. Typically, action is held back until a budget is approved, the Arizona Daily Independent reported.