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US teachers end Arizona walkout after winning pay raise

Friday, 04 May 2018 1:47 AM [ Last Update: Friday, 04 May 2018 1:49 AM ]

Arizona teachers march toward the State Capitol as part of a rally for the #REDforED movement on April 26, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by AFP)

Teachers in the US state of Arizona have ended their five-day walkout after state lawmakers approved a 20-percent pay raise.

"Signed. Teacher raises are on the way," Republican Governor Doug Ducey tweeted on Thursday. He had advocated for the increase in response to demonstrators' demands for better pay and more funding for public schools.

He also posted a video of him signing a budget bill passed during the night by the state's Republican-dominated legislature.

"This is a big win for Arizona students, teachers and for public education." he added.

The Arizona Education Association organized the rallies which saw 850,000 teachers on the streets since last Thursday. The organization tweeted that "the education budget has been passed and signed."

It called for an "end to the walkout."

However, Democratic lawmakers in the state expressed doubts over whether the promised pay raises would be possible without additional sources of revenue.

"If school boards use part of this money for support staff, then there's not enough to give teachers the promised 20-percent raise," state House Democrats said in a statement.

PressTV-US teachers demand better pay, more public funding

Thousands of teachers stage a protest rally in the US state of Arizona to demand better pay and more funding for public schools.

Last week, Governor Ducey announced a deal with legislative leaders to raise teachers’ pay 20 percent by 2020. The deal would also include $371 million in new funding over the next five years for improvements in school infrastructure, new school buses and upgrades to technology and curriculum.

Public educators in Arizona rank 46th in the US in teacher pay, earning about $12,000 less than the national average of $59,660, according to a 2018 report by the National Education Association.

According to the National Education Association report, Arizona spends about $4,500 less than the national per-student average of about $12,000, ranking 48^th.

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