An editorial about teacher salaries and budget overrides published Oct. 18 in this newspaper posed a question: Why should teachers in Arizona stay in the profession, and more specifically, why should they stay in the Tucson Unified School District?
As the superintendent of TUSD and president of the Tucson Education Association, we would like to answer that question.
First, itβs important to note that the median salary for full-time teachers in Tucson Unified is $40,640, which is $2,400 more than the reported median wage for Tucson. In fact, Tucson Unified has the second-highest median teacher salary in Southern Arizona. But let us be clear: We do not think teachers are paid enough in the city, the state or the nation.
Thatβs why Tucson Unified spent $10 million to fund raises in 2014 and 2015 β the first raises teachers had seen in years. Thatβs why the superintendent has spent time at the Capitol advocating for the district and working to gain support for our teachers, students and schools.
The Star bases its analysis of support for the district on a failed override in 2009, which, by the way, was not even sought for teacher raises. Even so, that was six years ago under different leadership, not just in the superintendentβs office, but in nearly every part of the district.
In the past two years, Tucson Unified has taken several steps to support teachers and show them that they are valued:
- Two pay raises for teachers
- Dropped the average class size
- A collaborative relationship between the district and Tucson Education Association
- Affordable child care at our Infant & Early Learning Centers in re-purposed schools
- Teacher participation in writing curriculum
- No layoffs
It is unfortunate that the Star chose to focus on one sliver of the Tucson Values Teachers report, which examined five areas of concern for teachers: Value, respect, trust, time and money. The results show that teachers all over Arizona feel underpaid, underappreciated and overworked.
These results should come as no surprise in a state where funding is rock-bottom, where elected state leaders refuse to pay the money they owe our schools statewide, where legislators look for ways to take away funding rather than give it, where career and technical education is slashed, where new standardized tests are implemented with little to no warning, where more money is spent financing prison beds than on public education.
Because Tucson does value teachers, we are seeing parents and community members raise their hands and their collective voices in support of our public schools. What we need to see more of is governing board members, business leaders and most obviously legislators, standing alongside our teachers, parents and community members. Fortunately, school districts are not alone. But we need even stronger support from all stakeholders.
What can you do? Get involved. Attend the Your Voice Legislative Advocacy Info Session on Nov. 16 at Tucson High Magnet School from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, check tusd1.org/contents/events_voice15.html. All local school districts are participating.
Attend governing board meetings or watch them via livestream on the Tucson Unified website, tusd1.org.
Join your PTA/PTO, your site council, βlikeβ our Facebook page (facebook.com/tucsonunified) to learn about all of the excellent work that is being done in our classroom by top-notch, dedicated teachers.
Donate your time or your money through a tax credit donation to organizations that support teachers.
Attend Let’s Talk Ed, a K-12 Teacher Workforce to address the findings in the Tucson Values Teachers report. It is at tucsonvaluesteachers.org/view.php?pg=60.
Letβs all come together to support teachers, to push for adequate funding to continue to raise teacher pay, to make this noble profession one that attracts the best and brightest so we can produce the next generation of best and brightest.
