/ Modified dec 21, 2018 4 p.m.

2018 Year-In-Review: Education Funding

Arizona 360 looks back at #RedforEd and the Legislature's response.

At the start of 2018, Gov. Doug Ducey indicated in his State of the State address that increasing education funding would be a priority in his budget. School administrators we spoke to in the early months of the year discussed a desperate need for funding to retain teachers and make improvements to infrastructure.

By spring, the #RedforEd movement emerged, and its calls for pay raises were emboldened by teacher strikes in West Virginia and Oklahoma, among other states. As demonstrations continued and the likelihood of a teacher walkout loomed.

Gov. Ducey's office unveiled a plan to boost teacher pay 20 percent by 2020, including a 9 percent raise for the following school year. It did not prevent teachers from staging a historic walkout and march at the Arizona Capitol. Their demands included pay raises for classified staff. A week later, educators returned to class and accepted a budget that reinforced the governor's initial plan.

In September, Arizona 360 heard from a panel of public school teachers in Pima County to discuss the lasting impact of #RedforEd. All were grateful for the raises promised in the coming years, but discussed ongoing funding challenges in the classroom. Some were hopeful the movement had raised awareness among voters about financial shortfalls that would make a difference at the polls.

In November, voters elected educator and political newcomer Kathy Hoffman to superintendent of public instruction.

Arizona 360
Arizona 360 airs Fridays at 8:30 p.m. on PBS 6 and Saturdays at 8 p.m. on PBS 6 PLUS. See more from Arizona 360.
By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona