NewsArizona News

Actions

Arizona teacher walkout: House leaders make deal on teacher raise

Posted at 4:24 PM, Apr 26, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-26 23:24:56-04

An Arizona lawmaker says majority Republican leaders in the House have agreed to support Gov. Doug Ducey's plan for a 20 percent teacher raise by 2020 that doesn't address other demands of striking educators.

FULL COVERAGE: Teacher walkout in Arizona

State Rep. David Livingston, who leads the House Appropriations Committee, says the deal reached Thursday with the GOP governor should result in a formal budget plan next week. Livingston and his counterpart in the Senate, John Kavanagh, say there are still details to work out.

Livingston says he believes teachers will go back to work when they see the deal gives them a big raise.

It's unclear when educators would end a historic statewide walkout that they launched Thursday with a march to the Capitol. They decided to strike because Ducey's proposal doesn't address their demands for increased school funding and other things.

According to information released Thursday night by the AEA, #RedforEd leaders and supporters are planning to be back at the Capitol on Friday morning beginning at 9 a.m. Speeches are expected to begin at 9 a.m. and the rally is supposed to end at 11 a.m.

Thursday's rally was cut short because of heat, so AEA leaders are urging people to bring lots of water, dress comfortably and wear sunscreen Friday.