| Teachers in Arizona Schools are Paid Less | | | | insulting pay increase that TUSD recently offered its |
| Teachers in Arizona schools are compensated based | | | | teachers - a generous one per cent. Since then TUSD |
| on their level of education, qualifications and teaching | | | | has magnanimously upped its offer to 1.5 per cent, and |
| experience. But is that truly fair pay? The | | | | as teachers hold out still continues to dilly dally about |
| comparatively low pay scales for teachers in Arizona | | | | further pay raises. But the message is clear - teachers |
| schools are leading to a serious under valuation of | | | | in Arizona schools are grossly undervalued which is a |
| teachers, the backbone of any education system. | | | | contributing factor in the state's slow decline in the |
| Salary increases are often decided by the school | | | | education rankings. When you factor in inflation and |
| boards, and teachers are shortchanged when they try | | | | rising costs of living, offering a one percent raise is |
| to change school districts. Studies indicate that al least | | | | insulting and demeaning to the teaching profession. |
| one third of teachers in Arizona schools leave the | | | | Arizona Schools Fail to Attract the Cream of the Crop |
| system within two years of joining it. | | | | With pay scales that are decided at the mercy of the |
| Teachers at Arizona Schools Have no Say in the | | | | school boards, and not enough teacher participation in |
| Compensation Process | | | | the compensatory decision making process, Arizona |
| Strangely enough, at some Arizona schools teacher | | | | schools are having a tough time finding teachers who |
| compensation can vary. Salaries can run the gamut | | | | make the grade. Highly qualified professional men and |
| beginning in the 20,000s and going up to the 40,000s | | | | women who wish to pursue the noble profession of |
| depending on the Arizona schools districts. This is an | | | | teaching are turned off by the devaluation of teachers |
| odd situation because each student in Arizona schools | | | | that is the norm in Arizona schools. When this happens |
| receives up to $6000 in funding, across all districts. | | | | it's the students who suffer from missing out on the |
| Teachers in Arizona public schools have even less | | | | practical experience that the professionals can bring to |
| bargaining power when it comes to salary negotiations | | | | classrooms. The devaluation of teachers thus hurts the |
| than teachers in other stats. This is clear from the | | | | students the most. |