Roundup: Ducey’s Education Plan “100 Percent Bull”

Star Editorial: “The Legislature Did Not Fix The Structural Problems With Education Funding In Arizona.”

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey wants voters to think his teacher pay scandal is in the rear view mirror, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Ducey’s so-called 20 percent pay raise plan isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Not every teacher in the state is guaranteed a raise, and schools are still forced to choose between teacher raises and other much needed improvements. As the plan gets more scrutiny, people will realize it doesn’t really accomplish what Ducey claims.
Just look at a some of the harsh coverage from over the weekend:
The Republic: Ducey’s ’20 percent’ promise persists, but the plan can’t fund raises for all teachers

As lawmakers debated and discussed the teacher pay raise plan proposed by Gov. Doug Ducey, one element seemed clear: The plan would not guarantee 20 percent raises to every single teacher.
…But the plan as passed would not provide the funding for every single teacher to receive a 20 percent raise. Nor would it mandate that all the dollars provided go to teacher salaries.

Columnist EJ Montini: 20 percent pay raise for Arizona teachers was 100 percent bull

The number crunchers disagree. The state’s Joint Legislative Budget Committee didn’t buy it.
And an analysis by The Arizona Republic – based on the state auditor general’s numbers – indicates that 59 school districts wouldn’t get enough money under the law to give all of their teachers the promised raise.
In other words, that 20 percent pay hike for all teachers was 100 percent bull.

Arizona Star Editorial: Why we still need to fight for public education

The state budget does increase funding to schools, although much of it is money the districts are owed, anyway. More money is more money, it’s true, but the key will be to keep voters aware that the Legislature did not fix the structural problems with education funding in Arizona.

Columnist Linda Valdez: After #RedforEd, what do you get a teacher for Teacher Appreciation Week?

Teacher Appreciation Week begins May 7 and you may be wondering: What do you give somebody who just got a 20 percent raise? Start with a reality check. Debunk this crazy idea that teachers just got a 20 percent raise. #RedForEd produced some positive change. But there was no 20 percent raise, Gov. Doug Ducey’s bumper-sticker slogan about #20by2020, notwithstanding.

There’s a reason Ducey needs so much help from the Republican Governors Association to sell his plan. If it was actually a good solution, Republicans wouldn’t need to spend hundreds of thousands on vanity campaign to prop it up.
“Doug Ducey’s education failures aren’t going away anytime soon,” said DGA Deputy Communications Director David Turner. “You can’t hide from simple math: This plan doesn’t come close to accomplishing what Ducey claims it does. No amount of ads can erase the governor’s continued failure to support Arizona schools and teachers, and voters are ready to hold him accountable this November.”