April 19, 2018

Arizona PTA Pulls Backing of School Funding Plan

The group says funding sources for the proposal are not sustainable.

beth simek pta Arizona PTA President Beth Simek explains in an April 18 Facebook video why her group doesn't support Gov. Doug Ducey's school funding plan.
Arizona PTA via Facebook

The Arizona PTA has pulled its support from Gov. Doug Ducey's plan to give teachers a 20 percent raise by 2020, saying its funding sources are not sustainable.

PTA President Beth Simek released a video Wednesday saying new reports and the group's own analysis cast doubt on whether the funding for the raises can be sustained. She urged the Republican governor and the Legislature to come up with a new plan for funding teacher raises and restoring school funding that is long-term, permanent and sustainable that "does not hurt others."

The PTA on Monday embraced Ducey's plan, but Simek says new reports and the group's own analysis shows major flaws.

The state's teachers have been protesting over low pay and school funding for weeks and are currently taking a strike vote. The results are expected to be released late Thursday night.

MORE: Education, News
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