Inspired by teachers in Oklahoma and West Virginia, teachers from Arizona have recently started protesting about how low their pay is.  Starting last week, teachers started planning ‘walk ins’ to their schools and proclaiming the idea of starting a strike. Ranking 43rd in how much they are paid compared to other states, Arizona teachers are some of the least paid in the country.   An overall demand from the teachers in Arizona was a 20% raise and public education to be brought back to pre-recession levels. Unfortunately for the teachers, the demand was denied by their governor Doug Ducey despite strike threats that were repeatedly made.

 Many teachers in Virginia have had to get second jobs in order to pay for their expenses and families, especially during the summers when they aren’t working. When the state House Majority Leader John Allen heard of this last year he said, “The idea that we are somehow torturing if the have a second job is ridiculous.”  He also stated, “They want to increase their lifestyles. They want to improve themselves. They want to pay for a boat. They want a bigger house.” 

Many teachers all over the country have been coming together on Facebook and planning strikes and ‘walk ins’.  The Virginia governor is said to be planning on continuing further cuts in taxes, but very recently said that the 20% raise will be made by 2020.

Do you think teachers get paid enough?