Appropriations bill includes retributions to silence teachers

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Senate Appropriations Commitee Passes $800 Million in Cuts to K-12


Party line vote also includes retributions to silence teachers Take Action Now!

The Senate Appropriations Committee passed their version of the FY2010 budget this evening. The committee voted on partisan lines with Republicans voting in support of the cuts, and the Democrats opposing.

In addition to over $800 million in K-12 cuts, the bill included non-budget related anti-teacher language that would restrict the ability of teachers to use their own leave time to visit the Capitol to talk to legislators or advocate for public education and the profession. It also included a provision that would limit teachers rights to be represented and eliminates the requirement that teachers who are being non-renewed be notified by April 15.

Senator Rebecca Rios (D- Pinal County) called these policy changes an attempt to stifle the voices of those working in our public schools stating, "this is direct retribution against teachers willing to speak out for public schools and their students." Senator Rios offered two committee amendments: the first restored the soft capital cuts and the second removed the attacks on public school employees that are currently in the bill. Both amendments failed on party-line votes.

AEA President John Wright testified in committee and was attacked by the Senate Appropriations Chair Russell Pearce (R- Mesa) who claimed that cuts to the inflation factor and building renewal funding were not cuts to education. Senator Pearce was restrained from continuing to attack Mr. Wright by Senator Hale (D - Window Rock) so Wright could continue his testimony.

It has been reported that the House and Senate Republican leadership support this budget package but they may be dangerously out of step with their own caucus members. Your legislators need to know you oppose this budget and want Democrats and Republicans to join forces with the Governor to create a budget that supports public schools through appropriate revenue enhancements and use of stimulus dollars. Contact them now.

You can also keep the pressure on by signing up to be at the Arizona Capitol during the month of June. Learn more.

Special Notice- It appears Governor Brewer will be issuing a special session call to expand the private school voucher program permitting increased amounts to be donated to a school tuition organization (STO) in exchange for a tax credit. The Governor and Republican Legislative leadership have their priorities wrong by considering a law allowing more revenue to be diverted to private schools on the same day the Senate Appropriations Committee axed funding to schools, health care and children's social services. Act now by sending the Governor a message.

on edit: forgot to cite the AEA http://www.arizonaea.org/politics.php?page=445 -- summary:

Policy changes that affect teachers and association members:

Requires the governing board to remove union representatives from the school district payroll.

Includes language that requires a teacher to repay a school district for the cost of a substitute teacher if the teacher engages in a lobbying activity. (This is aimed at AEA's lobbying grassroots efforts.)

Removes current statute that requires a school board to notify a provisional teacher of nonrenewal by April 15; thus, there will be no date in statute set for this notification.

Removes the contract dates (between March 15 and May 15) in which districts are required to offer teaching contracts for those teaching over three years. Thus, there would be no date in statute set for contracts.