By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services via Arizona Capitol Times
Gov. Doug Ducey won’t meet with the leaders of two teacher groups to talk about salaries and related issues even as they are taking the first steps toward a walkout.
The governor’s statement comes less than a week after a request by Noah Karvelis of Arizona Educators United and Joe Thomas of the Arizona Education Association “to begin a negotiation process to resolve the #RedForEd demands.” That includes not just the 20-percent salary increase to compete with neighboring states but also restoring education funding levels to where they were a decade ago.
It also comes as Arizona Educators United, a grassroots group of teachers, is working with its member teachers to set a date for walkout to get the attention of Ducey and legislators and show they are serious.
Ducey, in essence, has written off both groups as irrelevant to his own education funding plans.
