Local teachers, roommates, share their financial struggles

Two local teachers are sharing their financial experiences since they started teaching in Yuma County.

The median teacher salary in Arizona is almost $47,000. In Yuma, it’s much lower than that.

Pittsburgh native, Michael McChesney, came to Yuma nearly five years ago. McChesney got certified in Phoenix and now teaches U.S. History at San Luis High School.

Over the years, McChesney saw a growing concern about his salary which

him to move in with two other teachers to cut his costs.

“Can’t pay the loans, can’t make all your car payments, if you do then they’re late, struggling to go to the grocery store and buy $50 worth of food,” McChesney said.

“It sounds like it’s not the norm… it is here. I don’t wanna live with roommates in my 30’s and 40’s,” McChesney added.

42% of Arizona teachers hired in 2013 left within three years, according to the Arizona Department of Education and McChesney has seen this first-hand.

“We’re losing really good, educated, experienced teachers to California, Colorado, New Mexico,” McChesney said.

His roommate, Yuma native, Rene Castillo, has 11 years of experience in public education and has been through his own version of financial hardships.

“I couldn’t afford/own a house unless I had roommates and I’ve always had roommates,” Castillo mentioned.

Castillo, a former San Luis High School teacher, drives 120 miles a day, about two hours a day to teach at Southwest High School in El Centro, California. He left in mid-February on a deal he couldn’t pass up and hasn’t seen his salary double since the move.

Even with a long trip and the cost of gas, Castillo said the increase in his salary is worth it.

“I just bought a car,” he added.

Teachers reassure that they don’t want to strike, they just want to hold Governor Doug Ducey accountable to his plan to raise teacher salaries by the year 2020. Even with their own struggles and financial burdens, they said students are the ones who are suffering the most.

“We do not make competitive wages and kids at the end of the day right now are losing out,” McChesney said.

“Kids are suffering because they don’t have the best teachers they don’t have qualified teachers,” Castillo added to that.

Besides low pay, teachers leave because they don’t feel valued. Teacher turnover comes with a hefty price tag of about $2.2 billion. That’s about $13,000 per teacher.

Castillo and McChesney add that they foresee a better future for teachers once there’s an investment in state educators.