Yuma teacher reacts to upcoming pay raises

One long-time Y uma teacher is excited about the recent announcement that teachers and staff at the Yuma Union High School District will be receiving raises this fall.

Yuma Union High School District (YUHSD) claimed none of the money will be taken from any other part of the school district’s budget.

Teachers that meet the qualifications are getting a 10-percent raise. Five percent of the raise is coming from the state of Arizona and the remaining five is coming from the school district, according to Eric Patten, YUHSD communications director.

Hourly employees and administrators will receive a seven percent raise, according to YUHSD.

He explained the budget will be a little bigger because of the extra funding coming from the state.

Monique Manifold has been a teacher in Yuma for more than two decades and explained this raise makes her feel like her work matters.

“It makes me personally feel valued. It makes me feel as if I’ve had a sense of respect from the people around us but people who make choices for education,” explained Manifold.

Manifold also participated in the Red for Ed movement that led Arizona governor Doug Ducey to sign off on the bill that is offering teachers a 20 percent raise by 2020.

“Red for Ed was a movement that created a sense of power for teachers when he haven’t had that sense of I guess community and belonging and we tried to make it a force that created positive change,” said Manifold.

YUHSD thinks this will help them get more teachers in the classroom and keep them there longer.
“The average starting cost for a teacher when you factor in a first-year teacher getting benefits, as well as state retirement money, can get up to about $62,000 starting. That’s with proposition 301 money,” said Patten.

YUHSD claimed they are exceeding the 20 percent raise by 2020 and plan to give teachers a 27 percent raise.