Yuma teachers return to school with higher wages
It’s a new school season for Yuma County teachers. Just five months after they participated in the first ever state-wide walkout to demand better pay and funding for education.
For one Yuma High School teacher, with over 15 years of experience in the home of the Criminals, she’s seeing one of the biggest pay increases of her career.
“It was substantial and greatly appreciated,” said Tish Malone, a math teacher at Yuma High.
A leader in the Red for Ed movement, Malone was the liaison for her respective high school, taking part in the walkouts earlier this year.
Due to mounting pressure, Governor Doug Ducey announced a pay increase for Arizona teachers in April, using the #20×2020.
Malone said because it’s an election year, he did what he had to do.
On top of that raise, Yuma Union High School District Board approved a 12 percent pay increase for certificated staff in May.
“Our board, because of those priorities, and the priorities they’ve had for our teachers and thus the students in our district, they really made the decision, it was almost a no brainer,” Eric Patten, Director of Communications for YUHSD, said.
The compensation packet for YUHSD employees also includes a four percent increase for classified staff members making more than minimum wage. Administrators will receive a three percent increase in their pay.
For Malone, already this year she saw an increase of $5,300 to her pay. This will allow her to perhaps take some extra time off.
“Maybe if I want to take an extra trip or take a weekend off, or want to do something, I’m not going to have to crunch the budget as hard as I did,” Malone added.
She’s excited to see it positively affect her fellow teachers as well.
“I’m so happy for them that they can afford their apartments, they don’t have to go find a roommate, they can start saving for a house, or they can have a little bit of fun because they are young teachers. We want to keep them,” said Malone.
Educators said though they see an increase in their pay, they will never be done fighting for funds.
“The work isn’t done. Just because we made this step, and it’s a very, very positive step and people are excited about it, doesn’t mean we’re done fighting for funding for public education,” Patten said.
Malone believes real change is still to come.
“We’re happy to get anything out of that, because the real goal is what happens in November, that’s where the real change has to occur,” Malone added.
