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Thread: Red for Ed

  1. #1
    Senior Member gimmethesimplelife's Avatar
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    Red for Ed

    I am so proud of Arizona........the teacher walkout here over low salaries and education funding levels not being restored to prior levels even though the economy locally is doing much better than in 2008/2009 - this was something that made me smile and feel proud.

    This state often gets a bad rap in the press, which is somewhat understandable as this state has spawned losers like Joe Arpaio and of course the controversy about stopping and asking Hispanics as to their legal status in the US....and then this state also has impeached two governors in the past 30 years (long story but I met the son of the second impeached Arizona governor while I was waiting tables years ago at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon) - Arizona has come across as crooked and one dimensional in the media. The truth of this state is much more multi-faceted however.

    This is a state that is essentially conservative but out of nowhere can go liberal on you and then just as quickly in the next breath go back to being conservative. Arizona now has one of the nation's highest minimum wages at $10.50/hour and also has passed mandatory paid sick time for full time employees and the government does seem like it's willing to go after employers that violate this law. (I know someone in the 85006 who's going after money right now for such a violation).

    I rambled and got off my main point but today I am not only proud to live in the 85006 but I actually do feel some connection to Arizona and it's teachers who refused to play victim any longer and stood up to the system and all that it stands for. Rob

  2. #2
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    I'm very excited to see this finally happening, too. Just wondering what took the teachers so long, but now that it's here I'm glad to support it.

    Unfortunate that it took a strike for the state legislature to get serious but they are feeling the pressure and if they're smart they'll restore the funding to levels where it should be.
    Ironically, just yesterday I was shopping for sales for school supplies because of the massive drives that different businesses hold to help teachers and poorer students have enough pencils, pens, backpacks, etc. I purchase these items to donate every year even though I don't have a school-age child.

    I wonder what other countries think of the citizens of the richest country in the world having to beg for school funding?

  3. #3
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    It takes a LOT for teachers to walk out. We had 2 days in Colorado and our district, largest urban district in Colorado, had to close schools for a day. Kinda crazy but long overdue.

    What was interesting to me was news stories of some other states that are lower funded than Colorado with politically conservative teachers. They were very hurt that their party had not supported them, It will be interesting to see how this plays out politically. If you are counting on people to support you then you need to support them, and teachers at food banks doesn't get votes from anyone (we hope).

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