Cottonwood Oak-Creek School District has announced that it will be closed Monday, April 30, in response to a large amount of teachers planning to walk out. The school district sent out surveys to teachers, asking about their plans on Monday, and decided that a critical mass of staff would be participating in walkouts.
Monday will mark the third consecutive school day of teacher walkouts forcing a school closure on Thursdaym April 26. COCSD teachers will be joining teachers statewide, with many school districts across the state, especially in large cities like Phoenix and Mesa, have already announced plans to remain on strike until demands of the Arizona State Legislature and Gov. Doug Ducey are met.
Following tens of thousands of teachers from across the state descending on the Arizona Capitol on Thursday, legislators chose to end their session late Thursday rather than give in to the protesters, exacerbating tensions as the #RedforEd movement gears up for a continued standoff.
“It’s all about how many teachers we’re going to have,” COCSD Superintendent Steve King said. “That’s going to determine what my course forward is.”
“All six of COCSD’s campuses will be closed, though Bright Bears and CASPER will still provide preschool. As on previous days affected by the walkouts, COCSD will continue to provide school lunches. Movie showings will be screened at the district office building at 1 North Willard Street at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
“Cottonwood-Oak Creek teachers remain committed to further action as long as the legislature continues to block funding increases for education. “
“It’s kind of disheartening, especially when we’re doing this for the kids,” said Brenda Lewis, a Cottonwood Elementary School fourth-grade teacher who has been serving as an unofficial leader for the striking COCSD staff, of the legislature ending session without responding to the RedForEd protests on Thursday. “Everyone is discouraged, but now they’re more determined to follow through.” Lewis predicts that many COCSD teachers will be back in Phoenix protesting on Monday, April 30.
There is potential that the strike could extend even longer and lead to future days without school. As of now, the COCSD administration has not made any plans for further days of closure. Administrators also say that so far, additional days of school do not need to be added to the calendar, but that could change if the strikes continue well into next week.
“We’ve got enough built in minutes to cover some time,” King said. “But that’s going to have to be a board decision coming up, whether they want to add days or just reduce the calendar. If it goes on a lot longer, I don’t know. Nobody seems to know what’s going on with it because nobody’s ever done it before.”
Jon Hecht can be reached at 634-8551 or email jhecht@larsonnewspapers.com
