After weeks of demonstrations outside of local schools, and countless teachers wearing bright red in solidarity with the statewide movement in support of education funding, Camp Verde teachers walked out Thursday, April 26. The statewide strike was the culmination of the Red for Ed movement, protesting cuts in Arizona’s education funding since the Great Recession that have not been reversed even as the economy has improved.
“When we want to enhance our students’ learning, we have to reach into our own pockets. I did planets today. I bought the styrofoam balls,” said Lucy Rodriguez, a soon-to-be-retiring teacher at Camp Verde Elementary School, who protested with other teachers on April 25 at Finnie Flat Road and S. Seventh Street. More than 20 teachers stood with red shirts and signs advocating for education, while passing motorists honked in support.
“We’re a small community. We’re all rallying together with what we have,” Rodriguez said, expressing sympathy for the limited additional funding the Town of Camp Verde can offer its teachers. “We can’t ask for much here. That’s why funding is so important.”
Many of the striking teachers said they felt they received support from their school district administrations. Although administrators maintained officially neutral stances on the movement, the Camp Verde Unified School District Governing Board voted to close school on Thursday, as striking teachers traveled to the State Capitol in Phoenix to join the protest against the Legislature held there. The teachers promised to be back at school on Monday, April 30, when the decision to close school on Thursday was made.
Many teachers from Camp Verde joined teachers from all over the Verde Valley in traveling to Phoenix to join the rally. Those who stayed staged a protest outside of the Camp Verde Town Hall on the morning of Thursday, April 26. Teachers who traveled down to Phoenix spoke of the solidarity with teachers from across the state, joining together in a unified cause.
“It made me more supportive than ever, because the teachers there are really worse off than we are,” said Rhonda Gonzalez, a second-grade teacher at Dr. Daniel Bright Elementary School in Cottonwood. Gonzalez spoke of horror stories from teachers in some of the larger school districts in the state — leaky roofs, long-term substitute teachers and high teacherto-student class ratios. “The truth is we have a really supportive community. We’ve passed bonds and overrides and they haven’t had the opportunity to do those.”
Thursday was also a disappointing moment for many of the demonstrating teachers. The Arizona Legislature refused to meet with the teachers, ending its legislative session early for the week. Gov. Doug Ducey had already proposed a plan for a 20 percent teacher pay raise over the next four years, a deal that teachers felt was insufficient because it did not address general school funding needs or other teacher demands, including better pay for classified staff. Ducey’s proposal also leads to cuts from other programs, including the Arizona Commission for the Arts, and teachers said they worry that it could be a promise not kept.
Latoya Lewis, a third-grade teacher at Camp Verde Elementary School, joined teachers in Cottonwood for their march through town on Thursday. “We don’t have the funding to fix our schools,” she said. Lewis spoke of a recent moment when antiquated school computers crashed while her students were using them to take standardized tests. Since the AzMERIT assessment requires students to take the test in the officially allotted time, the computer crash risked penalizing her students for circumstances beyond their control.
“Arizona wants them to take the test on computers, but doesn’t provide the funding to do that.”
Teachers received support in their movement from many in the community. As they protested on Finnie Flat Road on Wednesday, they received pizza donated by the local Domino’s.
“It’s not just about staying home and doing nothing,” said Denise Meyer, a second-grade teacher at Camp Verde Elementary School. “I believe that our students are worth it. We need to put education as a priority, and we need to take risks to do so. I feel hopeful that this is the time in history that we make a difference. This is our future.”
Teachers worry that the legislators may continue to dig in their heels, but hope nevertheless that their actions could make an impact, even if they fail to get what they ask for.
“I honestly don’t believe the walkout is going to change very much,” said Sarah Ellison, who is finishing up her first year as a first-grade teacher in Camp Verde. “I just hope that parents, the legislature, and governor will see that it’s not as perfect as we want it to be. It’s a daily struggle to come here.”
