Phoenix Union Classified Employees Association

Arizona educators and their supporters are excited and energized to continue to fight for funding for Arizona's public schools.

Following the historical Red for Ed movement, educators worked hard to get enough signatures to get Proposition 207 on the November ballot.  

Even with this small but mighty victory, they continue to battle opponents of educational funding at all levels.  So now is the time to get involved!

What is Prop 207?

Prop 207, aka the Invest in Education Act, restores critical and much needed funds to Arizona education in order to provide students with a quality education and attract the best teachers and support staff.  For more information click here or on any Prop 207 blue text.

Now is the time to get involved.  

How you ask? here are some suggestions and resources:

• Color up your rear window in support of Prop 207
• Attend rallies, neighborhood walks, and/or neighborhood informational meetings in support of Prop 207
• Pass out flyers (a downloadable flyer can be found here.)
• Man the telephone banks, mail centers and other communicative volunteers tasks
• There's also a special fact sheet just for educators.  You can find that here.
• Most of all....Remember and encourage all to vote!

Were you are part of history?  We hope so!

On April 25th, 2018 Arizona educators, support professionals, retirees, and their supporters from all over Arizona gathered at the Phoenix ballpark to march almost two miles through downtown Phoenix in the heart of the business workday to the Arizona State Capitol in an effort to bring more attention to Arizona's poor education funding and the need for immediate change. 

These individuals were willing to continue this movement via a statewide refusal to return to the classrooms and work sites until action is taken.

Arizona ranks among the lowest in the nation in per student education funding and competitive salaries for both educators and support professionals.  The Arizona Educator's United (AEU) grassroots organization, who has helped educators get united to a number of up to 75,000 strong, has asked the Arizona Governor and legislature for the following on behalf of the RedForEd movement:

• 20% salary increase for teachers to create competitive pay with neighboring states
• Competitive pay for all education support professionals;
• Permanent teacher salary structure which includes annual raises
• Restore education funding to 2008 levels; and 
• No new tax cuts until per-student funding reaches the national average 
  

While many school districts closed in anticipation of this event, how long they will be closed is entirely up to Arizona's Governor and legislature.  

For the most current information, please sign up for the AEU twitter feed or follow our twitter feed on the right.  You can also follow on the Arizona Education Website and tweeter feed.

Many PUHSDCEA members officially joined the national RedForEd movement to bring awareness to the need to fund public education in Arizona.  

Joined by teachers, parents, students, and administrators, many of your fellow CEA members participated in “walk-ins” to their respective campuses.  Most events started with a rally leading to participants rallying for support curbside as commuters passed by. The events, as implied, ends with a march to campus to start the educational day on time. 

Most walk-ins were met with wide scale support from commuting drivers as they would honk and wave to the participants often the full length of the walk-in line. Some events even had special guest speakers and supporters.

Several campuses have sent in pictures and/or movies of their events. which we will soon be proudly posting in our Photos area which can now be found under our "Get Involved" tab. But you can also just follow our Twitter and Facebook accounts.  You can find links to both in the column on the right.

For more information regarding the RedForEd movement and how you can help, you can follow the twitter page at #RedforEd or contact any CEA officer, Executive Board member, or campus representative.

One of own, Hugo Arreola, has been actively involved helping students and families directly affected by the DREAM Act and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) 

Brought to the United States as a child, Hugo learned he was undocumented in his senior year of high school. Thanks to DACA, Arreola is now helping students in the same school district he graduated from and working with local families to better understand their choice and options.

For his work he's has been nominated for the NEA Social Justice Award. 

For more information, click on the link below to the NEA article focusing on Hugo's outstanding efforts.

http://educationvotes.nea.org/2016/11/26/dont-panic-prepare-educator-empowers-undocumented-students-allies/

Members, as you return to work, remember that they are many positive changes happening.  

They involve everything from fundamental philosophy and leadership changes to essential payroll and work week changes.

Please be sure to read ALL your start of the year paperwork and contact you campus reps if you have questions.