Roberts: A $2.07-a-week pay raise? A teacher says thanks, Gov. Ducey

We have now finished Week Two of Gov. Doug Ducey’s campaign to promote himself as a champion of public education. I’ve read missive after missive from his office, heralding his commitment to teachers.

So I thought it might be time now to hear from someone who has spent time in an Arizona classroom – beyond that which is required to get a few PR shots for his Twitter feed.

Someone who would reap the benefits of Ducey’s proposed four-tenths of a percent pay raise.

'This profession is not sustainable'

Mallory Heath, 29, is an 11th grade English teacher at Basha High School in Chandler, hanging in there – for now at least – when so many teachers are bailing out of Arizona’s classrooms.

This week, she sent me her thoughts on what’s it’s like to be a teacher in Arizona, about the burdens and the responsibilities of reaching and at times holding up students. About the joys of watching them learn and achieve and the challenges of work that is never done – not if you’re one of the good teachers.

About the financial strain that requires her, a fifth-year teacher, to live with a roommate and to wonder why she has to risk a blow-out on bald tires because the cost of replacements is a luxury beyond her pay grade.

“This profession is not sustainable,’’ she wrote. “It’s not financially viable. And it breaks my heart because I absolutely love it. I love teaching. I love my students. But the actions of this state are slowly squeezing the breath out of all of us. I am suffocating- choking on the apathy of people who don’t care about education, who don’t care about educators. This indifference harms us all - not just teachers - and most importantly, it is a disservice to our youth who are being pushed through this shattered education system; the broken shards snagging them as they move along.”

How can the governor be so blind?

Heath calculates that Ducey’s proposed pay raise will amount to $2.07 a week, after deductions for taxes and a mandatory contribution to the Arizona State Retirement System.

She doesn’t understand how Ducey can be, as she puts it, “so blind. So disconnected. So inexcusably hurtful to this career” as to propose raising her take-home pay by $2.07 a week. Basically, a pack of gum.

“It makes me want to scream until my voice is gone. Perhaps my voice is gone. When (the) Arizona Legislature stole millions of dollars from taxpayers and our education system, I thought no one else was screaming. I find it possible now, that we are all screaming, but those who make the laws and keep our money have hit the mute button.”

She’s right about that. They don’t want to hear that teachers are struggling to stay afloat. Instead, they talk about they’re doing all they can but money is tight.

ROBB: Ducey's budget misspends on education

They don’t want to talk about how money is tight because of their continual tax cuts or how we’re about to lose yet another $97 million due to previously approved tax cuts going into effect next year or another $182 million the year after. Or how corporate tax credits for private school tuition will equate to $74.3 million in 2017..

Instead, they talk about how education is their top priority and isn’t it marvelous that they’ve found $14 million to offer teachers a fourth-tenths of a percent pay raise.

“Telling Arizona's teachers they are unworthy to be paid a fair wage is repulsive,” Heath wrote. “But doing it as you congratulate yourself adds an element of tackiness that I can't let go of.”