Arizona
AZ schools are struggling to fill teaching positions as leaders brainstorm staffing solutions
Public school educators say they are some of the most underpaid and overworked laborers in the country.
In 2023, Educators for Excellence polled thousands of teachers about their experiences and workloads and found that while 80% of teachers are likely to spend their entire careers in the classroom, only 14 % of teachers would recommend the job to others. These striking statistics come as no surprise for educators who have been dealing with the pitfalls of school staffing shortages for years now with little to no reprieve.
The Arizona State University Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College’s annual Strategic School Staffing Summit earlier this month highlighted a collection of potential solutions, but now the question remains if any of them will incentivize teachers enough to commit to the classroom long term.
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Across the school districts in the state, more and more educators are quitting or are considering leaving the profession. Against the backdrop of lack of affordable housing, the rising cost of living, political discourse and stagnant wages, the Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association (ASPAA) found that by January 2023, of the more than 7,500 teaching positions that had been vacant at the beginning of the school year, over 82% remained either still vacant or were filled by people who didn’t meet required teaching qualifications.
“This is a predominantly 80% female-dominated profession and so it’s expected that women do this unpaid labor for their children, for the students, because we’re seen as more maternal,” Arizona Education Association President Marisol Garcia said. “But … on the other end, Arizona educators and most educators across the country do not have family leave, do not have health care coverage for their children, do not have high rates or really great medical insurance for if we do get injured or if we do have children.”
“How are we taking advantage of this labor, this exploitation of labor particularly in a female-dominated workforce, and yet not putting up any supports that allow them to continue to be happy and healthy and stay and continue to do the job that we’re expecting them to do?” Garcia asked.
In Arizona – where the average teacher’s salary ranks 32nd in the nation, according to the National Education Association – the teachers posing this question are typically the ones considering leaving the profession.
The Next Education Workforce initiative at the Fulton Teachers College aims to tackle some of the issues plaguing classrooms by inviting presenters, educators, researchers and other experts in education from across the country to the virtual two-day staffing summit.
Honing in on staffing structure, the summit highlighted some of the main characteristics of strategic school staffing as distributed leadership, compensation structures, innovative teaming, extended teacher reach and technology that optimizes educator roles. A common theme was counting on “enabling conditions,” such as equitable and sustainable funding for schools, flexible state and district policies, strong focused leadership and access to high-quality technical assistance, in order to maintain the strategic school staffing structure.
“All of this is the set of enabling conditions, the data systems and structures. All of this has huge bearing on our ability to do this work,” Executive Director of Next Education Workforce Brent Maddin said during opening remarks at the summit. Logos of many of the organizations, higher education institutes, school districts and nonprofits that contributed and presented at the event were on full display to give, “a sense of the breadth of people that are doing this work, arm-and-arm, between universities and school systems. We are all part of the solution,” Maddin said.
Statewide policy solutions for school staffing
A proposed policy solution from Gov. Katie Hobbs seeks to have voters extend Proposition 123 and raise the State Land Trust Permanent Fund distribution, which would fund Arizona public schools over the course of 10 years. Hobbs estimates her plan would raise $118 million for school support staff, $347 million for teacher pay raises and $257 million for general school funding.
“Prop 123 might be able to mitigate a little bit of the turnover and the exodus that we’re seeing. But, by itself, it isn’t going to solve it,” Sen. Christine Marsh, D-Phoenix, a supporter of Hobbs’ plan and former Arizona Educational Foundation teacher of the year, said. “We have tens of thousands – somewhere around 60- to 70,000 certified teachers in Arizona – who won’t teach. So it really is not a teacher shortage, it is a shortage of people who are qualified and willing to teach, so there’s a lot more we absolutely need to do. With the legislative makeup the way it is, I don’t know if we’ve got very much hope of too much happening.”
The Republican plan to raise teacher pay also seeks to tap into Prop 123 but specifies funding for teacher raises and seeks to keep the land trust distribution at 6.9%, compared to 8.9% under Hobbs’ plan. In addition, Arizona Rep. Matt Gress, R-Phoenix, is sponsoring HB 2608, which passed in the House earlier this month. The bill would require the State Board of Education to conduct a retention study among school districts and charter schools.
But with varying opinions and proposals across the board, bipartisan agreement on how to fund Arizona educators seems unlikely.
AEA President Garcia said she supports Hobbs’ plan and letting districts manage how they spend their funding versus the Republican plan, which she says incentives pay per performance. “I’m excited that people are talking about this because clearly we’ve been raising the issue for forever.”
Phoenix double murder-suicide: Parental filicide happens ‘too often’
A child safety advocate is weighing in after a Phoenix mother shot and killed her two young children, before turning the gun on herself. FOX 10’s Taylor Wirtz learns more about the marital separation that was in the works and the push for legislative change in these types of situations.
PHOENIX – A Phoenix community is still reeling from the murder of two children who police say were killed by their own mother. A memorial of balloons and stuffed animals continues to grow in the neighborhood where it happened near 47th Avenue and Bell Road.
Big picture view:
A cousin explained that the children’s father and the rest of the family are still trying to process the incident. Another mother who knows the pain of losing her children in this way also spoke about the situation.
It is a tragedy community members are still wrapping their heads around.
“Our brains can’t conceptualize that a parent, of any kind, a mother or father, can possibly kill their own children,” said Hope Hooton, a child safety advocate.
The backstory:
Phoenix Police said 38-year-old Andrea Davis shot and killed her 18-month-old daughter and 10-year-old son, Austin, before killing herself at their home. Prior to the double murder-suicide, Glendale Police said she shot and wounded a woman who was with her husband, Nolan, in the parking lot of Tailgaters Sports Bar & Grill, located near 59th Avenue and Bell Road, texting him that she planned to hurt their children.
What we know:
“I can’t even imagine what my cousin’s going through right now,” said Felicia Queen, Nolan’s cousin.
Family members said the couple was heading toward a separation.
“Divorce papers were in the works,” Queen said.
Local perspective:
It is a pain that Hooton knows too well.
“It was 20 minutes away from where my children were murdered by their father in Surprise,” Hooton said.
Her two children were shot and killed by their father in 2024 following a custody dispute.
“My son Alec was seven, and my daughter Lydia was six,” Hooton said.
Dig deeper:
The act of killing one’s own children, filicide, is a term she wants everyone to know.
“From 2008 to 2024, there have been 989 filicide cases within the state of Arizona,” Hooton said.
Why you should care:
Hooton is now channeling her grief into change. The Alec and Lydia Act is now moving through the state legislature to protect children in custody disputes. Hooton shares this message with the Davis family.
“My heart is with you because I know exactly what you’re going through,” Hooton said.
What we don’t know:
It is not clear what the relationship is between Nolan and the woman shot in the Glendale parking lot, but when speaking with family members, they called her a friend.
What you can do:
Help is available. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to civilians and veterans. Support in Spanish is also available. You can also chat with crisis counselors via online chat.
CLICK HERE for the warning signs and risk factors of suicide.
What’s next:
Phoenix police say they did not have any prior calls for behavioral health or domestic violence to their home.
Phoenix police will investigate the murder-suicide. Meanwhile, Glendale police will investigate the bar shooting.
The Source: This information was gathered from the victim’s family member, a child safety advocate and previous FOX 10 reports.
TUCSON, AZ — Carol Ross can’t stop smiling at dance practice as she shouts out the steps of a routine to members of her tap and jazz troupe for women aged 50 and older.
“I’ve been dancing my whole life, it’s the best,” said Ross, who founded the Rodeo City Wreckettes group 23 years ago at an age when many people are getting ready for retirement.
Now 87, Ross and her husband and lifelong dance partner John, 89, have long known what more older adults are now discovering: Moving to music is one of the best ways to stay healthy. Medical professionals say it doesn’t matter if it’s Western line dancing, ballroom steps, salsa, tap, Zumba at the gym, or with a group like the Wreckettes.
Anita Snow/Anita Snow via AP
“Dancing is one of the most powerful activities for older people,” said Julio Loya, a nurse and geriatric program coordinator at the Tucson Medical Center.
Why dancing helps balance, strength and more
Dance, like other exercise, can help people lose weight, get stronger, reduce fall risk, increase mobility and flexibility, and even improve brain health.
“It engages their brain, it changes their mood, and it connects them socially while getting them moving,” said Loya. “And it’s fun. Everybody has a good time.”
Dr. Tom Johnson, a gerontologist at the UC Health Seniors Clinic in Aurora, Colorado, said he remembers one man in particular whose passion for dance was so strong that he willed himself to attend one last class before he died in his late 80s.
“His No. 1 priority was that he danced until the day that he died,” Johnson said of his patient.
Johnson said dance can improve the balance of his patients at the clinic, which serves about 2,500 people 75 and older a year.
He said older patients can benefit from adding two to three dance sessions to the 150 minutes of aerobic exercise he recommends for them each week, because dancing often involves movements that help with balance, such as walking backward or standing on one foot.
Meeting people by dancing together
The Wreckettes practice their routines during two-hour sessions at least twice a week in a rented dance studio.
After studying ballet as a girl, then moving on to everything from ballroom to tap as an adult, Ross said it made sense to keep dancing when she and her husband moved from Philadelphia to retire in Tucson.
John Ross is a key part of the Wreckettes’ routines, typically joining his wife for at least one number. At one recent practice, it was a saucy saunter to Merle Haggard’s “Let’s Chase Each Other Around the Room.”
Anita Snow/Anita Snow via AP
“I learned early on that dancing was a great way to attract the chicks,” joked John Ross, who slid across the floor like a much younger man.
Wreckettes member Cindy Soffrin said that watching her mother suffer as she aged convinced her to stay active as she got older.
“My mom was sedentary the last 20 years of her life. It was pretty rough,” said Soffrin, 74.
For 67-year-old Gail Kowalski, joining the Wreckettes three years ago meant finding new friends after her husband died and she moved from Utah to Tucson.
“Plus, it’s so dang fun,” Kowalski said.
The fun of performing
The Wreckettes perform throughout the year, from holiday events to rodeo shows, dressing up in a series of matching sparkly costumes.
But they all said what they love the most is being hired by retirement homes to perform for memory care patients. Wreckette members take turns picking a favorite charity to donate their earnings.
“When we first arrive, people will be distracted or sleeping,” said Soffrin. “But once the music comes on, they perk up right away.”
A similar dance group for older women in Las Vegas, the Vegas Golden Gals, also performs at retirement homes, said Cheryl Cortez, the group’s president. They add pompoms to their routines.
“I must now know close to 40 routines,” said Cortez, 69. “And that alone has to be great for the memory.”
How to begin dancing when you’re older
If you want to start moving to music, here are some tips from health professionals and dance instructors:
- BEFORE STARTING: Check with your health provider before starting a dance or any exercise program. Choose something simple to start, like line dancing rather than intricate tango steps.
- FIND A CLASS: Check with a YMCA, parks and recreation department, or senior or community center. Community colleges often have dance classes, sometimes tailored for older people. Local dance studios and YouTube videos are other options. If you have Medicare Advantage insurance with the Silver Sneakers benefit, find out if your local gym has Zumba or other dance classes you can attend for free.
- BEFORE THE SESSION: Dress comfortably for easy movement, and warm up and stretch before class.
- MOST IMPORTANTLY: Have fun! You are doing great things for your mind and body
After the Ole Miss Rebels had a quick exit in the SEC tournament, they now look ahead to the Nebraska regional.
They will be taking on a solid Arizona State team on May 29th in the Lincoln Regional.
The Sun Devils finished their regular season 37-19 and went 19-11 in Big 12 conference games.
What to Expect From Arizona State
Arizona is coming off some of its best baseball after it made it to the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament. The Sun Devils are led by Landon Hairston, who set a school record this year with 28 home runs. The sophomore outfielder also hit .413 on the year and was named the 2026 Big 12 player of the year.
In addition, the State lineup includes six hitters who are hitting above .280. Four of those hitters are hitting well into the .300s. This team is a power-hitting team. They finished second in the Big 12 in home runs as a team with 108
The Rebels Ace Hunter Elliot will most likely get the nod for the Rebels against the Sun Devils and will need to bring his ace stuff against a talented Arizona State lineup.
Cole Carlon will most likely be on the bump for the Sun Devils. The Friday starter finished his 2026 regular campaign with a 3.51 ERA and was named to the Big 12 Conference’s first team.
Carlon has shown the ability to go deep into ball games. His best game this year was against Oklahoma State, where he went seven innings and gave up three runs.
In his most recent start against West Virginia, Carlon went five and a third innings and allowed one run.
The Sun Devils start to get shaky when they get to their bullpen. Most of their guys have an ERA above five on the season. In Carlon’s best start against the Cowboys, he was given a no-decision because the Sun Devils bullpen gave up six runs to lose the game 9-6.
The Rebels will look for their lineup to get Carlon’s pitch count high earlier so they can face a Sun Devils bullpen that has struggled this year.
Ole Miss is led by just about the most experience a team could get. Head coach Mike Bianco has coached the Rebels for 24 years now and has seen it all. From national championships to shocking early exits. He will be able to get his team in the right mindset to take on a tough Arizona State baseball club.
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