The Arizona Technology Council, the state’s largest trade association for technology businesses and a longtime leader of the technology community, today reinforced its full support for Governor Doug Ducey’s plan to continue investments in Arizona’s K-12 education. Dubbed “20×2020,” this initiative proposes to increase teacher salaries 20 percent by the beginning of the 2020 school year, with 10 percent coming this year. In addition, the plan calls to fully restore $271 million of recession-era cuts over the next five years, with $100 million coming this year — all without raising taxes while maintaining Arizona’s balanced budget.
“The lack of skilled talent needed to meet demand continues to be a top challenge and barrier to business growth for Council members,” said Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO, Arizona Technology Council. “Supporting our K-12 teachers is paramount to meeting this challenge, and that’s why working to pass Governor Ducey’s 20×2020 proposal will be a top priority for the Arizona Technology Council.”
This plan also builds on the Governor’s proposal to invest $371 million in District Additional Assistance and Charter Additional Assistance, which would be phased in over the next five years. An initial investment of $100 million would be made in FY2019. These dollars provide flexibility to school districts for investment in resources, including fixing school infrastructure, modernizing curriculum, school buses and updating classroom technologies.
Click here for more information on Governor Doug Ducey’s #20×2020 plan: https://azgovernor.gov/governor/news/2018/04/governor-doug-ducey-announces-teacher-pay-increase
