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Arizona approves big teacher raises, could end 5-day strike Posted May 3, 2018 at 10:12 AM Updated May 3, 2018 at 10:12 AM Teachers camp out as the Arizona legislature debates a budget negotiated by majority Republicans and GOP Gov. Doug Ducey Thursday, May 3, 2018, at the Capitol in Phoenix. The budget gives teachers big raises but falls short of their demands for better school funding. The teachers, in the sixth day of walk outs, have agreed to return to the classroom once the budget has been approved by the legislature.(AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ Teachers camp out as the Arizona legislature debates a budget negotiated by majority Republicans and GOP Gov. Doug Ducey Thursday, May 3, 2018, at the Capitol in Phoenix. The budget gives teachers big raises but falls short of their demands for better school funding. The teachers, in the sixth day of walk outs, have agreed to return to the classroom once the budget has been approved by the legislature.(AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ --> Phoenix school teachers from left; Amber Hope, Robyn Harper, Brian Golub and Heather Fetherstone watch on a cell phone the Arizona legislature debate a budget negotiated by majority Republicans and GOP Gov. Doug Ducey Thursday, May 3, 2018, outside the Capitol in Phoenix. The budget gives teachers big raises but falls short of their demands for better school funding. The teachers, in the sixth day of walk outs, have agreed to return to the classroom once the budget has been approved by the legislature. (AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ Phoenix school teachers from left; Amber Hope, Robyn Harper, Brian Golub and Heather Fetherstone watch on a cell phone the Arizona legislature debate a budget negotiated by majority Republicans and GOP Gov. Doug Ducey Thursday, May 3, 2018, outside the Capitol in Phoenix. The budget gives teachers big raises but falls short of their demands for better school funding. The teachers, in the sixth day of walk outs, have agreed to return to the classroom once the budget has been approved by the legislature. (AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ --> A teacher sleeps in the early morning hours as Arizona state legislatures continue to debate the State’s budget Thursday, May 3, 2018, outside the Capitol in Phoenix. The proposed budget gives teachers big raises but falls short of their demands for better school funding. The teachers, in the sixth day of classroom walk outs, have agreed to return to the classroom once the budget has been approved by the legislature. (AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ A teacher sleeps in the early morning hours as Arizona state legislatures continue to debate the State’s budget Thursday, May 3, 2018, outside the Capitol in Phoenix. The proposed budget gives teachers big raises but falls short of their demands for better school funding. The teachers, in the sixth day of classroom walk outs, have agreed to return to the classroom once the budget has been approved by the legislature. (AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ --> A pair of teachers talk inside the senate lobby during the early morning hours as Arizona state legislatures continue to debate the State’s budget Thursday, May 3, 2018, at the Capitol in Phoenix. The teachers, in the sixth day of classroom walk outs, have agreed to return to the classroom once the budget has been approved by the legislature. (AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ A pair of teachers talk inside the senate lobby during the early morning hours as Arizona state legislatures continue to debate the State’s budget Thursday, May 3, 2018, at the Capitol in Phoenix. The teachers, in the sixth day of classroom walk outs, have agreed to return to the classroom once the budget has been approved by the legislature. (AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ --> Some teachers sleep while waiting in the senate lobby during early morning hours as Arizona state legislatures continue to debate the State’s budget Thursday, May 3, 2018, at the Capitol in Phoenix. The budget gives teachers big raises but falls short of their demands for better school funding. The teachers, in the sixth day of classroom walk outs, have agreed to return to the classroom once the budget has been approved by the legislature. (AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ Some teachers sleep while waiting in the senate lobby during early morning hours as Arizona state legislatures continue to debate the State’s budget Thursday, May 3, 2018, at the Capitol in Phoenix. The budget gives teachers big raises but falls short of their demands for better school funding. The teachers, in the sixth day of classroom walk outs, have agreed to return to the classroom once the budget has been approved by the legislature. (AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ --> Teachers wave the hands instead of applauding as state senators debate a budget negotiated by majority Republicans and GOP Gov. Doug Ducey Thursday, May 3, 2018, at the Capitol in Phoenix. The budget gives teachers big raises but falls short of their demands for better school funding. The teachers, in the sixth day of walk outs, have agreed to return to the classroom once the budget has been approved by the legislature.(AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ Teachers wave the hands instead of applauding as state senators debate a budget negotiated by majority Republicans and GOP Gov. Doug Ducey Thursday, May 3, 2018, at the Capitol in Phoenix. The budget gives teachers big raises but falls short of their demands for better school funding. The teachers, in the sixth day of walk outs, have agreed to return to the classroom once the budget has been approved by the legislature.(AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ --> Arizona state Democratic senator David Bradley rests as debate on a budget negotiated by majority Republicans and GOP Gov. Doug Ducey continues Thursday, May 3, 2018, at the Capitol in Phoenix. The budget gives teachers big raises but falls short of their demands for better school funding. (AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ Arizona state Democratic senator David Bradley rests as debate on a budget negotiated by majority Republicans and GOP Gov. Doug Ducey continues Thursday, May 3, 2018, at the Capitol in Phoenix. The budget gives teachers big raises but falls short of their demands for better school funding. (AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ --> Teachers wait in the gallery in the early morning hours as state senators debate a budget negotiated by majority Republicans and GOP Gov. Doug Ducey Thursday, May 3, 2018, at the Capitol in Phoenix. The budget gives teachers big raises but falls short of their demands for better school funding. The teachers, in the sixth day of walk outs, have agreed to return to the classroom once the budget has been approved by the legislature.(AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ Teachers wait in the gallery in the early morning hours as state senators debate a budget negotiated by majority Republicans and GOP Gov. Doug Ducey Thursday, May 3, 2018, at the Capitol in Phoenix. The budget gives teachers big raises but falls short of their demands for better school funding. The teachers, in the sixth day of walk outs, have agreed to return to the classroom once the budget has been approved by the legislature.(AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ --> A teacher rests on the state senate lobby floor as state senators debate a budget negotiated by majority Republicans and GOP Gov. Doug Ducey Thursday, May 3, 2018, at the Capitol in Phoenix. The budget gives teachers big raises but falls short of their demands for better school funding. The teachers, in the sixth day of walk outs, have agreed to return to the classroom once the budget has been approved by the legislature.(AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ A teacher rests on the state senate lobby floor as state senators debate a budget negotiated by majority Republicans and GOP Gov. Doug Ducey Thursday, May 3, 2018, at the Capitol in Phoenix. The budget gives teachers big raises but falls short of their demands for better school funding. The teachers, in the sixth day of walk outs, have agreed to return to the classroom once the budget has been approved by the legislature.(AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ --> Teachers cheer as state senators debate a budget negotiated by majority Republicans and GOP Gov. Doug Ducey Thursday, May 3, 2018, at the Capitol in Phoenix. The budget gives teachers big raises but falls short of their demands for better school funding. The teachers, in the sixth day of walk outs, have agreed to return to the classroom once the budget has been approved by the legislature.(AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ Teachers cheer as state senators debate a budget negotiated by majority Republicans and GOP Gov. Doug Ducey Thursday, May 3, 2018, at the Capitol in Phoenix. The budget gives teachers big raises but falls short of their demands for better school funding. The teachers, in the sixth day of walk outs, have agreed to return to the classroom once the budget has been approved by the legislature.(AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ --> Teachers crowd the gallery state senators debate a budget negotiated by majority Republicans and GOP Gov. Doug Ducey Thursday, May 3, 2018, at the Capitol in Phoenix. The budget gives teachers big raises but falls short of their demands for better school funding. The teachers, in the sixth day of walk outs, have agreed to return to the classroom once the budget has been approved by the legislature.(AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ Teachers crowd the gallery state senators debate a budget negotiated by majority Republicans and GOP Gov. Doug Ducey Thursday, May 3, 2018, at the Capitol in Phoenix. The budget gives teachers big raises but falls short of their demands for better school funding. The teachers, in the sixth day of walk outs, have agreed to return to the classroom once the budget has been approved by the legislature.(AP Photo/Matt York) ▲ --> PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona lawmakers pulled an all-nighter Thursday to enact a budget that provides big raises for many of the state's striking teachers, potentially ending the five-day walkout that kept more than a million public school students out of the classroom. The Senate passed the pay raises just before dawn, and Republican Gov. Doug Ducey immediately signed off on the plan to give teachers a 9 percent raise in the fall and 5 percent in each of the next two years. A 1 percent raise had already been approved, so the package ensures a 20 percent overall increase over four years. Ducey said the teachers had earned a raise and praised the legislation as "a real win" for both teachers and students. The pay increases will cost about $300 million for the coming year alone. The striking teachers, who are among the lowest paid in the country, kept watch at the state Capitol all night, packing the House and Senate galleries during the debate and holding a candlelight vigil in a courtyard. Some returned to the Capitol on Thursday as lawmakers continued debating the rest of the state's $10.4 billion budget plan. Organizers of the strike had called for classes to resume Thursday if the budget passed. But many large districts canceled school for a sixth straight day while lawmakers worked through the night. One of those large districts, in the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale, announced shortly after the budget passed that schools would reopen Friday. Other districts seemed likely to follow. A decade of education cuts had sliced deeply into the Arizona schools. The package fell short of demands for more overall school funding. Teachers sought a return to pre-recession funding levels, regular raises, competitive pay for support staff and a pledge not to adopt any tax cuts until per-pupil funding reaches the national average. Phoenix-area teacher Rebecca Wilson was among those who camped out in the Capitol overnight. "I'm glad it passed and we'll get something because I'm a single mom of three kids, but it's not enough," she told Phoenix-area radio station KTAR. The package provides the state's schools will a partial restoration of nearly $400 million in recession-era cuts, with a promise to restore the rest in five years. Other cuts remain in place. Minority Democrats mainly voted against the budget plan, drawing criticism from Republicans. "You know, talk is pretty cheap — it's your vote that counts," Republican Rep. Anthony Kern said. "If Republicans voted with Democrats tonight, you would be walking away with zero." Democratic Rep. Reginald Bolding urged lawmakers not to congratulate themselves for easing the same crisis they created. "You can't set a house on fire, call 911 and claim to be a hero. And that's what this body has done," Bolding said. One Republican lawmaker upset about the strike proposed amendments to make it illegal for teachers to espouse political beliefs at work, to require the attorney general to investigate schools that allow political activity and to bar schools from closing during a walkout. "There are hundreds of families contacting me that are harmed financially, occupationally," an emotional Rep. Kelly Townsend said. "You should not be able to do that to the people of this state because you want funding." Rep. Mitzi Epstein, a Democrat, tried and failed to win support for an amendment that would mandate a 250:1 ratio for students to school counselors. Epstein said the bill could help prevent suicide and bullying and improve academic performance. "Not only is school not fun anymore, but it's scary," she said. Freeing up the extra money required cuts and maneuvers across several parts of the budgets, including raids on special funds like one that helps clean up pollution from leaking underground gasoline storage tanks. Much of the added cash comes from an unexpected boost in revenue that appeared in the first quarter of the year because the economy has finally heated up. As of March 31, the state took in more than $330 million more than expected in tax revenue. 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