Low pay, burdensome requirements and a lack of respect for the profession are driving teachers from classrooms across the United States and nowhere is that impact more evident than in Tucson, Ariz., where teacher vacancies are at an all-time high. Arizona teachers work an average of 57 hours a week and are the lowest paid in the nation. Many face daunting challenges to educate children in high poverty districts who arrive in their classrooms with significant achievement gaps.
With decades of research showing that the quality of the teacher in the classroom has the most significant impact on student achievement, the high rate of teacher turnover threatens the quality of education all children receive. Fortunately there are teachers who excel despite the challenges but they do so at a significant personal cost.
TEACHING IN ARIZONA follows three Tucson educators to deliver an intimate portrait of what it’s really like to be a teacher today. It also depicts the impact of the teacher workforce crisis on the future generations that will influence the prosperity of a state and a nation.
AGM Container Controls, Inc.
Arizona K-12 Center
Bayer Crop Science
BFL Construction
Cox Communications
Diamond Ventures
Flowing Wells Unified School District
Freeport-McMoRan Inc.
Green Valley Pecan Company
Helios Education Foundation
Hudbay Rosemont Copper
Hughes Federal Credit Union
JPMorgan Chase
Midstate Energy
Pima Community College Foundation
Pima Community College Teacher Education Program
Pima Federal Credit Union
Rodel Foundation
Southwest Gas
Strategic Issues Management Group
Strongpoint Marketing
Sunnyside Unified School District
TCI Foundation
The Southern Arizona Leadership Council
Thomas R. Brown Foundations
Tucson Medical Center
Tucson Electric Power
UA Tech Parks
University of Arizona CALS
University of Arizona College of Education
University of Arizona College of Engineering
University of Arizona College of Humanities
University of Arizona College of Law
University of Arizona College of Nursing
University of Arizona College of Science
University of Arizona College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
University of Arizona Office of the Provost
Verizon Foundation
Tucson Values Teachers (TVT) is a partnership of business leaders, educators and individuals with a shared mission to help schools and districts attract, retain and support the very best teachers for every K-12 classroom in Southern Arizona.