Below is Tucson Values Teachers’ statement on the teacher walkout issued by TVT CEO Colleen Niccum. A video message of her statement is also provided below.
Tucson Values Teachers was launched 10 years ago to advocate for teachers and elevate the profession. We are saddened that the continued under funding of schools has created so much stress on the system that teachers feel their only alternative is to walk off the job. Their claims are legitimate and stretch beyond teacher pay to include all the necessary support systems that allow them to be effective – from adequate facilities and classroom resources to school counselors, librarians and support staff. Recognizing that we cannot solve this problem overnight, we urge all parties – teachers, business leaders, elected officials, parents and community members – to demand a common sense path to resolve these issues in the coming months. Teachers need a solution, but they need one that is thoughtfully crafted and sustainable to ensure that they can effectively do the job we’ve entrusted them to do.
One of our goals at TVT is to amplify teacher’s voices and give teachers a platform to be heard. I urge you to take 7 minutes to watch the following preview of our latest project, a documentary titled TEACHING IN ARIZONA. If you haven’t been in a classroom recently, this film will open your eyes to the reality of what it takes to be a teacher today.
Also, one of our goals at Tucson Values Teachers is to amplify teachers’ voices and give teachers a platform to be heard. We are producing a documentary short film about the realities of teaching in Arizona that will be premiered on Sept. 20.
ALERT: Watch a 7-minute preview of our upcoming film TEACHING IN ARIZONA at www.teachinginarizonafilm.org
