After Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation that would expand the state’s private school voucher program, some of Arizona’s top teachers say the chief executive played them.
Ducey met with five of the last six Teachers of the Year this week. He described the meeting as “positive,” and reaffirmed his commitment to education and teachers.
"I answered questions that they had about recent legislation and reforms and let them know that we can do reforms and move resources into K-12 education at the same time," Ducey said. "And that's what I intend to do."
But the teachers didn’t share the governor’s sentiment.
"It's hard not to feel betrayed when we went out and stumped for 123," said Beth Maloney, a Surprise elementary school teacher.
Maloney is talking about the 2016 initiative Proposition 123 that Ducey crafted to settle a lawsuit by public schools stemming from the state’s decision to raid school funds during the recession.
The governor acknowledged the teachers expected more. He also said his decision to sign the bill shouldn’t have come as a surprise given his stance on school choice.