CATALINA FOOTHILLS, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Arizona Department of Education released a report — requested by state lawmakers to examine ways to improve retention — showing more than 14% of educators, about 8,600, left last school year. Burnout and pay were cited as the top two factors.
The Catalina Foothills School District, which includes Ventana Vista Elementary School, has not been immune to the trend. The district said it had about 338 teachers during the 2020-2021 school year. Today, that number sits at about 273, a significant drop.
However, the district said it’s making staying competitive with other district to adjust for that.
To attract and keep educators, the district points to starting salaries ranging from $53,000 to about $58,000 — which it said is the highest starting pay in Southern Arizona. This year, teachers received a 2% salary increase plus a $1,000 longevity addendum bonus. In recent years, raises have gone as high as about 7%.
Noah Mickey-Colman, a STEM integration specialist now in his 10th year with the district, said the compensation helps.
“It helps attract people to the district in the first place because it helps make life a little more livable, and it helps keep us here because it helps us be competitive as a district and retain our excellent teachers,” Mickey-Colman said.
Mickey-Colman said the challenges facing public school teachers are real. His previous district, he said, had a lack of resources and deteriorating infrastructure and facing scrutiny was not uncommon, but his experience in Catalina Foothills has been different.
"It is getting harder and harder to be a public school teacher," Mickey-Colman said. "Our school district I think is unique because I really do feel like we are supported here.”
For Mickey-Colman, the work itself remains the driving force.
"What makes everyday worth it for a teacher is knowing that you're really making a difference for people," Mickey-Colman said.
Crystal Ortiz, a fifth grade teacher at Ventana Vista Elementary, is in her second full year in the classroom.
"I didn't necessarily see myself reflected in the teachers that I had," Ortiz said.
Ortiz said the district's values aligned with her own reasons for entering the profession.
"This school and the district really promotes global citizenship, which to me is really important," Ortiz said.
On the topic of pay, Ortiz acknowledged the district stands out among other districts.
"There's different pay scales across different districts and this district is just a little more competitive than others," Ortiz said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Andrew Christiansen is a reporter for KGUN 9. Before joining the team, Andrew reported in Corpus Christi, Texas for KRIS6 News, Action 10 News and guest reported in Spanish for Telemundo Corpus Christi. Share your story ideas with Andrew by emailing andrew.christiansen@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, or Twitter.
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