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Glendale’s Community Newspaper
Vol. 78 No. 49
Inside This Week
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Fight for education funding is an ongoing debate BY SAMANTHA REA
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Glendale Star Staff Writer
NEWS............ 10 Credit Union West donates to firefighter charity
BUSINESS .... 16 Westgate gets a taste of South Beach, Miami
SPORTS ........ 18 Cactus advances to 5A State Championship
OPINION..........................12 BUSINESS.......................16 SPORTS ...........................18 CALENDAR .....................22 FEATURES.......................24 RELIGION ........................26 YOUTH.............................28 CLASSIFIEDS ..................30
BESTOF
2021
40 Years Serving the Central Valley
December 8, 2022
ive years ago, Arizona teachers went on strike for eight days with the RedforEd movement to protest ongoing funding cuts and low salaries. In 2022, the strike ended but the fight continues. Arizona’s educators make 5.5% less than the state’s average wage across many occupations, comparing 2020-21 average wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, according to Business.org. While other states such as Pennsylvania, which ranks first, have made little adjustments to their teacher pay in the last 10 years, their educators make up to 28.5% above the state’s average salary. Business.org reported the average teacher salary in Arizona for 2020-21 to be $52,157.
There’s continuing debate over teacher compensation and whether state education funds are helping teachers or being diverted to other budgetary priorities. Meanwhile, inadequate salaries for educators are cause for concern for Beth Lewis, director of Save Our Schools Arizona, a nonprofit teacher advocacy organization. She said the biggest fear is the impact it will have on teachers and the education system as a whole. “It is no surprise that we have a massive lack of teachers who are willing to work for this pay and, under these working conditions, these numbers don’t surprise me whatsoever,” Lewis said. Educators made their dissatisfaction known in 2018 with the RedforEd movement. Educators in Arizona and other
SEE EDUCATION PAGE 5
Levi Gibson named budget and finance director
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BY GLENDALE STAR STAFF he city of Glendale recently named Levi Gibson as the city’s next budget and finance director. Gibson has served in this role as interim director since August, after previously serving as Glendale’s assistant budget and finance director since 2020. He began his new role as the budget and finance director on Dec. 5, and moving forward, Gibson will be tasked with overseeing the budget process and helping city departments keep their budgets aligned with city council priorities. This position is crucial to making sure that the city’s finances are in good order and the city’s
assets are safeguarded. Gibson will also work to recommend potential improvements to the current fiscal plan. “Levi brings the leadership, governmental and financial expertise needed to successfully lead the budget and finance department,” Glendale City Manager Kevin Phelps said. “He has consistently demonstrated integrity, transparency and a commitment to the priorities of the city council and the manager’s office. His knowledge of the city, the staff and our financial systems allow him to transition into the director’s position seamlessly.” Gibson has more than 20 years of expeSEE GIBSON PAGE 4
Levi Gibson
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states went on strike for anywhere from five to 10 days, fighting for better salaries and fewer budget cuts. Following the walkouts, Gov. Doug Ducey passed the “20x2020” plan — a plan to increase Arizona’s teacher salary by 20% by the year 2020. While Business.org ranked Arizona No. 50 — the worst state in the United States for teacher pay — as reporting teacher pay has declined by 9.59% from 201021. Matt Beienburg, director of education at the Goldwater Institute, said Business. org’s numbers don’t quite match up with data from the state auditor general, however. Data from the auditor general shows the average teacher salary was $56,349 in the 2021 fiscal year, June 2020 to June
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