DVUSD: Make Alternative Daycare Plans for Possible School Walkout
UPDATE: Friday evening, Deer Valley Unified School District announced it will close all schools on April 26 in the event of a walkout.
Day Care Options: If you know of an organization in North Phoenix, including Anthem, that is providing free or low-cost day care services April 26 to significant numbers of those in need, please fill out this form so we can add it to the list.
Deer Valley Unified School District is encouraging parents to make daycare plans as needed in advance of a planned educator walkout Thursday, April 26, even as the district seeks to determine if it might have enough teachers and support staff to remain open during the impending strike.
State educators voted yesterday to walk out, and #RedForEd leaders chose next Thursday as the day, unless the legislature can meet its demands for higher school funding overall, including improved pay for teachers and support personnel.
“I am now working with DVUSD leaders to determine if we will have enough staff at our school sites to safely hold school on Thursday, April 26,” superintendent Curtis Finch said today in a letter to parents. “We believe that we will need at least 75 percent of our teachers and staff reporting to school to safely keep our schools open.”
Finch, who has expressed support for educator walk-ins aimed at raising awareness of what he calls “issue of low public education funding in Arizona,” said last week he had been talking to both sides in hopes of avoiding a walkout. He said parents should expect updated information “soon.”
“I strongly encourage you to make an alternative daycare plan in the event that schools
are forced to close,” he said.
If schools close, the school year would be extended, according to state law, DVUSD states on an FAQ page for the potential walkout.
