Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Illustration: Rebecca Zisser / Axios
The teachers strikes show no signs of slowing down, with Arizona educators rejecting a deal and Colorado teachers remaining out of classrooms.
Why it matters, as told by Axios' Mike Sykes: "The pressure is on for state legislators to meet the demands of teachers or else strikes will continue. If they don't, we could see strikes lasting for more than a week."
Factors at play:
- Teachers wages have been stagnant since the Great Recession. [Axios]
- Educators end up buying classroom materials out of their own pockets. [Axios]
- State pensions are woefully underfunded, with a $1.4 trillion deficit as of 2016. "That puts downward pressure on wages and benefit checks as governments struggle to close the funding gap." [AP]
The battlegrounds:
- West Virginia: 5% pay increase secured.
- Oklahoma: $450 million in new tax revenue for education secured.
- Kentucky: Teachers managed to pressure the Republican legislature to override education cuts.
- Arizona: Seeking 20% raise. The state's Republican legislature and governor have a deal to get that raise done by 2020, but teachers want it immediately.
- Colorado: Teachers have walked out to protest stagnant pay and education funding that has failed to keep pace with inflation.
Go deeper: Our latest Axios video features the challenges faced by teachers