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Marana teacher tells board she’ll leave classroom because pay won’t cover family costs
Summary
A Marana High School English teacher, speaking during public comments, said she will leave the classroom at the end of the year because her salary does not allow her to support her family. The board heard multiple public comments praising district leadership and expressing support for teachers.
A Mountain View High School English teacher told the Marana Unified School District governing board she will resign at the end of the school year because her pay is insufficient to support her family.
Ally Pierce, who identified herself as an English teacher at Marana High School, a parent of two elementary-age children and treasurer of the Marana Education Association, told the board she loves teaching but cannot “afford to stay.” Pierce said she holds a bachelor’s degree in her content area and a master’s in secondary education, has mentored new teachers, led dual-enrollment courses and served in union leadership. She said her 2024 W-2 showed her annual earnings were lower than recent years despite increased experience and responsibilities.
“I love this profession ... but belief does not pay the bills,” Pierce said. “In order to take care of our kids, we have to take care of ourselves and our educators.” She urged the board to pursue “bold choices in support of public education.”
Pierce referenced broader state funding challenges and said Arizona ranks low in several education funding metrics. Other speakers during public comment praised district leadership and retirees. Anna “Sunny” Herndon, a longtime district parent, told the board she has seen increased openness and communication in recent years and thanked members for their work. Several speakers, including school administrators and Marana Education Association representatives, honored outgoing Chief Financial Officer Dan Contorno and multiple retirees.
In his superintendent’s report, Dr. Streeter noted district engagement with Pima County leaders on early childhood education, reported that the district’s preschool programs number 15 this year, and said Mountain View High School graduates have amassed about $8 million in scholarship offers so far. Streeter also acknowledged National Teacher Appreciation Week and thanked teachers for their work.
The public comments and superintendent remarks placed teacher compensation and retention into the meeting’s broader context of community engagement and district programming, but the board did not take a specific action on compensation during the meeting.
