Local opinion: Arizona teachers deserve more than appreciation

Every teacher I’ve ever spoken with remembers the moment they knew they’d chosen the right profession. They recount the students who finally understood. The classroom that came alive with curiosity. The kids who came back years later to say thank you.

What they don’t talk about as easily is what the calling to their profession often costs them.

At every stage of learning, from the first day of kindergarten to the pursuit of higher education, teachers are shaping the future of our communities. But across Arizona, the educators who make that impact possible continue to face roadblocks that make it harder for them to do what they do best.

As Arizona wraps its observation of Teacher Appreciation Week, which runs from May 4-8, we celebrate our teachers and the difference they make in and out of the classroom. We should celebrate them — these dedicated professionals consistently go above and beyond what’s listed in their job description to create meaningful and lasting learning experiences that impact their students’ confidence and ignite the spark that leads to success. But far too often it comes at a personal and professional cost, and appreciation alone isn’t enough.

State of education in Arizona

Arizona continues to face a significant teacher shortage with roughly 4,000 vacant positions, 1,400 of which remain unfilled, according to a 2025 survey by the Arizona Department of Education. Many of those vacancies are left to long-term substitutes, and students feel the strain. Teachers feel it even more.

Moreover, Arizona ranks 48th in the nation in education spending, according to a 2026 study by the Education Data Initiative. Last academic year alone, districts lost roughly $300 million following the expiration of Proposition 123 in June 2025, which had supported teacher salaries, staff positions and classroom resources.

While efforts to restore $1.5 billion in funding are ongoing, teachers continue to work in an underfunded system until long-term solutions are secured. Arizona schools can’t afford to wait. Already, we’ve seen districts eliminating positions, limiting resources and even closing schools. These are not abstract budget decisions, they’re personal – to the teacher who buys her own supplies, to the reading specialist whose position was cut, to the student who loses the adult that believed in him most.

What real support looks like

It is clear that now more than ever, our teachers need more than appreciation. They need action.

At Fiesta Sports Foundation, we launched Wishes for Teachers in 2016 after hearing from teachers across the state who were reaching into their own pockets for the resources and experiences their students deserve. Nearly a decade later, the program has distributed almost $10 million in classroom grants to more than 3,100 educators statewide.

In 2025, we expanded our commitment as Arizona’s largest direct teacher support program by awarding a record $1.5 million in classroom grants of up to $2,500 to 540 educators and providing $50,000 grants to three Title I schools.

This support has translated into real, tangible improvements in classrooms across Arizona, from new STEM labs to revitalized libraries and expanded campus learning spaces. When schools and teachers have access to the resources they need, they can focus on what matters most: teaching their students.

Supporting teachers also means ensuring schools are equipped to meet the needs of their communities. In 2025, we launched the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Assistance Program in schools statewide, providing life-saving equipment and training to respond to sudden cardiac emergencies. This effort goes beyond advocacy for teachers and their students as a direct investment in the safety of the communities they serve. In its rollout year, the Foundation's AED program was used at a recipient school in Avondale, saving the life of an individual experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.

What we’re asking of Arizona

Teacher Appreciation Week matters. It offers an important moment of recognition for our educators. But it must also serve as a compelling call to action. Fiesta Sports Foundation continues to pour into communities across Arizona through initiatives like Wishes for Teachers, calling attention to the challenges our educators are facing.

Arizona’s teachers need, and deserve, more than a week of appreciation. They need adequate, sustained funding and year-round staffing solutions. They need to walk into their classrooms equipped to do the job we’ve asked them to do.

Our educators have not stopped showing up for our children. It is our turn to show up for them — during Teacher Appreciation Week and every week that follows.