Around the halls of Tucson High and in classes — every subject from calculus to P.E. — Jerry Schuster’s former students remember one main thing: “You can call me Jerry after you graduate,” they recall.
Schuster, a substitute teacher in the Tucson Unified School District for 25 years, is one of nearly 900 subs within Southern Arizona’s largest school district. (He goes by Mr. Schuster until students earn their diplomas.) Now he and other subs say they should be included in the 4% employee raises proposed in TUSD’s Prop. 414 override on the November ballot.
“The subs are a huge value to the district,” said TUSD Governing Board President Jennifer Eckstrom. “Long-term subs fill positions we need filled. They are important to the district and to our kids.”
Filling gaps with part-time and longer-term substitute teachers, is routine for every school district. At TUSD — with 40,000 students in 88 schools — the challenge is daily.
Election vitals
Early voting sites and where to vote on election day
Oct. 6: Last day to register
Nov. 4: Election day
The district has a $45 million budget override on the November ballot and one piece of that maintenance and operations money is a 4% raise for all district employees. The Prop 414 language includes: Salary increases for all classroom teachers, a $250 increase for each step in the salary schedule for teachers and a 4% salary increase for all other employees.
Substitute teachers, who prefer the variety in students and subjects and a flexible work schedule, say they should be covered too.
“Right now, we are focused on getting the override passed and if it passes, the subs will definitely be included in that discussion,” Eckstrom said. “This is our last-ditch effort to save positions and to give teacher raises.”
Everyone cares about the money and schools need it across the board, said 13-year TUSD sub Dolores DeVera.
“Whether you’re full-time or part-time, we want to be included,” DeVera said. “I’m pro-education. The district doesn’t have to be perfect and it doesn’t have to be about me to get money for schools.”
Three things to know about Prop. 414 and subs heading into this election season:
Substitute earnings vary
The daily pay for a TUSD substitute teacher is $145 a day. The rate varies within each school district for long-term subs, those who teach more than 20 days and those who have certain certifications, like special education. The rate for subs at Amphitheater Public Schools is $140 a day, and is up to $150 a day at Sunnyside Unified School District and Vail School District. Arizona ranks 25th nationally in cost-of-living adjusted pay for short-term substitutes at $41,432 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor statistics. In 2024, the average secondary-school teacher pay in Pima County was $52,015.
“We know we have some time to work on how best to find a raise for the variety of substitute roles and days filled,” said Tucson Education Association President Jim Byrne. “A 4% blanket raise would not be clear as to how it would be applied, so we want to work on that with the district.”
Prop. 414 breakdown
The override proposal includes a 4% raise for certified teachers and combines two key priorities from the district and the Tucson Education Association, the labor union which represents teachers and most other classified employees: Provide immediate raises to make teacher pay more competitive, and increase long-term career earnings with increases to steps in the salary schedule to retain educators. Overrides are typically approved for seven years and funded with property taxes. Under the TUSD override, the average homeowner within the district would pay about $200 a year more on a home valued at $200,000, based on a proposed increase of $1.02 per $100 of net assessed valuation.
Next steps
Early voting for Prop. 414 begins Oct. 9. Election Day is Nov. 4. The Tucson Education Association is knocking on doors to generate support for the override. Passing it would be the first for TUSD in more than 25 years. District officials say there is some wiggle room to raise subs’ rates and want to pay teachers what they deserve.
“We all want the override to pass and if it passes, people can get a raise or a stipend. We want our fair share,” Schuster said between classes this week. “We are part of the educational system as well. It’s a job I love doing.”
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