Arizona lawmakers are blasting a wave of coordinated teacher sick‑outs that shut down classrooms in Tucson, calling the move “unacceptable” and promising new rules to keep it from happening again.
State Rep. Matt Gress and state Sen. Hildy Angius on Friday ripped the mass absences that forced dozens of campuses to close, arguing that the coordinated callouts crossed a line from personal protest into a direct hit on students and families. Gress, who chairs the House Education Committee, said legislators are already working on a bill aimed at stopping future disruptions.
The sick‑outs landed on the same day as a nationwide wave of anti‑ICE demonstrations, where students and some school staff across Arizona staged walkouts as part of a larger day of action.
Tucson closures and statewide walkouts
Tucson Unified School District canceled classes at about 20 campuses after thousands of employees reportedly called in sick, according to Arizona Luminaria. The wave of absences hit as a national “no work, no school, no shopping” protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement played out across the country, as reported by the AP…