Teachers accuse Edkey of ‘lies’ as they paint picture of poor conditions

BUCKEYE, Ariz. — Teachers at EdKey’s Buckeye campus say years of broken promises, missing funds and staffing shortages are draining morale and jeopardizing students’ education at one of Arizona’s largest charter school systems.

Two teachers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, described a pattern of inconsistency and mismanagement that has left classrooms without essential staff, supplies or promised pay raises.

“It’s always an excuse. Our 301 funds are monies allocated for teachers,” one teacher said. “Never have I ever received the full amount. That money was meant for teachers.”

301 funds are a dedicated stream of education dollars generated by a statewide sales tax increase that voters approved in 2000. The money flows into what is called the Classroom