Arizona Is Recruiting Teachers by Offering Them Tiny Houses Behind the School, and the Internet Is Not Here for It 

Here’s an alternative idea. Maybe we can just pay teachers more?

A lot of school districts are trying to get creative when it comes to attracting teachers these days. Some are offering signing bonuses, others are promising retention raises, and many are even offering to pay off student debt. But the Chino Valley Unified School District in Arizona has a different approach: tiny houses for teachers. 

They’re not the only ones either. About eight different districts throughout Arizona are moving forward to create options in which they offer affordable housing to teachers in communities they are calling “teacherages.” States like California and Hawaii are looking at similar models. 

The Chino District, which is located a couple of hours outside of Phoenix, will put their tiny teacher houses on a vacant lot near the school. The plan is to make them about 400 square feet and charge teachers around $550/month. 

This is the recent news story released on this topic, and it’s safe to say that many people are not impressed. While creators of this program claim this model could help with attracting teachers and making their cost of living more affordable, there seems to be a different sentiment to consider from this Reddit thread. Here are some of those comments. 

Is it a house or a storage shed?

Teacher Tiny Houses or Storage Shed

But it helps them save money, right?

Teacher Tiny Houses Save Money

Um, what about more pay?

Teacher Tiny Houses Just Pay More

Come on now.

Teacher Tiny Houses Regressing

Let’s think about this for a moment.

Teacher Tiny Houses Close to Students

It’s a box behind the school.

Teacher Tiny Houses Box Behind School

What was that idea again about better pay?

Teachers Tiny Houses Just Pay Teachers More Money

What do you think of teacher incentives? See any good ones out there? Come share in the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Also, be sure to check out this article from a Reddit thread, Are Women Teachers Treated Worse?

Arizona and other states are offering to build tiny houses for teachers right near their schools in an effort to attract more teachers.