“Even though it’s not going to be as much as we wish it was, I think it will be gratifying for us,” he said.

He said 123, with the possibility of the triggers, is a preferable option over the pay freezes that have been in effect, because there is no catchup clause for the frozen raises.

“This is the only guaranteed $3.5 billion I’m ever going to see in my classroom in the next 10 years,” he said.

He said he understands the position of the people opposed to the measure on principle, but said the opposition should come up with a viable solution rather than just rejecting the proposal.

“Are we going to be that petty as to deny the governor a win on the backs of our students and teachers?” he said. “I think the ‘no’ campaign have their hearts in the right place, but at the end of the day, where is your concrete solution to fund education right now?”

LOCAL OPPOSITION

Harriet Young, a former Northern Arizona University political science professor, said she supports public education, which is why she does not support 123. She sees it as an effort to privatize education from people who hold anti-government values.