'Red For Ed' makes statement at Capitol

    Thousands of teachers descended on the state Capitol Thursday and Friday, April 26 and 27, the second demonstration in as many weeks.
    They’re advocating for higher pay, better overall school funding and a fix to the state’s underfunded public pension plan. A sea of red shirts — a movement known as RedForEd, which has spread to other states — greeted lawmakers throughout the two days.  
    “School districts and public school supporters end up begging for the leftover money at the end of every legislative session while our dedicated educators are forced to work second jobs and buy school supplies out of their own pockets,” said Kerrie Dallman, president of the Colorado Education Association.
    “Lawmakers are uniquely positioned to make game-changing investments in K-12 this year, and we want to see big results, like a multi-year commitment that proves Colorado values students and respects educators,” said Dallman.
    Colorado’s teachers join their counterparts in Arizona, West Virginia, Kentucky and Oklahoma in protests, showing mounting frustration over low pay and overcrowded classrooms.
    Senate Republicans, however, have pointed out that unlike those other states, the General Assembly has no say in how much teachers are paid. That’s because salaries are set by the state’s 178 local school districts, rather than by the legislature, which is how it’s done elsewhere.
    Senate President Pro tem Jerry Sonnenberg told reporters that teachers who came to the Capitol a week earlier never contacted him, although he said he regularly hears from those back in the district. “With the teacher shortage we have in my area, they don’t have substitutes. ... They can’t take off to come to Denver,” he said.
    However, Sterling schools were closed last Friday as many of those teachers decided to come to Denver to participate in the protest.
    Senate Republican leadership blasted the teachers’ union for stirring up teachers on issues the legislature can’t address, such as teacher pay.
    Senate President Kevin Grantham of Cañon City added that the union isn’t giving teachers accurate information. “They’re not being told the truth” about how the state is addressing school funding. “I’m not sure what the reason is for the rally,” he added. “It’s not about issues we can deal with,” such as teacher salaries.

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