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Teachers and educators in the state of California have joined the wave of strikes under the slogan RedForEd demanding a better support for public schools, colleagues and students.

“We are wearing Red For Ed because our students deserve better!” is the slogan that educators across the state of California have adopted when demonstrating in person and online tomorrow, January 11, as part of the Californian Teachers Association’s state-wide #RedForEd day of action.

Educators are wearing red, walking in to schools together, signing online petitions, sharing on social media, and holding news conferences to demonstrate solidarity with United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) and Oakland Education Association (OEA), as well as other educators throughout California fighting for the public education their students deserve.

The RedForEd movement began in other states of the USA and has now spread to California. It is a movement “against budget cuts, overcrowded classrooms and outdated materials”, reads the website of the National Education Association, affiliated to Education International (EI). The AFT, also affiliated to EI, has published a video backing UTLA and OEA.

“California educators want to be in the classroom with their students. Yet far too many are challenged to teach with dwindling resources, deteriorating schools, and class sizes that prevent them from giving each child the attention they deserve,” said CTA President Eric C. Heins, who will be walking in with educators at Rosa Parks Middle School in Sacramento. “Districts like those in Los Angeles and Oakland are not doing right by students or by educators. They have cut resources and ignored educators for far too long. We are unified in our support for each other, and in our fight to make sure all our students have the resources they need to succeed.”

Educators are demonstrating solidarity and support for UTLA and OEA educators by signing the “We are #RedForEd” online petition, taking their message to social media, and holding “walk-ins.” A “walk-in” involves educators, students, parents and community members gathering out front of their school 30 minutes before the school day starts and walking in together. They will share information about local concerns, which include smaller class sizes, more nurses, librarians, counselors and psychologists, safer schools, stronger regulation for charter schools, and attracting and retaining qualified teachers for California students.

Negotiations between UTLA and the competent authorities will over the weekend, but the union has announced it will be on strike Monday, Jan. 14, if an agreement is not reached. OEA will be holding a massive rally this Saturday, January 12, at 12:00 noon in Oakland.

Source: California Teachers Association