Organizers for the #RedForEd campaign are back at the Arizona Capitol.
According to the Arizona Education Association, thousands of teachers are expected for a 10 a.m. rally near the Arizona House and Senate buildings. In the afternoon, some teachers will also lobby their legislators on education spending issues. Sources tell ABC15 an education budget bill should be ready for public release Monday. Debate and voting on the budget could take several days.
Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, will fly to the Valley and hold an 11 a.m. rally in Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, a block away from the main #RedForEd rally. Weingarten is expected to call for compromise after two full days of teacher walkouts that forced hundreds of schools to close.
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On Friday, Gov. Doug Ducey said he reached a deal with lawmakers on multi-year increases in teacher pay and additional financial assistance to schools. #RedForEd leaders say Ducey's plan does not meet their five demands for improving public schools and ending the state's teacher shortage.
"The most important one is bringing that billion dollars into our classrooms," AEA President Joe Thomas said. "If we do that and we stop the tax cuts, all the other pieces, all the other demands fall into place."
Thomas mentioned that most Arizona politicians were not at the Capitol on Friday. Several lawmakers in leadership positions and on appropriations committees did work Friday and through the weekend.
On Thursday, 50,000 Red for Ed supporters marched from Chase Field to the Arizona Capitol. The supporters rallied at the Capitol for several hours. On Friday, DPS estimates 4,000 people showed up at the Arizona Capitol to rally.
