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What's next for the RedForEd movement?

Posted at 9:12 PM, Dec 06, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-07 06:27:28-05

That sea of red - It made headlines this past spring, sending teachers marching in the streets and shutting down Arizona schools for days. 

Organizers tell us the #RedForEd movement is just getting started. 

"We have five demands," explained Noah Karvelis, an elementary school music teacher who is also one of the #RedForEd organizers. "And they're all essentially unmet."

And that's why Karvelis says the movement isn't losing steam just yet. 

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"There's definitely been some good work that's been done. But like I said, we're still missing about a billion dollars from our schools, and that's unacceptable," Karvelis said. 

The group is fighting for five core demands, including raising teacher pay and increasing classroom spending. 

Governor Doug Ducey signed a budget back in May, giving K-12 education $4.5 billion. Some felt like that amount was generous, but others argue it's still not enough. 

"You could be an incredible teacher, but when you have forty kids in the classroom and ten textbooks that stop at Clinton, it's hard," explains Karvelis. 

Karvelis says because of this, we're seeing more and more teachers run for elected office

"They're saying to themselves, 'We can do this. It's simple. Fund our schools, pay our teachers, and give our students what they need.'"

The #RedForEd movement was dealt a blow earlier this year when the Arizona Supreme Court tossed out the 'InvestInEd' ballot measure, which would have funneled millions of dollars to education by taxing people who make over $250,000 a year. Some fear the state won't have enough money to pay for teacher raises that were promised.