Colorado, Arizona teachers walk out of classrooms to protest education funding

Teachers in Colorado and Arizona walked out of their schools on Thursday to protest education funding in their states, marking the latest demonstration over school funding in the U.S.

*Giant* crowd of protesting teachers in Phoenix, AZ. pic.twitter.com/5YSmGuX2Ft

— Evan McMurry (@evanmcmurry) April 26, 2018

The protests forced the closures of hundreds of public schools in the states, with over 840,000 of Arizona’s public school students potentially affected by the protests. 

Twenty-seven school districts in Colorado were closed due to a lack of teachers.

{mosads}The New York Times reported that teachers in Phoenix donned red shirts and met at a baseball stadium in the city. They plan to march to the state Capitol in the afternoon for a rally.

Teachers in Colorado also planned on holding a rally at the state Capitol building in Denver on Thursday and Friday and planned to sit down with state lawmakers. 

The demonstrations are just the latest in a movement that has been sweeping the country.

Teachers in West Virginia and Oklahoma were the first to demand additional funding for schools. 

The West Virginia state legislature ultimately approved a 5 percent pay raise for teachers, ending a nine-day strike last month.

Teachers in Arizona held “walk-ins” earlier this month and were met with a promise from Gov. Doug Ducey (R) to increase their net pay by 20 percent over the next two years. 

Ducey told voters on Thursday to contact state lawmakers to push for the approval of the plan. 

“Without a doubt, teachers are some of the biggest difference-makers in the lives of Arizona children,” Ducey said. 

“They need to be respected, and rewarded, for the work they do — and Arizona can do better on this front.”