I Am #RedForEd Because... Educators, parents, and communities are uniting for better school funding for our students.

For Students: Classrooms that are conducive to learning. Access to school counselors, nurses, psychologists and social workers. Educators who know students by name.

For Educators: A voice in shaping education policy. Salaries that allow educators to afford to stay in the profession they love. without having to work another job. Opportunities to learn and lead.

For Communities: Access to opportunities, no matter what you look like, where you’re from, or how much money your parents have. Great schools that bring together academics, health and social services, youth and community development, and community engagement

Textbooks from the 1980s. Desks duct-taped together. HVAC systems that don’t work. Underpaid and overworked educators. So many of our schools have been underfunded for years, and it shows.

The quality of an education depends largely on funding and black, brown, and poor students tend to lose out the most.

Meanwhile, educators have been doing more with less for so long. They pay out of pocket $459 every year, on average, for school supplies. They do this while they make 80 cents on the dollar compared to professionals with the same credentials. And nearly one third of educators work a second or third job to make ends meet.

So we’re coming together—educators, parents, students, and community members—to fight for education funding so every student has the school and opportunity they deserve.