Thousands of Oregon teachers walk out to protest for school funds

Tens of thousands of educators in Oregon left their classrooms on Wednesday to protest for more funding for schools.

The walkout caused some public schools, including some in Portland, the state’s largest school district, to close for part of the day, though many offered day care, according to The Associated Press. 

{mosads} The AP reported that about 25,000 people, including teachers, parents and students met at a Portland rally and later marched togetehr. They wore red in support of the “Red for Ed” campaign.

Oregon is among the states with the lowest graduation rates and biggest class sizes in the country, according to the AP.

The protest comes amid a nationwide surge in teacher activism. Last week, educators in North Carolina and South Carolina demonstrated at their state capitols, asking for more money. 

The Oregon protest occurred as Republican state senators moved to block a vote that would raise school funding by $1 billion per year. According to the AP, the 12 GOP lawmakers on Wednesday did not show up and so there were not enough people present to vote on the legislation, which would also add a half-percent tax to some businesses.