Colorado teachers to walk out, rally lawmakers for more education funding

More than 100 teachers in Colorado are planning to walk off the job Monday to rally at the state Capitol.

The teachers are planning to demand more funding for schools and increased pay for teachers in support of the Colorado Education Association’s (CEA) Lobby Day, according to The Denver Post.

Classes in Englewood, part of the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area, have been canceled ahead of the planned walkout.

CEA spokesman Mike Wetzel said Friday the district made the decision to close because it “didn’t have enough substitutes to cover that many teachers being out.” {mosads}

CEA president Kerrie Dallman said members of the CEA want lawmakers to up education funding for schools in Colorado. They are also hoping to secure a stable retirement program.

“The positive state revenue forecast clearly demonstrates there is substantially more money available this year and therefore we can and must do a better job funding our public schools,” Dallman said.

Members of the CEA are planning to meet with legislators Monday. According to The Denver Post, it is not yet clear how many teachers from other districts will participate in the walkout. 

Colorado teachers make an average of $46,000 a year, ranking 46th in teacher pay, according to the National Education Association. The state comes in last place in terms of competitiveness of teacher salaries, according to a recent study from the Education Law Center.

The rally comes as teachers in multiple other states, including Kentucky and Oklahoma, have walked off the job and demanded more education funding and higher teacher pay.