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When the Senate Finance Committee heard a proposal to expand Arizona’s voucher-style Empowerment Scholarship Account program this legislative session, the room was so crowded that staff opened up an overflow room.
Half of the people watching and testifying in support of the proposal wore yellow shirts with the words “I Love ESA” in big letters.
The other half opposing the bill wore red shirts, either with Save Our Schools Arizona or #RedForEd logos.
At least one purple shirt, symbolic of the #RedForEd opposition movement, #PurpleForParents, was visible.
The rainbow hues represented the energized and fractured conversations around education happening now in Arizona, a year after the teacher walkouts: How much more money do schools need? What should schools be teaching children? Is there enough oversight over charter schools and other school choice options? Are teachers getting too political? How can parents be more included?
#PurpleForParents supporters can be found on social media, often sparring with Arizona teachers with red avatars. At the Capitol, posters for both groups sit on different legislators’ desks.
“It’s about declaring that the schools that 95% of us choose are good enough and should be funded,” said Beth Lewis, a teacher and the chair of Save Our Schools Arizona, which formed before #RedForEd to fight the state’s school voucher system.
Forest Moriarty, founder of #PurpleForParents, said he established the opposition group to speak for parents unhappy with #RedForEd.
“I felt like somebody has to give these people a voice,” he said.
Four Arizona teachers share their thoughts on what has changed in the state since the Red For Ed movement.
William Flannigan, azcentral
A sea of teachers in red
#RedForEd’s rise started with small teacher gatherings at individual schools: groups wearing red standing outside before school hours to protest eroded classroom funding and sluggish salaries.
A crescendo of support led to a more organized effort, and eventually the walkout, where tens of thousands of teachers left their classrooms for six school days.
After the walkout, the group organized a ballot measure, #InvestInEd, an education tax measure that would have raised income taxes on high earners. The measure was knocked off the ballot by the Arizona Supreme Court.
The involvement of the Arizona Education Association, the state’s largest teacher union, was somewhat unclear in the beginning.
Noah Karvelis, often labeled the leader of Arizona’s movement, said #RedForEd in Arizona began on the first day teachers, including himself, wore red and spoke out.
“AEA became involved shortly after that,” hesaid via text. “We didn’t collaborate closely at first but it grew into a close relationship.”
Joe Thomas, president of the AEA, said while the organization is a part of the movement, #RedForEd is broader than the teacher union.
The purple response
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#PurpleForParents emerged during the #RedForEd walkout as a foil to the teachers protesting.
Moriarty, whose wife works in public schools, said he was initially supportive of #RedForEd but changed allegiances after doing more research. He didn’t like the teachers’ tactics.
About 40 #purpleforparents supporters rallied at the Capitol to counter-protest against the #RedForEd teacher walkout
BrieAnna J Frank, The Republic | azcentral.com
“Nobody was talking about, ‘We are the parents, we are the taxpayers and we’re the ones footing the bill,'” he said. “And we are the recipients of the service.”
The group has since grown, developing a presence on social media and a slick website with a donate button.
The donations will be routed to a newly formed political action committee, Moriarty said. The PAC is registered with the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office and raised $895 in contributions from seven people from January to March 2019.
Teachers stuck in the middle
And then there are the teachers who don’t feel they fit with either group.
“I feel like I’m left out (of #RedForEd),” said Billy Robb, a teacher with ASU Prep charter school.
Once supportive of #RedForEd, Robb said he was unhappy with some of the partisan tilt of the organization. For example, the AEA’s endorsement of David Garcia, a Democrat running for governor at the time, during the height of the movement didn’t go over well.
“Things like that have kind of built up, and I think it’s just caused a lot of disillusionment with a lot of teachers,” he said.
Skirmishes can turn ugly
The contentious education debates in the wake of #RedForEd are sometimes tinged with vitriol, targeting individuals as opposed to issues.
State Rep. Kelly Townsend, a Mesa Republican, said she’s the target of bullying from #RedForEd, getting messages on Facebook calling her an “idiot” and a “fruitcake.”
The 2018 race for state school superintendent ended with a Twitter rant fromunsuccessful Republican candidate Frank Riggs inviting his foes to “come onto my lawn, softies.”
Karvelis is the subject of national right-wing scrutiny, and often called a socialist.
Jay Barbuto, a #RedForEd liaison for the Phoenix Elementary School District, wasn’t at all involved with his school district’s union before 2018, he said.
Then, the Edison School teacher became one of #RedForEd’s most ardent supporters. He’s one of those red avatars on Twitter: His profile picture is a screenshot from an interview with a local news station. He’s wearing a red shirt and a baseball cap with a cactus at the state Capitol.
Among pictures of his dog and excitement about “Game of Thrones,” Barbuto posts #RedForEd memes and tries to convey the reality of low classroom funding, writing about class sizes and school supplies.
But in March, he posted a different kind of plea, saying he was being harassed and asking the opposition to leave him alone.
The harassment felt out of control, he said. People found his phone number and started calling him to tell him he was a “commie,” he said. They posted screenshots of his old dating profiles and made fun of his weight.
“So many people tell me to ignore the trolls,” Barbuto said. “But eventually, just internally, I can’t handle it.”
Harassment online sometimes makes him skittish about wearing his #RedForEd shirt in public, he said. He was nervous about wearing it in Tempe recently.
“Six people came up to me tonight saying they loved it and teachers,” Barbuto said.
He said he’s realized that his interactions online aren’t always indicative of how everyone feels.
What’s at stake
Most online and in-person debates right now come down to the same topic: funding.
#RedForEd and SOS Arizona supporters want state lawmakers to send more money to public schools.
#PurpleForParents’ perspective is a little more complicated. Moriarty said he’s in favor of “responsibly funding” schools but wants to examine whether school districts are held accountable for how they spend taxpayers’ money.
Barbuto, with #RedForEd, agrees that districts need more financial accountability.
And Moriarty wants state law to strictly forbid teachers from advocating politically in the classroom. A few lawmakers proposed such legislation this year but no bills have made it to the governor’s desk.
“We want to end politicking in school and end indoctrination in school,” Moriarty said.
The #RedForEd movement this legislative session once again focused on funding, demanding more for teacher salaries and to classrooms for repairs and updates.
Republican Sen. Sylvia Allen has proposed legislation asking voters to raise the sales tax to boost funding for schools. But #RedForEd supporters oppose it, saying it wouldn’t bring in enough.
Gov. Doug Ducey and the Republican-led Legislature are in the midst of budget negotiations, which include some proposals for additional school funding.
Gov. Doug Ducey talked with reporters about the #RedForEd walkout April 26, 2018. Carly Henry/azcentral.com
The Republic | azcentral.com
Another walkout, at least in 2019, appears unlikely.
Robb, the teacher, agrees with the plea for more funding. He just doesn’t believe #RedForEd leaders are voicing their complaints the right way.
“I still fully support the goals of getting more resources for teachers and higher salaries,” he said. “It’s a shame that that same unity and the spirit that started the movement is really not there anymore.”
This is Karvelis’ last school year teaching in Arizona. He’s leaving to pursue a Ph.D. in Wisconsin, he announced in March on Twitter.
He kicked off Arizona’s conversation about #RedForEd — and in just a year, he’s watched it evolve. He said he has seen more people than ever before talk about school funding in a new way, more aware of funding gaps.
“The thing that’s really changed across the entire state, and I would argue that nation clearly as well, is the conversation,” he said. “Whether they’re a legislator, a parent or student, they’re thinking about their education in a different way.”
Reach the reporter at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @LilyAlta.
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