Thousands rally at Colorado State Capitol for education support

It was fitting that a rally for education at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver would start with a lesson, but educators from around the state didn’t gather for an update on trigonometry, they were learning the chants that would be shouted during a march Friday.

“Who’s Schools? Our Schools!” the crowd shouted Friday. That was one of many chants emanating throughout the morning from a sea of ralliers, many of whom were clad in crimson as part of the ‘Red for Ed’ action.

The rally comes after successful teachers’ movements in places like Oklahoma and West Virginia — two of the states near the bottom of the rankings of U.S. states’ education funding. Colorado also ranks in the low 40s for education funding, and many protesters pointed to the state’s strong economy as a reason to kick more dollars into the public education fund.

Several thousand people were in attendance Friday, and many brought clever signs signifying their exasperation with issues ranging from having to pay for school supplies out of pocket to dilapidated buildings and overfilled classrooms.

Their beef is with Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which specifically sets funding limits. Many have called for a modification to TABOR to increase funding, and Gov. John Hickenlooper agreed with the idea while speaking to the crowd at the amphitheater in Civic Center Park.

Several legislators and gubernatorial hopefuls also meandered through the crowd saying they supported more funding for education. Ultimately, any adjustment to TABOR would mean a probably increase in property taxes, causing some controversy.

The rally culminated with a gathering at the steps of the Capitol building, where students and teachers took turns on the microphone to share their stories of how they’ve been affected by low funding.

One common theme throughout the gathering at the steps was “remembering to vote” in November. At one point, El Paso County legislator Bob Gardner was personally referenced with ire by the crowd. Gardner had sponsored a bill that would potentially jail teachers for striking before saying it would be amended to focus on teachers’ organizations.

With about two weeks left in the legislative session, it’s not yet clear if any action will be taken to meet the teachers’ demands. Friday’s rally was also different from the ongoing strikes and walkouts that led to change in Oklahoma and West Virginia.