Overview
#TeachersMatter and #RedForEd were rallying cries for the 2018-2019 wave of teacher strikes across the U.S., demanding higher pay, better school funding, and respect for the profession.
2018: Red State Rebellion Begins
West Virginia (February-March 2018)
- February 22: All 55 counties walked out (first statewide strike since 1990)
- Demanded 5% raise, affordable healthcare
- 9-day strike shut down schools for 277,000 students
- Victory: 5% raise for all state employees
- Inspired by Facebook group organizing, not traditional union leadership
Oklahoma (April 2018)
- Teachers hadn’t had raise in 10 years
- Starting salary: $31,600 (among lowest in nation)
- 9-day walkout affecting 500,000+ students
- Won $6,000 raise, $50M school funding increase
- Fell short of demands, but shifted political landscape
Arizona (April 2018)
- April 26-May 3: 75,000 educators walked out
- Salaries 5% below national average after inflation
- Buildings crumbling, outdated textbooks, massive class sizes
- Won 20% raise by 2020, but no funding mechanism secured
- #RedForEd became Arizona movement brand
Why Red States?
- Teacher pay lowest in conservative states with anti-union laws
- GOP-controlled legislatures cut education funding post-2008 recession
- Right-to-work laws weakened unions
- Teacher frustration boiled over despite legal barriers to striking
2019: Strike Wave Continues
Los Angeles (January 2019)
- 30,000 UTLA members struck for 6 days
- Affected 600,000 students (2nd largest district)
- Demanded smaller class sizes, more nurses/counselors, charter school regulation
- Won: 6% raise, cap on class sizes, more support staff
Oakland (February-March 2019)
- 7-day strike over low pay, high cost of living
- Teachers couldn’t afford to live in city they taught in
- 11% raise, class size reductions
Chicago (October 2019)
- 25,000 CTU members struck for 11 days
- Affordable housing for students, sanctuary protections, class size caps
- Longest Chicago teacher strike since 1987
Demands Beyond Pay
Investment in Students
- Nurses, counselors, social workers in every school
- Updated textbooks, technology
- Reduced class sizes (some had 40+ students)
- Air conditioning, safe buildings
Social Justice
- Charter school regulation (drain on public school funding)
- Sanctuary school protections for undocumented students
- Restorative justice over police in schools
- Affordable housing for students experiencing homelessness
Public Response
Community Support
- Parents walked picket lines with teachers
- Polls showed 70%+ approval for strikes
- Red state voters elected pro-education candidates in 2018 midterms
- Shattered “greedy union” narrative
Media Coverage
- Initially dismissive (“entitled teachers”)
- Shifted to humanizing portraits of underfunded schools
- Student voices amplified the crisis
Political Impact
2018 Midterms
- Oklahoma elected pro-education governor (Democrat in red state)
- Arizona flipped state superintendent seat
- Teacher candidates won state legislature seats
- Education funding became top voter priority
Long-Term Funding
- Some states increased education budgets (others didn’t sustain)
- Charter school expansion slowed in some areas
- National conversation shifted: teaching as underpaid, undervalued
Criticisms
From Right
- “Holding kids hostage”
- “Unions protecting bad teachers”
- Strikes illegal in many states (teachers risked jobs)
From Within Movement
- Raises often came without sustainable funding
- Class size promises not always kept
- Substitute teacher crisis worsened
- Didn’t address root issues: privatization, austerity politics
COVID-19 & Beyond
2020-2021: New Battles
- Unsafe school reopenings during pandemic
- Teachers expected to risk health without resources
- “Heroes work here” signs but no hazard pay
- Burnout, mass exodus from profession
2021-2023: Teacher Shortages
- Record vacancies, reliance on unqualified substitutes
- Conservative backlash: CRT panic, book bans, “groomer” accusations
- Teachers leaving profession in droves (pandemic + culture wars)
- #RedForEd energy dissipated but conditions worsened
Legacy
- Showed red state workers could organize and win
- Inspired Fight for $15, nurse strikes, Starbucks/Amazon unions
- Proved social media could replace traditional union structures
- Highlighted underfunding of public goods generally