DENVER – All classes have been canceled in Englewood this coming Monday, as more than a hundred teachers walkout to demand better funding for public schools.
In an announcement posted on the school district’s website, Englewood Schools Superintendent Wendy Rubin said that over 150 Englewood teachers plan to walk out and take their concerns over school funding to the State Capitol.
"This means that over 70% of our teacher workforce will not be present to staff our schools, and we expect that number of absences to continue to grow,” the statement from Rubin reads. “For that reason, we will be canceling school for students on Monday, April 16.”
All schools will be closed to students except the Early Childhood Education Center at Maddox, which will run its program as usual, according to Rubin. Champions will also remain open for the whole day. Schools are expected to resume as usual on Tuesday.
The announcement goes on to state that teachers in other districts across Colorado will also take part in the day of action, “though it’s possible not all districts will be affected by absences to the same degree that we are experiencing in Englewood,” Rubin said.
The Colorado Education Association (CEA) said in a statement they're walking out "out of love for your kids."
"Our dedicated Englewood teachers care about your kids more than anything. They are frustrated and fed up with students not having the resources they deserve. Kids don't have a voice, that's why teachers are joining a statewide action at the Capitol to stand up for our kids on Monday, April 16. We know this will be inconvenient on Monday, but we hope you understand that teachers are doing this out of love for your kids. If you have questions about this action or the reasons behind it, please call 303-764-0140."
The purpose of the walkout, which is taking place from 10 a.m. to noon, is to make sure "our lawmakers hear loud and clear that public education must be Colorado's top budget priority," organizers said on the CEA website.
This is the only district Denver7 knows of that is participating in this day of action at this time. On Friday, spokespersons for Adams 14 and Denver Public Schools said they were not aware of any similar walkouts planned in their districts for Monday.
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Editor's Note: In an on-air version of this story, staff incorrectly attributed a statement from the CEA as coming from Englewood Schools. The Superintendent simply relayed the message and plans for Monday's action day and noted the inconvenience for parents.