“I don’t own any red.” “I don’t look good in red.” “I’m tired of red.” We have likely heard — or perhaps even said — these phrases over the years. I certainly had moments when these thoughts crossed my mind, too, many years ago. Fast forward to today, and I truly see the power of the small gesture of wearing red on Fridays and bargaining days. It is a simple but clear way to not only create solidarity and camaraderie among teachers, but also to signal our unity and collective power.
Teachers in Canada wear red as part of the “Red for Ed” campaign, a grassroots movement advocating for better funding of public education, smaller class sizes and equitable salary increases for teachers. The campaign originated in the United States in 2018 and quickly spread to Canada, where it has been embraced by various teachers’ associations, including the Alberta Teachers’ Association as an active participant.
The sea of red across Alberta schools is impressive.
In Alberta, teachers have been encouraged to wear red on Fridays and central table bargaining days to show solidarity and to send a strong, visible message to the provincial government about the importance of properly funding public education. The sea of red across Alberta schools is impressive, and it has been great to see the locals wearing their own individually created logos. A number of locals have even purchased red apparel for every one of their teachers.
The Red for Ed campaign has several key goals aimed at improving public education. The main objectives of this advocacy initiative are to
- ensure that public schools receive sufficient financial resources to provide quality education for students;
- improve pay and working conditions for teachers and school staff to help with recruitment and retention;
- ensure adequate professional non-teaching staff are in schools, as having counsellors, family support workers and social workers to support students’ overall well-being is best for everyone in education.
These goals are designed to create a more equitable and effective public education system for all students.
But how does red help us meet these goals?
The colour red symbolizes the urgency and critical nature of the issues facing the education system. Bringing awareness to the crisis occurring in our schools is critical, and the Red for Ed campaign is one piece of that puzzle. Teachers should be proud of this advocacy work and know that with every conversation and red shirt, public education is being elevated.
If you haven’t yet, I invite you to join the Red for Ed movement. Stand with your colleagues and wear your red proudly! And be sure share your pictures to our Facebook and Instagram pages or with our ATA News team.
Any red will do, but you can find Red for Ed branded apparel and accessories by visiting your local website or the ATA’s entripy shop.
I welcome your comments. Contact me at kristine.wilkinson@ata.ab.ca.
