Across the internet and social media, you’ll find the hashtag #REDforED.
Where did it come from, and what does it mean?
Red for Ed – The Beginning
In 2018, multiple schools across four “red states”: West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona, and Kentucky organized school walkouts in response to chronic underfunding and the resulting state of schools in constant catastrophe.
By the next year, the phenomenon had spread across even more state lines, with both blue and red states alike standing in solidarity in red clothing to symbolize the urgency of funding issues and the crises facing public education from coast to coast. Oakland walked out in February; by the following October Massachusetts on the other side of the country had joined the march.
Eventually the movement crossed over into Canada where educators face many of the same issues as our southern counterparts. In 2025, the spotlight has been on Alberta, where teachers have amplified the #REDforED movement by wearing red every Friday and on Central Table bargaining days to send a strong and visible message of solidarity.
The Evolution of #REDforED
Today, educators and educational institutions of all kinds across North America use #REDforED to stand in solidarity in the demand for properly funded, quality public education.
Wearing red makes the fight for public education visible to our communities and to the decision-makers in our governments.
Join us! Get #REDforED
