1. TUSD will be closed on Friday, too
It was undecided yesterday if our largest district would also close on Friday. Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo said it was likely due to the fact that nearly 1,300 of the district's 3,200 teachers had already called out for Friday. The decision to close was emailed to parents today.
2. Kidco will be open all day Thursday and Friday
The City of Tucson Parks and Recreation department will offer an all-day Kidco program Thursday and Friday for currently registered participants to help families during the teacher walkout.
The program will be offered Thursday and Friday only. Families will need to find alternative child care should schools remained closed into next week.
Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for $5 per child per day to be paid on site.
Meals will not be provided. You'll need to send two snacks and a lunch with your child.
Click here for a list of locations.
3. Teachers and supporters will rally along 12 miles of Broadway this afternoon
Teachers and supporters will be rallying at every intersection on Broadway from downtown to Houghton Road from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday. The community is invited to attend. There will be food trucks and music along the way. Click here for more details.
4. We have a list of other places your kids can go
All nine of the Tucson area school districts are closing down Thursday and Friday due to the teacher walkout, leaving about 116,000 kids out of school. If you're looking for places your kids can go those days, click here and join our FB group for more updates.
5. Your kids can still get school breakfast and lunch
Sunnyside and Tucson Unified school districts will keep cafeterias open to serve breakfast and lunch free of charge to children under the age of 18. However they must be accompanied by an adult. Amphitheater Public Schools will keep its kitchens open in the mornings to provide Grab & Go breakfasts and lunches to kids under the age of 18. Find more info here.
Marana Unified School District will serve breakfast and lunch at select schools and the Marana Cares Mobile will be serving food at several locations. Click here for those details.
6. What do the teachers want?
The #RedforEd movement is organized by the teacher-led group, Arizona Educators United.
The group has five demands: to increase teachers' salary by 20 percent, restore education funding to 2008 levels, no new tax cuts until Arizona per-pupil spending reaches the national average and yearly raises until Arizona teacher salary reaches the national average.
7. Thursday walkout rally
Local teachers and supporters are planning to either go to the state Capitol in Phoenix or to 400 W. Congress in downtown Tucson during the walkout on Thursday to rally.
