The April 25 Fountain Hills Unified School District Governing Board meeting was more crowded than usual with over 30 FHUSD staff and community members coming to voice their support for the RedforEd movement.

Before the board opened the floor to public comment, Governing Board President Edith Stock made a comment about the movement as a citizen.

“Your (FHUSD staff) long-term excellent efforts on behalf of our students without the proper compensation is not acceptable,” Stock said. “I am acting political; I am in pursuant contact with legislators, they call it nagging, to get dedicated income into the education system. Hearing of your planned action to walk out surprised and saddened me; it seems so not like you. While I cannot agree with your action to leave the classroom I will continue to work endlessly on your behalf to get compensation you deserve.”

Six members of the public spoke on the issue of the school walkout. Speakers used their time on the floor to thank the district for all the efforts it has made to provide teachers and support staff with higher compensation and to explain why they were supporting RedforEd.

“I want to start by saying this has never been about our community, our board or our administration,” McDowell Mountain teacher Jill Cooper said. “I have been on the meet and confer committee for years and I have watched the board vote over and over in support of teachers. This movement is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to stand up and speak for our profession and to tell anyone who will listen how passionate we are about our students. It means something different to each of us and just maybe our state will hear and finally fund public education so our constant bare-bone budget struggle will be a thing of the past.”

The next governing board meeting will be on May 16.