© 2026 ABC News

In Colorado, teachers wearing #RedforEd T-shirts and toting signs reading \"Make Education Great Again\" and \"Can You Hear Us Now\" swarmed the state Capitol Denver.

\"PHOTO:
Matt York/AP
PHOTO: The sun rises over Kyrene De Las Lomas Elementary School, April 26, 2018, in Phoenix, as a teacher arrives.
>

\"We're here today because of our students,\" Amie Baca-Oehlert, a high school counselor and vice president of the Colorado Education Association, told ABC News outside the Capitol building. \"They certainly deserve better. We have one of the fastest growing economies in the country. We need to do better for our students.\"

The teachers say Colorado spends about $2,700 less than the national per-pupil average of about $12,000 a year.

\"PHOTO:
Ross D. Franklin/AP
PHOTO: NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia speaks at the #RedForEd Walkout, March and Rally news conference regarding teacher pay and school funding Wednesday, April 25, 2018, in Phoenix.
>

According to the National Education Association report, Colorado teachers' pay ranked 31st in the nation. Colorado teachers earn an average of $53,768 annually or about $6,500 below the national average.

\"We have teachers working two to three jobs,\" Baca-Oehlert said. \"We have school districts where they've cut mental health supports like counselors, social workers, psychologists. They've cut art, music, PE (physical education).\"

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/US/14-million-students-miss-class-teachers-states-leave/story?id=54719388","legacySlug":"/news/story/14-million-students-miss-class-teachers-states-leave-54719388","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"18:18","publishDate":"04-26-2018","updatedTime":"23:04","updatedDate":"04-26-2018","socialImage":{"alt":"Thousands march to the Arizona Capitol for higher teacher pay and school funding on the first day of a state-wide teacher strike, April 26, 2018, in Phoenix.","credit":"Ross D. Franklin/AP","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/teacher-protests-colorado-05-ap-jc-180426_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"4/26/2018 18:18:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":54719388,"headline":"Thousands of teachers in two states take action","mediaAssetTitle":"ARIZONA TEACHERS EXPECTED TO STRIKE OVER PAY","description":"Thousands of fed up teachers in two states will rally for education funding.","duration":"0:14","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/04/180426_wnt_index_massive_teacher_protest_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["137668594","137597685","137597683"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"October 29, 2026","headline":"Top general removed from position for lack of confidence, source says","section":"News","slug":"/video/137668594","id":"137668594","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Top general removed from position for lack of confidence, source says","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261029_gma_scott_pentagon1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Top general removed from position for lack of confidence, source says","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261029_gma_scott_pentagon1_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261029_gma_scott_pentagon1_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261029_gma_scott_pentagon1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261029_gma_scott_pentagon1_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261029_gma_scott_pentagon1_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261029_gma_scott_pentagon1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261029_gma_scott_pentagon1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261029_gma_scott_pentagon1_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261029_gma_scott_pentagon1_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"October 27, 2026","headline":"Powerful king tide waves hit both coasts","section":"News","slug":"/video/137597685","id":"137597685","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Powerful king tide waves hit both coasts","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_zee_tides3_712_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Powerful king tide waves hit both coasts","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_zee_tides3_712_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_zee_tides3_712_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_zee_tides3_712_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_zee_tides3_712_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_zee_tides3_712_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_zee_tides3_712_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_zee_tides3_712_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_zee_tides3_712_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_zee_tides3_712_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"October 27, 2026","headline":"All eyes on Israeli election","section":"News","slug":"/video/137597683","id":"137597683","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: All eyes on Israeli election","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_rivers_israel2_708_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: All eyes on Israeli election","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_rivers_israel2_708_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_rivers_israel2_708_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_rivers_israel2_708_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_rivers_israel2_708_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_rivers_israel2_708_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_rivers_israel2_708_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_rivers_israel2_708_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_rivers_israel2_708_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_rivers_israel2_708_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Thousands of teachers in two states take action","description":"Thousands of fed up teachers in two states will rally for education funding.","duration":"0:14","uploadDate":"04-26-2018","publication":"04-26-2018","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/04/180426_wnt_index_massive_teacher_protest_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/04/180426_wnt_index_massive_teacher_protest_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/14-million-students-miss-class-teachers-states-leave-54719388"}},"playlist":[{"id":"137443017","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137471181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136253720","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137220313","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137234817","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137147457","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137132187","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136945841","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136945748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136930796","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136874802","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136841854","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136766868","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136694294","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136682772","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136631130","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136644492","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136623234","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136614308","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136605272","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Thousands of teachers in two states take action","pubTime":"14:18","pubDate":"04-26-2018","modTime":"19:04","modDate":"04-26-2018","taxonomyTags":"none","id":54719388,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Thousands of teachers in two states take action","mediaAssetTitle":"ARIZONA TEACHERS EXPECTED TO STRIKE OVER PAY","videoId":54719388,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/14-million-students-miss-class-teachers-states-leave-54719388"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/54719388","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/54719388","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};