RICHMOND, Va. -- The Virginia Education Association (VEA) hosted a rally at the State Capitol to call on lawmakers to increase state funding for public education.
A sea of red filled the Capitol Square, as thousands of teachers from across the state rallied to lobby state Virginia lawmakers on topics like standards of quality, teacher pay, and ensuring school counselors were indeed counseling students.
"The overriding concern is our kids are not getting what they need from us," one educator told lawmakers. "We do not have the resources to give it to them."
Virginia is ranked 32nd nationally in terms of teacher pay, according to the VEA.
"Moving from Arizona -- which pays lower than Virginia -- to here, I got a 35 percent pay raise," another educator at the rally said. "Still that'slow."
Richmond and Henrico Schools were among the districts that declared Monday a teacher workday to allow teachers, administrators, and advocates the opportunity to participate.
