NK: It’s hard to summarize. There is nothing better than creating
art with young adults and kids.
DW: And then came RedForEd. What led you to becoming an activist?
NK: A desire to change our realities for the better. I became
frustrated with the status quo. I managed a campaign before this and
have volunteered regularly for different efforts. Nothing similar to
RedForEd in scope, though.
DW: How would you define or describe the RedForEd movement to those
unfamiliar with it?
NK: RedForEd is a movement to increase funding for education in
Arizona. The primary goal is to restore the 1.1 billion in education
funding cuts. It all started with a tweet between myself and Joe
Thomas discussing what the climate among educators in Arizona was
like. Ultimately, we decided to have me start a RedForEd day.
DW: you mention the climate among educators in Arizona. How would
you describe the climate before and after Red For Ed? How has the
climate shifted?
NK: There is a far greater sense of solidarity, particularly among
educators. This has changed the entire ways in which we engage with
the system, as well as our views of our own roles as individual
actors within a democracy.
DW: How is the RedForEd movement related to the AEU (Arizona
Educators United)?
NK: AEU oversees and organizes the movement.
DW: When did you realize that Arizona teachers were going to embrace
the cause outlined by the AEU?
NK: On March 6th, the day before our first RedForEd day, I felt that
something had been sparked. I certainly could not have articulated
what precisely, or what it would lead to. In that moment, you are
excited by the energy, but you also have to realize the next steps
forward. In organizing, there is almost no time to stop and
appreciate moments like these simply because the battle has just
begun and you must continue moving forward. Although, it is so
important to deliberately take time to realize those moments as they
are happening.
DW: There are several states, such as West Virginia, Kentucky,
Oklahoma, and Colorado that have recently staged walk outs in order
to call upon educational reform. How does Arizona’s Red For Ed
movement differ from them?
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