"I would like (Gov. Doug) Ducey to actually sit down with the AEU," Chariti Hamlett, a school psychologist in Mesa Public Schools, said.
Many of the teachers echoed that refrain — that they just want the governor to talk to Arizona Educators United leaders. The walkout brought thousands to the Capitol for its third day of rallies, displacing hundreds of thousands of students from the classroom.
Protests will continue Tuesday and Wednesday. Numerous districts notified parents Monday afternoon of ongoing closures.
Monday's rally drew a larger crowd than Friday. About 10,000 showed up, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, compared with Friday's estimate of 4,000.
Monday afternoon's weather was a little more friendly to the demonstrators in red. By 1 p.m., crowds had barely thinned out. Many of the educators had arrived as early as 6:30 a.m. to offer a boisterous "good morning" to arriving lawmakers.
