Oklahoma teachers plan to strike

Unsatisfied with a bill giving Oklahoma educators a $6,100 annual pay raise, teachers statewide plan to participate in a classroom walkout beginning Monday, April 2.

Members of the Oklahoma Legislature worked late into the night Thursday, eventually agreeing to a $424 million dollar budget increase funded through raised taxes on crude oil, tobacco and gasoline. A $5-per-night hotel and motel tax was initially included in the proposal but was later repealed by Gov. Mary Fallin.

According to Oklahoma Education Association (OEA) President Alicia Priest, the bill did not sufficiently address the need for supporting staff raises and higher classroom funding. OEA is calling for a $10,000 pay raise for teachers, $5,000 raise for support staff and an additional $200 million dollars in education funding provided over three years.

“There is still work to do to get this Legislature to invest more in our classroom, and that work will continue Monday when educators descend on the Capitol,” Priest said in a Facebook post.

At Oklahoma Christian University, upper-level education majors participate in student teaching programs at local public schools. Senior education major Zach Fox said the walkout could force student teachers to abandon their current classrooms if it drags on without a resolution.

“We are going to treat it like a snow day and just wait it out, but we have been advised to still work on lessons and activities for the kids,” Fox said. “The thing is though, we don’t know just how long it will last. Potentially, we could have to switch over to private schools that aren’t affected by the walkout if it lasts longer than one or two weeks.”

As of April 1, Edmond, Oklahoma City and Norman Public Schools officially cancelled classes for April 2. Some districts, including Yukon and Bethany Public Schools, have already cancelled classes through Wednesday, April 4.

Oklahoma currently ranks 49th in the nation in average teacher salary—ahead of only South Dakota and Mississippi. A $6,000 pay raise would place Oklahoma at 28th nationally, while a $10,000 raise would increase Oklahoma to 22nd.

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