Oklahoma Teacher Walkout Ends

The striking teachers in Oklahoma have officially ended their walkout and returned to work on Friday. The state government has given in to some of their demands and raised teacher’s salaries by $6000 and school support staff’s pay has been raised by $1,250. The New York Times reports:

• “Alicia Priest, president of the Oklahoma Education Association, characterized the nine-day walkout as ‘a victory for teachers,’ even as it fell short of its goals.”
• The protesting teachers had originally pressed for the Republican Legislature to repeal a capital-gains tax exemption, that applies to wealthy Oklahomans.

According to the Times, “Gov. Mary Fallin instituted new or higher taxes on oil and gas production, tobacco, motor fuels, and online sales. The state will also allow ball and dice gambling, which will be taxed.” These new taxes will be used to fund the new education measures that the teachers fought for.  Teachers had asked for $10,000 raise and $200 million for education funding.  They got $50 million, which they say won’t go very far when distributed across the state.

Budget cuts have been deep in Oklahoma after tax cuts and falling oil prices.

The Washington Post reports: “Oklahoma’s teachers are among the worst paid in the nation, and nearly 20 percent of schools moved to four-day school weeks to save money.”

“The teachers clearly were able to make some good strides,” said Gregg Garn, the dean of the college of education at the University of Oklahoma. “In the long run, if candidates that support education get elected, that’s what will determine who won or lost.”

CNN reports that’s how teachers plan to implement their agenda in the long-run: by running for office.

On Thursday morning at 8 a.m, dozens of people lined up at the state capitol to file the paperwork for their candidacies. They believe that the best way to combat the legislators who refuse to listen to their concerns is to become representatives themselves.