Could another Oklahoma teacher walkout happen in 2019?

Could another Oklahoma teacher walkout happen in 2019?

Could another Oklahoma teacher walkout happen in 2019?

WHAT will happen if, as the 2019 legislative session gets rolling, it appears common education isn't in line for another big boost in funding? Will teachers strike again, as they did this year?


It wouldn't be surprising if the answer is yes. And why not? The threat of a walkout paid off handsomely in 2018, with the Legislature approving large tax increases for pay raises that were even larger than the teachers' union had demanded. The new revenue also went to boost pay for support staff and for additional school funding.


All this was approved before the strike, which lasted two weeks and was used to demand more money, including some that wouldn't have necessarily ended up going to education. The end of the strike left many walkout attendees frustrated that the Legislature didn't do more.


Lawmakers this year approved a record $2.9 billion appropriation for common education, but got little to no thanks. The walkout spurred dozens of teachers to file for legislative seats, and more than four dozen made it through to November's ballot. Meanwhile, members of the Legislature who voted against the tax increase were labeled “anti-education” and, in some cases, lost their primaries or runoffs.


That sentiment — if you don't see things as we do, you're the enemy — is sure carry over to next year, fueled by the Oklahoma Education Association with the guidance and support of its parent group, the National Education Association, which directed the Oklahoma walkout and others around the country this spring, and the American Federation of Teachers union.


The AFT sponsored an event Saturday at Northwest Classen High School called “Stand Up Continue reading: Could another Oklahoma teacher walkout happen in 2019?