These Boots are Made for Walkin'

In a press conference this afternoon, the Oklahoma Education Association (OEA) put the Oklahoma State Legislature on notice for a potential educator walk-out and/or series of schools & districts closing. OEA stated that the walk-out would begin on April 2nd unless the Legislature approves, by April 1st (Easter Sunday), a budget that would include a $10,000 pay raise for Oklahoma's teachers, a $5,000 pay raise for educational support staff, and an appropriation increase of $200 million for school funding to replace the draconian cuts which have occurred over the last eight years.

Oklahoma's average teacher pay is currently 50th out of 51 (states + DC). Hoards of teachers have already flocked to surrounding states, some of whom have increased their salaries by $20,000 per year for a move less than a three hour drive from my home in north Oklahoma City.

I've never been a fan of OEA. Shady behaviors it has conducted and some of the policies it has championed, along with the same for its parent organization (NEA) and its local affiliate within my school district have impacted my thoughts on OEA (those are stories for another time). My views on OEA, however, have not led me to be "anti-union". As a Social Studies educator, I very much understand the importance of unions within historical, economic, political, and geographic contexts. I fully understand that many of the gains and protections that are found across most labor industries or workforces are the result of difficult decisions, committed collaborative actions, and a quest for justice on the part of organized labor. As such, I respect OEA's leadership in today's press conference.

Oklahoma's teachers have not had a raise in ten years. Retirement and health insurance are not fully covered in many districts. Per pupil expenditures have decreased each year for nearly a decade...when allocated funds do not remain consistent with population increases then even in a year in which allocations are 100% equal to the year before we end up with the effect of a significant cut. Lottery funds no longer serve to extend or enhance legislative allocations. The lottery now, by default, serves to supplant those funds. Vital well-rounded educational services and opportunities for students have been cut. Teaching, administrative, and support staff positions have been eliminated. As teachers leave the state to teach elsewhere or transition into other careers, the pool of qualified teachers to replace them (if there are funds to fill the vacancies) shrinks to the point of having underqualified persons serving in the classroom. The shortage of quality teachers is real and has a profoundly negative impact on the quality of education in many classrooms. Cut, cut, cut...and yet the student population count continues to rise. Severely over crowded classrooms are the result. Imagine trying to conduct some form of chemistry experiment with thirty-five students in a science lab room where the fire code only authorizes twenty. Safety concerns further complicate the attempts to provide a meaningful educational experience in such an environment.

One of the aspects of the news conference that I truly appreciated OEA showcasing was the concerns of the association of state employees. Their salaries and working conditions also need to be addressed. The vital public services that they provide often have a direct impact on our needs within education. Our students need access to quality physical and mental health services...yet those budgets have been cut. Our students need access to appropriate roads and bridges to safely travel to and from school...yet those budgets have been cut. Our students need the protections offered from programs from the Department of Human Services and the Department of Corrections...yet those budgets have been cut. While we as teachers may be more vocal about our pressing needs, we also fully understand the larger picture. 

And the larger picture is the Legislature's collective refusal to appropriately fully fund core services for the people of the state and this includes core services that are required by our state constitution. While was say "the time is now" we all know that the appropriate time has long since passed. The time was years ago. The time was to have never allowed this circumstance to occur in the first place.


So now we are at a time when we must act. WE MUST ACT. Do teachers want to walk out or have their schools close indefinitely? NO! But to gain what it takes to fully educate the children of our state--the very reason why we do what we do--we will commit to walk if necessary. We understand that closing school will cause hardships. And while many are already working together to help mitigate those hardships on students who without school food programs wouldn't eat, we also understand that sometimes results only happen when the hardships serve to squeeze the hands of those who have the power to provide the necessary results. We will squeeze the necessary hands. We will be the voice that our students need. We will be the boots on the ground at the Capitol because...

These boots are made for walkin'
And that's just what they'll do
Take a stand by April 1st

Or these boots will walk all over you.