Update on OK Resistance -- a 100 Mile Walking Trek to the Capitol

Resistance has multiple faces. Resistance is writing letters and cards to our representatives. Resistance is walking out of the classroom to fight for protecting students. Resistance is wearing a red shirt in solidarity with educators across the nation.

And sometimes, resistance is walking. But not just across the parking lot. We’re talking a lot of walking -- 100 miles of walking.

Our colleagues in Oklahoma started a 100-mile long trek from multiple towns and cities to the OK Capitol to demonstrate their commitment calls for an equitable pay and school budget support (see our previous post here).

Teachers making progress along Route 66 on their March for Education to OKC. pic.twitter.com/E23YEPOmwI

— Laurene Callander (@laurene_kjrh) April 4, 2018

"We do appreciate the raise. The main reasons that teachers are walking are because of the lack of funding for classrooms, the things that affect kids," said Brendan Jarvis, a seventh-grade geography teacher in Tulsa. "We're marching for the kids, for better school supplies, so teachers don't have to buy all of them out of pocket."

Image Credit: YOUTUBE: "OK TEACHERS SPEAK"

Though the OK government did offer a pay raise, the legislature had removed school budget support.
Oklahoma-AFT President Mary Best and Oklahoma City President Ed Allen issued the following statement:

“We are disappointed but not surprised that Gov. Fallin repealed the hotel/motel-tax that would have yielded additional funding for public schools. Over the last two weeks in this fight for Oklahoma’s teachers, we’ve made clear that pitting teachers against kids is a losing strategy. We will keep fighting to make sure there’s funding for both, because it’s what our teachers need, and what our kids deserve. 

“In the meantime, we encourage the state Legislature to consider quickly the wind production and capital gains tax bills as potential revenue streams: Oklahoma needs an increase in public education funding on top of teacher raises. And we need it soon, so we can get back to the classroom. 

“Make no mistake: Our teachers want to be in school—teaching. But they’ll remain in the capital until these legislators make good on their duty to fund our state’s schools.”

Thursday, thousands of educators arrived at Tulsa where they intend to meet with legislators.

This blog will follow our colleagues' success.