Oklahoma public schools are inching nearer a teacher walkout, as the two major teacher associations present differing visions of a solution to the budget crisis. All eyes are on , as the latest state to see educators demand higher salaries and more investments in schools after years of .
, the 楼凤天堂 Education Association affiliate, suffered some internal strife over the . Initially a date in mid-April was chosen, but membership demanded a more immediate deadline, and April 2 is now the date for a walk-out of teachers. OEA has presented demands but no specific plan for raising funding, leaving that up to legislators.
Since the OEA challenge, the other teacher association, , joined the , in calling for a plan for pay hikes for teachers, but not support personnel, with no funding mechanism. The plan would depend on future legislators to find funding. Some of POE鈥檚 members have responded angrily to that plan.
Most observers see on the part of legislators to find new revenue for funding teacher raises, support personnel raises, and per-pupil investment to public schools. Two failed Special Sessions have not produced a workable budget, mainly because of the ramifications of which requires any tax hikes to pass both houses of the legislature with a 75% super-majority. One Special Session funding bill came within five votes in the House, after passing the Senate, but it failed. Nothing else has come close.
Many state advocates have suggested , if the legislature would raise the historically-low Gross Production Tax on oil wells in the state, and to end the automatic tax cuts to the wealthiest Oklahomas. Deep cuts to GPT and to income taxes have probably created the funding crisis the state is now facing.
Recently, the state employees, who have suffered the same lack of pay raises, . The fortunes of all are now linked.
A Civics class from Cache, OK, visited the Capitol, sat in on proceedings in the House, and then visited with their own House Representative. In an exchange captured on video, the legislator described the proposed walk out as, and a student responded in support.
A faction of the House is supporting a bill to use money from the to fund, not sustained raises for teachers only, but 鈥榮tipends鈥� or 鈥榖onuses鈥� on an annual basis. would require more funding to be withdrawn from the Land Office鈥檚 common schools trust fund.POE is supporting this plan, but OEA is not. The has weighed in, deeming this idea one that would surely face a constitutional challenge, costing the state needed funding to defend any lawsuit. There was no vote on this bill in the full House before the deadline for bills to pass from their House of origin, so this bill may not be viable unless brought back as a shell bill or an amendment to another bill.
This week, the , passed a plan for raises, but failed to create the funding mechanism, falling short on the funding bill, of the 戮 required votes.
As the April 2nd deadline looms, more and more school are voting to fully support a teacher walk out. to provide meals for students and daycare arrangements for working parents. are offering resources to keep students safe and fed.