“Our goal is not a walkout, not a school closure. Our goal is to have the legislature do their job and pass a plan to fund the schools.”
That was the theme spoken by Oklahoma Education Association vice-president Katherine Bishop Wednesday.
oeaSpeaking to teachers and support workers at Henryetta schools, she said the OEA has been working on getting a school funding plan passed for over 18 months.
Pointing out the legislature is mandated by law to have a budget plan in place April 1, Bishop said, “we told them if they don’t do it April 1, we will help you on April 2.”
She said the state has gone through 28 percent in funding cuts to common education. “The bleeding can’t happen any more. A line has been drawn in the sand.”
Stacy Hicks Bullard, Southeast Organizer of the Oklahoma Education Association, said there has been statements about the walkout just about a pay raise. “That is not true. It is about doing what’s right for Oklahoma.”
She told the group the state loses about 380 teachers each month from the classrooms. “They don’t have the resources and can make more doing something else. That’s about 300 kids per day without teachers.”
Bullard urged teachers, parents and private citizens to contact their legislators. “They have to fund our students future.”
Bishop related one conversation where a legislator, Jeff Coody, called the teachers, “extortionists.”
“That’s unacceptable. We are tired and we are not going to take it anymore.”
Bullard said State Senator Roger Thompson and State Rep. Scott Fetgatter, “have voted for us 100 percent of the time. Rep. Steve Kouplen is a friend of public education. There are some sticking points and sometimes we have to agree to disagree.”
The problem with schools being closed is not just limited to students missing classrooms.
“We are working with local churches to help provide meals. Sam Walker from the First Baptist Church has been in contact with Feed the Children. They are bringing eight pallets of food. Other churches will be doing day camps. The safety and well being of our children is our number one priority.”
With two weeks before the planned walkout, henryetta’s school district is trying to come up with a plan for the class schedules.
“We have spring break next week,” superintendent Dwayne Noble told the group. “Our game plan is we are going to wait until March 29 and see where we are. We will have a special board meeting and will know a lot more then.”
Among the options the board will consider will be using sing the snow days if the issue is not resolved as well as try to get some delegates to the Capitol and get funding. “Things can change in two weeks. I have been talking to several districts. All are asking questions. There is no manual how to do this.”
He said parents will be kept informed about the school plans through the school’s robo-call system as well as the media. “Bruce will be streaming the school board meeting and will be on Thehenryettan.” he said.
If students miss out on the state testing mandate, he did not see how they would be held back a year.
“There’s 687,000 students in Oklahoma. That’s a huge number of people.”
Bishop said the teaches, school districts and OEA will know a resolution to the crisis is over, “When they pass the $810 million packet. That includes pay raises, funding for schools and hospitals and state employees. We are not going to take anything else.”