OKCPS Board Supports Potential Teacher Strike

The state’s largest school district showed support Monday night for teachers in the wake of a possible walkout. 

The OKCPS Board of Education passed a resolution and the audience cheered in response.

Read the following "Resolution Regarding Board Support of Teacher Voices" below: 

Whereas the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education recognizes the chronic underfunding of public school education and continued cuts for more than a decade; and

Whereas the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education is a witness to the consequences of this chronic underfunding and sees the victims in our teachers, staff, students, families, community and state; and

Whereas the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education has supported and worked for solution after solution to fund teacher pay raises and common education, only to see the legislature fail to find common ground and pass legislation comprehensively addressing this emergency; and

Whereas no one has worked harder nor waited longer for a raise and for resources in the classroom nor sacrificed more than our teachers; and

Whereas on behalf of our students and families cannot allow this crisis to continue through another legislative session, we support all measures taken by our classroom teachers to demand the necessary funding for a meaningful teacher pay raise and education funding; and

Whereas we are confident our community, including parents, families, caregivers, faith leaders and followers, business leaders, laborers, teachers’ families and their school district administrators, neighbors and friends will gracefully fill the gap and make the sacrifices it will take while our teachers advocate for what they need to educate our children and secure the future of Oklahoma in ways they see fit.

Be it resolved that the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education is in full support of our teachers and stands ready to take any steps necessary to improve conditions for our teachers – including a districtwide suspension of classes.

The Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education urges the Oklahoma State Legislature to work urgently on behalf of the children and families in our state to take swift and meaningful action to develop a viable plan to pay teachers the professional salaries they deserve.

Resolved this 5th day of March 2018.

“The way that they said that made us feel 100 percent heard and understood so we are excited that they’re going to back us in our stance that we have to take,” said teacher Heather Reed.

Reed teaches second grade at Lee Elementary School. She is one of dozens, ready to take action.

“We don’t have another option and it’s a go-ahead. So I would say April 2nd is when we would be a ‘no-show’ for sure,” she told News 9.

Reed said she’s really hopeful the situation will get resolved before then, but is prepared to do what she said needs to be done.