John Thompson, teacher and historian in Oklahoma, just sent this update on the wildcat walkout:

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin told CBS News that the state’s teachers who walked out in protest against a decade of extreme budget cuts are “kind of like a teenager wanting a better car.”

When her words prompted a widespread backlash, the Republican governor, who presided over the tax cuts which starved Oklahoma schools and thus precipitated this week’s work stoppage, changed the subject, claiming “Antifa is here.”

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/oklahoma-teachers-fight-for-increased-funding-were-doing-this-for-our-kids/

http://www.news9.com/story/37876428/gov-fallin-faces-backlash-after-comments-to-cbs-news

Fallin isn’t the only Republican who is attacking teachers by pretending that their protests have attracted “outside” groups to the state Capitol. Rep. Kevin McDugle, R-Broken Arrow, said that he didn’t think protesting teachers were setting a good example for students. Rep. McDugle said in a now-deleted Facebook post that he would not vote “for another stinking (education) measure when they’re acting the way they’re acting.”

Rep. McDugle said teachers can, “Go ahead, be pissed at me if you want to.” Then he also complained that the protest has been “pretty rowdy,” and that “legislators have received death threats and alluded to legislative aides being released from duty early Tuesday due to safety concerns at the overcrowded Capitol.”

During the 3rd day of the walkout, Rep. John Enns (R) said that “25% of protestors were paid actors from Chicago.”

Contrary to those charges, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol tweeted that it has merely provided medical assistance, helped with one lost child, handled one minor traffic accident, and “assisted large crowds of teachers and other pedestrians crossing the streets.” The OHP said that the House Speaker had cleared the House Chamber due to noise. The reason why the OHP was limiting entry to the Capitol was that the Fire Marshall restricted entry to to crowd size, requiring a “one in, one out” procedure to avoid overcrowding.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/teacherwalkout/oklahoma-lawmaker-s-rant-inspires-teacher-to-announce-campaign-for/article_7535f223-f90b-5b8f-ad5f-a4f2a742c89b.html

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/teacherwalkout/go-ahead-be-pissed-at-me-oklahoma-lawmaker-upset-at/article_b2ad7075-7b66-50f0-8c1f-a42587e8b739.html

https://www.facebook.com/KOCOZach/?fref=mentions

I haven’t seen any signs of Antifa or violence, but one supposed “outsider” lives three blocks from me. He is a member of a notorious radical group – the Oklahoma County Democratic Party.

However, I did see teachers acting like teenagers in one sense. I mean no disrespect to my former high school students; they were great dancers. But I don’t know that they could compete with the moves of dozens of teachers line dancing to Tom Petty’s “We Won’t Take It Anymore!”

Here are other things I’ve seen as 35,000 or more teachers have rallied the last three days.

The first teachers I met were discussing a former student at my old high school. They were mourning his decision to drop out. Rep. Jacob Rosecrants, who used to teach in my classroom, said that testing contributed to the student leaving school. I later learned about the tragic outcomes of two of my former students. Those conversations were reminders that despite the best efforts of teachers, in a state where more than 60% of students are economically disadvantaged, and where 85 to 90% of urban students are eligible for free and reduced lunch, funding for a system of student supports is essential.

I’ve also seen information that has been left for the legislators that explains:

Oklahoma loses 383 teachers per month;
Over 62,000 school kids are being taught by someone who isn’t certified to teach; and
Three of every four student teachers will leave Oklahoma.

https://www.poncacitynow.com/school-superintendent-arrott-issues-letter-on-teacher-walkout-guidance-for-parents/

https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/05/us/oklahoma-teachers-possible-strike-trnd/index.html

http://www.stwnewspress.com/news/feeling-unsupported-by-state-student-teachers-bolt-for-better-pay/article_fa6d99e0-4be0-5a94-a536-e756dabfb07c.html

We’ve also had a chance to look at Oklahoma education through the eyes of national journalists who are documenting the ways that teachers struggle with huge classrooms, the lack of teaching materials, and the exhaustion resulting from working multiple part-time jobs, not to mention the indignity of selling plasma and going to food pantries to feed their families.

I have to admit, however, that I’ve enjoyed PBS’ coverage of teachers posting photos of today’s raggedy remnants of the textbooks. We used some of them in a school that was closed over a decade ago.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/it-just-hurts-my-heart-low-pay-big-classes-are-the-plight-of-oklahoma-teachers/2018/03/30/e5e10eb8-2c88-11e8-b0b0-f706877db618_story.html?utm_term=.010c339d211f

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/apr/02/teachers-wildcat-strikes-oklahoma-kentucky-west-virginia?link_id=6&can_id=790e8d3653612cbd5257360c47a6e4fe&source=email-wave-of-teachers-strikes-kentucky-and-oklahoma-interviews-available&email_referrer=email_328219&email_subject=wave-of-teachers-strikes-kentucky-and-oklahoma-interviews-available

http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-43578465/oklahoma-teacher-strike-i-have-29-textbooks-for-87-pupils

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/oklahoma-teachers-are-posting-their-crumbling-textbooks-online

The Oklahoma walkout is a grassroots uprising. Like the teachers unions, the rank-in-file educators who revolted were aware of the many dangers that they took by stepping up. But as the National Education Association president Lily Eskelsen Garcia says, this is the “education spring.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/02/us/teacher-strikes-oklahoma-kentucky.html?action=click&contentCollection=us&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront

And as American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten advised marchers, in every job action, there is “always a moment of truth.” She predicted that Oklahomans would do both – stand firm and respond wisely to evolving circumstances.

It is no surprise that educators have kept the focus on our children, who have suffered through state funding cuts of 28%. Neither can we be surprised by the juvenile way that so many Republican leaders have responded to the moment of truth. Every day, we are feeling our hope grow. The whole world is watching, and outside of the besieged conservative leadership that created this crisis, there is no doubt as to who is battling for our kids.