Oklahoma schools are closed again today for an eighth straight school day, as teachers continue to protest low teacher pay and skimpy funding.CNN reported yesterdaythat the teacher movement is “gaining momentum.”
One group of teachers walked the 100 miles from Tulsa to the capitol in Oklahoma City, to draw attention to their plight.
However, Republicans in the State House of Representatives don’t appear to be listening. Yesterday afternoon, GOP lawmakers said a measure to eliminate the state’s capital gains exemption would not be heard this session. Teachers had touted the removal of the exemption as one way to pay for teacher salary raises, but Republican lawmakers don’t seem to be on board with the idea.
Educators have no plans to end the walkout until their demands are met. Oklahoma’s push for education funding is part of a wider trend in conservative states, with teachers in Arizona, West Virginia, and Kentucky asking for better pay.