The recent teachers’ strike in the Sooner State has led The New Yorker to publish an investigation into how the somewhat unsuccessful teacher protests have spawned a “movement of politically engaged” Oklahomans.
In response to the walkout this year, Oklahoma Republicans offered the state’s teachers $6,000 raises. The GOP lawmakers funded the raises with a series of measures that will disproportionately hit the wallets of low-income residents.
Democrats, along with the teachers, said the solution was far from sufficient.
But the protests may have sparked a larger movement, drawing attention to the fact that Oklahoma spends twice as much per prisoner as per student. Some of the teachers have now pledged to place their names on ballots.
Said one teacher, “I didn’t know I was going to run for office when I started the walk.”