What happened: Oklahoma and Kentucky teachers walked off the job and held rallies in their state capitols to pressure lawmakers.
What they want: They are demanding more education funding for students.
What comes next: Many say they’ll keep fighting until lawmakers meet their demands.
Our live coverage has ended. Read more about the walkouts here, or scroll down to see how the day unfolded.
Tens of thousands of teachers in Kentucky and Oklahoma marched to their state capitols today to demand more funding for their students and better wages.
In Kentucky, teachers decried changes to their pensions, after state lawmakers tucked those reforms into another bill about sewage and passed that bill last week.
This was the scene at the state capitol in Frankfort, Kentucky:
And in Oklahoma, protesters rallied for higher teacher and support staff raises, as well as increased funding for education – which has plummeted by 28% over the past decade, the state teachers’ union said.
Here’s what it looked like at the state capitol in Oklahoma City:
Oklahoma
Jenna Geresi, a first-grade teacher at Jarman Elementary School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, carried this sign that read “iF u keep hurtin EdukAshun mor sines will Lok like dis.”
Melissa Knight, who teaches art at Ardmore Middle School in Oklahoma, demonstrated outside the state capitol with a sign that read, “My 2nd job paid for my sign!”
Kentucky
Teachers protested at the state capitol, called for higher wages and demanded “respect.”
Teachers reminded lawmakers that they also vote.
Oklahoma teacher Dionne Liebl, speaking to a crowd gathered at the state Capitol, said educators were protesting today for additional funding and resources for their students.
“Why are we here today?” she asked. “We are here today because our schools, our children need us.”
Liebl, an English teacher at Deer Creek High School in Edmond, Oklahoma, was one of 12 finalists for teacher of the year.
She urged Oklahoma teachers to remain united.
“This isn’t about one organization or another,” Liebl said. “This is about students, our kids, the very future of our state. That is why we are here.”
Oklahoma teacher Alberto Morejon said he saw teachers in West Virginia get higher wages after they protested for nine consecutive days.
So, the Stillwater Junior High history teacher got on Facebook and typed in “Oklahoma walk out” to see if there were any similar movements planned in his state.
“Nothing popped up and I thought ‘Why not be the guy to make the group?’ When I woke up the next morning, there were 21,000 members,” said Morejon, 25, who’s also a baseball coach at Stillwater Junior High.
Teachers across the state have flocked to Oklahoma City today, saying concessions made by lawmakers last week aren’t nearly good enough to support the future of education.
Oklahoma is among the bottom three states in teachers’ salaries, and until Thursday, had not received a state raise in a decade.
Last week, legislators approved a measure that includes a $6,100 pay raise for teachers, $1,250 for support staff, and $50 million in education funding.
OEA president Alicia Priest called it a “good starting point,” but not enough.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of what the teachers got — and what they want:
Brandon King and Zach Verdea, student journalists from the University of Oklahoma, shot this video of Monday’s protests at the state capitol in Oklahoma City.
King said Regan Killackey, a teacher at Edmond Memorial High School in Edmond, Oklahoma, held his English literature class at the protest.
Watch Killackey in action:
Allyson Kubat, an Oklahoma teacher who is protesting today for higher wages and school funding, also works as an event planner, Postmates driver, and sells health care and beauty products.
She is also a surrogate mother.
Being a surrogate, she said, “definitely helps lift a burden” for her family.
“It’s not all about the money, obviously. But I do need the extra income, yes, too help pay some of the most basic bills,” Kubat said.
Tens of thousands of Kentucky and Oklahoma teachers ditched classrooms Monday to rally at their state capitals, demanding more education funding for students.
But they’re not the only people rallying at the the two capitol buildings. Some of their students are there, too.
Gerry Brooks, the principal at Liberty Elementary in Lexington, Kentucky, attended Monday’s protest.
Brooks is known across the country for his videos about the daily experiences of educators on social media. Most of them are shot in the front seat of his car.
He’s become a viral sensation among teachers. He also tours the country to talk to teachers’ groups.
Teachers in Oklahoma and Kentucky walked off the job today to demand higher wages and additional funding for school resources.
They carried signs, chanted and marched to their state capitols in the hopes of convincing lawmakers to support their efforts. Here are some of the signs that they are carrying:
“Our schools are in a pickle because our legislature is so salty! #supportteachers”
“I called in sick for this!”
“My students are worth it.”
“If you think education is expensive, wait until you see how much ignorance costs!”
All classes and activities have been canceled for students at Oklahoma City Public Schools tomorrow due to the teacher walkout, the school district announced on Monday.
The school district said it will still provide free meals to students during the walkouts.
A list of meal pick-up locations can be found here.
The Kentucky House Democratic Caucus posted this video of teachers protesting inside the Capitol building on Monday.
The video was shot just before the House convened, as Minority Leader Rocky Adkins made his way into the chamber.
The teachers chanted “Rocky, Rocky” as he went up the steps and cheered when he turned to wave.
Watch the moment:
At least 25 schools were closed in Kentucky today due to a rally at the state capitol in Frankfort, according to a CNN review the state’s 173 school districts.
Teachers in Frankfort were protesting a bill that would bring changes to their pension plan.
At least 143 school districts are closed for spring break today. The district of Harlan Independent Schools is in session today.
Three school districts did not state reasons for closing and were not included in the above count.
Jessica Jernegan, 30, is a 5th grade teacher at Bixby North Intermediate in Oklahoma.
“I’m walking out for my kids,” she said. “Our class sizes make it increasingly harder to meet the individual needs of every student.”
Kentucky teachers are decrying what they call “bait-and-switch” changes to their pensions, after state lawmakers tucked those reforms into another bill about sewage and passed that bill last week.
And in Oklahoma, protesters are rallying for higher teacher and support staff raises, as well as increased funding for education — which has plummeted by 28% over the past decade, the state teachers’ union president said.
Jessica Jernegan said she and her fellow teachers would love to be in their classrooms today. Instead, they’re protesting at the state capitol.
Watch more:
Shontée Branton has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in early childhood education. But when she gets to the checkout lane at the grocery store, she has to turn around.
“In my mind, I’m like, ‘What do I need to put back?’ Because I know I can’t afford all of this,” said the 1st-grade teacher at Epperly Heights Elementary in Oklahoma.
“Maybe I want the strawberries, but I can make it without.”
Branton, who’s been teaching for nine years, said she makes about $36,000 a year.
She supplements that by tutoring, teaching summer school and working at Macy’s – both on the retail floor and in the human resources office.
“Normally, I leave from the school and go straight to Macy’s and clock in,” she said. ‘“There’s times I leave my house at 7 in the morning, and I don’t come home until 10 o’clock at night.”
Shane Deaton shot this video of teachers protesting outside of the Kentucky State Capitol on Monday.
Kentucky teachers have rallied at the state capitol in Frankfort. They’re holding protests signs and chanting, “Fund our schools!”
The rally comes just days after after the state Legislature approved changes to their pension.
In a surprise move last week, the state lawmakers passed a pension reform bill by tucking the measure into a Senate bill that had previously been about sewage system.
Furious over the changes, educators called out of work sick or requested substitutes in protest on Friday, resulting in the closure of more than 20 counties’ schools.
