Thank you OEA members for using your voices; we had unprecedented involvement from teachers, support staff, admin and community members championing public education. Your voices were and are still important.
From every corner of the state, our members have made it clear they will never abandon the fight for public education.
Jennie Scott (Enid) shared that she wants to “bring public trust back to our schools and really help the community believe that our students, schools and teachers are worth it”. Angelia Franke (Nowata) said her goal was to “increase members’ engagement in political activism and in the fight for public education.”
You have created an even larger coalition of public education supporters across Oklahoma and, though you may not feel it right now, you have strengthened the future for the children and communities you serve. Your work ensures the fight for public education continues beyond this moment.
Below you will find the statement we have sent to press:
This is a devastating result for the 90% of Oklahoma children who attend public schools and the professional educators who serve them. While the outcome is not what we hoped for, OEA will continue its commitment to work with all elected leaders to fight for every student to receive a high-quality public education, as we have done since 1889.
There are real issues facing public education in our state. An educator shortage crisis, oversized classrooms, poverty, lack of counselors and mental health support, and access to resources all require prioritization over national partisan culture wars and voucher schemes that siphon money from public schools.
It is our hope that the newest representatives will remember every day that they serve all Oklahomans, not just some.
OEA’s mission has not changed. We will continue to lift educator voices and do all that we can to ensure all students have access to quality education in public schools.
In Solidarity,
Katherine Bishop, OEA President
