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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 3 april 2018

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Kentucky, Oklahoma teachers rally as rebellion grows

By SEAN MURPHY and additional school funding ing their mistakes.”
BRUCE SCHREINER possible,” the Republican In Frankfort, Kentucky,
Associated Press said in a statement. teachers and other school
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — “We must be responsible employees chanted “Stop
The state Capitol in Ken- not to neglect other areas the war on public educa-
tucky filled with teach- of need in the state such tion.”
ers protesting pension as corrections and health “We’re madder than hor-
changes and demanding and human services as we nets, and the hornets are
generous school funding continue to consider ad- swarming today,” said
Monday, and thousands ditional education funding Claudette Green, a retired
of Oklahoma educators measures. teacher and principal.
walked out of classrooms But Democratic lawmaker Schools across Kentucky
in the latest evidence of Collin Walke said teachers were closed, due either
teacher rebellion in some should keep up the pres- to spring break or to allow
Republican-led states. sure. Two separate bills teachers and other school
Many Oklahoma schools pending in the Legislature employees to attend the
were closed Monday, and to expand tribal gambling rally. Keagan Nedrow, left, and Reed Nedrow, bottom right, stand
districts announced plans and eliminate the income Amid a chorus of chants with their mother, Tara Nedrow, right, who teaches history at
to stay shut into Tuesday tax deduction for capital from teachers rallying in Union High School, and other teachers, during a teacher rally
with teacher demonstra- gains could generate more the Capitol, Kentucky law- against low school funding at the state Capitol Oklahoma City,
tions expected to last a than $100 million in addi- makers considered a new Monday, April 2, 2018.
second day. tional funding each year. state budget that includes Associated Press
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin “I think the Republican higher spending for public Monday that includes in- money for school buses
signed legislation last week strategy is to wait the education. creased spending for the that the state’s Republican
granting teachers pay rais- teachers out,” Walke said. Budget negotiators un- main funding formula for governor had proposed
es of about $6,100, or 15 to Oklahoma ranks 47th veiled a spending plan K-12 schools and restored eliminating.q
18 percent. among states and the Dis-
But some educators — trict of Columbia in public
who haven’t seen a pay school revenue per student
increase in 10 years — say while its average teacher
that isn’t good enough salary of $45,276 ranked
and walked out. 49th before the latest rais-
The state’s largest teach- es, according to the most
ers union has demanded a recent statistics from the
$10,000 pay raise for edu- National Education Asso-
cators over three years, ciation.
$5,000 for support person- The demonstrations were
nel and a $75 million in- inspired by West Virginia,
crease in funding this year. where teachers walked
“If I didn’t have a second out for nine days earlier this
job, I’d be on food stamps,” year and won a 5 percent
said Rae Lovelace, a single increase in pay.
mom and a third-grade Teachers in Arizona are
teacher at Leedey Public now considering a strike
Schools in northwest Okla- over their demands for a 20
homa. Lovelace, among percent salary increase.
many teachers who moon- Many Arizona teachers
light for extra pay , works wore red clothes to school
30 to 40 hours a week at a Monday in solidarity with
second job teaching on- protests in Oklahoma and
line courses for a charter Kentucky, said Joe Thom-
school. as, president of the Arizona
Fallin on Monday praised Education Association.
the Oklahoma’s GOP-led National Education Associ-
Legislature’s achievement ation President Lily Eskelsen
in approving part of what Garcia spoke to thousands
teacher’s want. during the rally in Okla-
“Significant revenue-raising homa, saying lawmakers
measures were approved need to do more.
to make this pay raise and “We are through correct-