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Crowdfunding raises money for Tulsa teacher pay

Posted at 6:32 PM, Sep 17, 2015
and last updated 2015-09-17 19:32:00-04

A Tulsa teacher's salary and benefits will be paid for by crowdfunding this year– it's a solution from a group of parents who said they're tired of the state's education funding issues.

Tulsa Public School announced this week it would move staff members around as part of a "rebalancing" effort among campuses. Kristen Nicholson, a fourth grade teacher at Eliot Elementary in midtown Tulsa, was unwillingly caught up in that process.

"I was devastated," she said.

In a little more than 24 hours, a group of parents raised more than $40,000 on GoFundMe.com to keep Nicholson at Eliot.

"We couldn't let a family member go," said parent Carrie Gardenhire.

"It's so amazing. I am so happy that I am part of such an amazing community that cares so much about their students," Nicholson said.

Before the fundraising, TPS planned was to move Nicholson to another campus dividing Eliot's 55 fourth-grade students between two teachers instead of three, raising class sizes in the process. That was an outcome parents fought against.

"I get to stay and they get keep those small classes," Nicholson said.
 

TPS and the parents involved said the reassignment and class size issues are due to funding problems at the state legislature and Oklahoma's teacher shortage. Both of which are ongoing problems for the Sooner state.

"If they can do that, we are going to consider doing this again," said TPS spokesman Chris Payne.
    
A similar fundraising happened last year at Hoover Elementary, Payne said. While it's unclear if this will be a long term solution or just a quick fix– Nicholson, her class and the concerned parents are taking time to revel in their victory.
   
"That's what a great school Eliot is. They really pulled together," Nicholson said.

TPS said this fundraising money will pay Nicholson and free up money to pay for another teacher at the campus she was being moved to.
 

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