TULSA, Okla. -- Schools won't stay empty much longer. Teachers who visited the capitol said they pushed lawmakers as hard as they could.
Many were disappointed with the results, but one teacher with Monroe Demonstration School said the walkout was a victory.
"Us being on the ground was kind of a motivating factor. They had been talking about the Amazon and ball and dice, but not really moving on it. So I truly believe us being there and coming back was a motivating factor to say, let's go ahead and pass these things," Deitrya Anderson said.
As the days went on, Anderson said the message from lawmakers was clear.
"In the second week, having just been there, walking around, listening to conversations, seeing what was going on in the house, we weren't going to get any more. When Speaker McCall said he was done, he was serious. He was done," Anderson said.
After the walkout, only one year of funding is guaranteed.
"We don't think it's going to be funded in two, or three/four years. We're not going to have as big a momentum if we want to walk out again. We're not going to have all this support. Now is the time, we feel like," said Donna LeMonier with Kendall Whittier Elementary.
From here teachers plan to use personal days when possible to continue a presence at the capitol.
"It's been really upsetting. I cried a lot last night. I emailed Dr. Gist talking to her about plans for making up our time and plans for still sending representatives from our building to get to go to the capitol still," LeMonier said.
Right now districts across Green Country are working to determine what will happen at the end of the school year. Broken Arrow say they will likely add minutes to the day, although that is not finalized yet. Jenks is waiting until teachers are back on campus before finding a solution. Starting Monday Union will add 25 minutes to the school day and eliminate "late start Fridays" to end on June 1st.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Download our free app for Apple and Android and Kindle devices.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.
▼Story Content (0)
