TPS supports teachers in fight for pay raise

TULSA -- Employees of Tulsa Public Schools stepped in to the classroom to allow teachers to rally at the state capital.

About 100 teachers from Tulsa Public Schools headed to Oklahoma City to fight for pay raises Monday.

“I chose to be here, so they could be there,” Leeanne Jimenez said.

Jimenez is a Science and STEAM coordinator for Tulsa Public Schools. Monday, she stepped back into the classroom where she spent more than a decade. Jimenez filled-in in 5th grade at Jones Elementary.

“Teachers could have taken a personal day and gone any way, but having the district step in and say ‘We have your back’ I think was very helpful in a lot of them making the decision to go ahead and go to the capital,” Jimenez said.

Teachers who went to the capital said they are grateful for the support from TPS during this fight and they are grateful to the people like Jimenez who stepped in to cover their classes for the day.

“This is more important,” Jimenez said. “The students need to have someone in their classroom to teach them. The teachers need to be having their voices heard at the capital.”

Superintendent Dr. Deborah Gist joined the teachers in Oklahoma City at the rally. Several teachers said it was nice to have her standing by their side Monday.

“I think the desperation that we feel for taking action has increased,” Dr. Gist said. “People are seeing the way in which the steps that we made as Oklahomans are hurting our children, hurting our state and it’s hurting our teachers. The pain is being felt more acutely every single day.”

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