Oklahoma teachers might follow West Virginia in strike, walk outs

I see now this is in response to the Step Up Plan being defeated.

A nonpartisan group of business, civic and community leaders came together to work with lawmakers to develop the Step Up Oklahoma plan. Step Up Oklahoma would stabilize state revenue, reform government to increase efficiency and cut abuse, and raise teacher pay by $5,000 a year.

REFORMS

The Step Up Oklahoma plan contains much needed government-reform measures to give lawmakers the tools they need to root out waste, allow for immediate budget stabilization and enact long-term budget reforms. Click here to view the list of reforms.
The plan:
EDUCATION
• Increase teacher salaries by $5,000 and increase principal pay.
GOVERNANCE
• Lower Supermajority Threshold - Lower the supermajority threshold required in the Legislature to pass revenue-enhancing measures to 60%. This restores flexibility that allows legislators to better govern complex revenue matters, while preserving a threshold higher than simple majority that protects taxpayer interests.
• Budget Stabilization Fund - Establish a reliable annual funding mechanism to protect the budget in economic downturns.
• Line-Item Budget - Require the passage of line-item budgets with effective legislative oversight.
• Independent Budget Office - Creation of office specifically designed to root out waste, fraud and abuse across all government functions and identify synergies that can be gained throughout government.
• Revenue Transparency - Revises the state budget to increase accuracy and transparency from all state agencies to better reflect all sources of revenue.
• Revise Term Limits - Adjust term limits for state legislators to 16 cumulative years.
• Increased Accountability for State Agencies/Streamline Agency Boards - Increase accountability to citizens by granting the Governor direct appointment power over the eight largest state agencies and dissolve those agency boards. Appointment includes Labor Commissioner.
• Governor and Lt. Governor Reform - Run the Governor and Lt. Governor on the same ticket to encourage collaboration.
• Supreme Court Reform - Change the process by which Supreme Court vacancies are filled in order to attract the largest yet diverse pool of qualified candidates.
• County Government - Grant voters at the county level the authority to tailor the form and makeup of their county government to meet their local needs.
REVENUE

Leaders developed a broad compromise plan which affects taxes on:
• Cigarettes, little cigars, chewing tobacco and e-cigarettes
• The energy industry, including the gross production tax
• Motor fuels
• Wind-power generation
• Refundable income tax credits
• Gaming activities
• Personal income tax – Click here to view the proposed simplification of state income tax

REVENUE SCENARIOS
Download Here.
• Cigarette Tax - $243.9mm - Percentage of Total Revenue 34%
Increased by $1.50 per pack
• Little Cigars and Chewing Tobacco & E- Cigarettes - $12.9mm - Percentage of Total Revenue 1.8%
Tax little cigars as cigarettes and levy additional 10% tax on chewing tobacco
•Oil and Gas Gross Production Tax - $133.5mm - Percentage of Total Revenue 18.6%
All wells currently at 2% will be increased to 4% and all future wells will begin at 4% for first 36 months and move to 7% after
• Renewables Generation Tax - $23.0mm - Percentage of Total Revenue 3.2%
$1 per MWh
• Motor Fuel Tax - $170.4mm - Percentage of Total Revenue 23.7%
Increase rate on diesel and gasoline by $0.06 per gallon
• Transferable / Refundable Income Tax Credits - $0* - Percentage of Total Revenue 0.0%
Cap transferability / cash refundability for coal, wind, and railroad credits effective 2018 tax year
• Gaming Modernization - $22.0mm - Percentage of Total Revenue 3.1%
Indian casinos to use balls and dice in their craps and roulette games, which will increase the state's exclusivity fees
• Income Tax Reform - $112.0mm - Percentage of Total Revenue 15.6%

TOTAL NEW REVENUE - $717.7mm - Percentage of Total Revenue 100%
Current Budget Shortfall - ($100.0mm)
Teacher & Principal pay raise - ($285.0mm)
Revenue for Essential Services and Budget Stabilization - $332.7mm
*Estimated that $18 M cap per tax year would have zero impact in FY18 and FY19 and $54.5M savings in FY 20.

Definitely more reading to do. Thanks.

a reply to: Xcalibur254


Do the students have to make up for the lost time? The student shouldn't have to take out of their summer vacation for the teachers need for more pay. It is their strike not the kids or the parents.

Let's see
Teachers work 9 months a year
Teachers have paid holidays during that 9 months
Teachers get 3 months of paid vacation a year. (albeit , they should be working on next class time and improving their skills.)
Teacher's Unions demanding more pay for teachers where they can increase their coffers to donate to candidates ?

Now , what is this about pay ?

originally posted by: Gothmog
Let's see
Teachers work 9 months a year
Teachers have paid holidays during that 9 months
Teachers get 3 months of paid vacation a year. (albeit , they should be working on next class time and improving their skills.)
Teacher's Unions demanding more pay for teachers where they can increase their coffers to donate to candidates ?

Now , what is this about pay ?

Let's see...
School boards ELECTED by their communities. Setting budgets and teachers salaries. Complaining about teacher pay and holidays?

Maybe you should consider forming a union at your job...

a reply to: Gothmog

The summer vacations aren't anymore covered by unemployment, so yeah. Your 9 month paycheck is now spread over 12 months.

Then there's the joy of student violence against teachers.

The thrills of purchasing class supplies while the tax deduction for that got reduced recently.

Plus grading papers, lesson plans and 100 other things done off the clock that you never get reimbursed for. This isn't a 9-5 job an actually should be compensated for appropriately.

After leaving public teaching the in the US of A to teach internationally (which was fantastic,) I am back this year teaching in the US of A (charter school in a large, urban area.) Let me give you some background.

I make more than what these teachers in West Virginia on average make (not complaining, but would always accept more...)
My class sizes range from a minimum of 8 up to a maximum of 16 (probably my favorite part of this current position.)
I do zero work outside of my time spent at school (typically 7 AM to 4 PM.)
I teach AP Calculus (so my students mostly care and try.)
The school is about 95% Hispanic students (and about the same % free/reduced lunch recipients.)

I am leaving after this one year return to the [mostly] public education system of the US of A. It is just not a great environment. I have worked at 4 schools in the US of A (all quite different.) I am leaving because of the environment/adults who work at schools. The environment is completely one-sided and rather toxic.

I will miss my students.

originally posted by: the owlbear

originally posted by: Gothmog
Let's see
Teachers work 9 months a year
Teachers have paid holidays during that 9 months
Teachers get 3 months of paid vacation a year. (albeit , they should be working on next class time and improving their skills.)
Teacher's Unions demanding more pay for teachers where they can increase their coffers to donate to candidates ?

Now , what is this about pay ?

Let's see...
School boards ELECTED by their communities. Setting budgets and teachers salaries. Complaining about teacher pay and holidays?

Maybe you should consider forming a union at your job...

I was in a union (one of the largest) for 10 years as a shop steward.
NO THANK YOU....
And that was at a time when Unions were for the workers. Not for politicians
Unions have no place in the US today. Not like they are now...

originally posted by: Caver78
a reply to: Gothmog

The summer vacations aren't anymore covered by unemployment, so yeah. Your 9 month paycheck is now spread over 12 months.

Then there's the joy of student violence against teachers.

The thrills of purchasing class supplies while the tax deduction for that got reduced recently.

Plus grading papers, lesson plans and 100 other things done off the clock that you never get reimbursed for. This isn't a 9-5 job an actually should be compensated for appropriately.

It is salaried for 12 months...
So , I was correct in my statements.
My daughter IS a teacher..
Bus drivers and cafeteria workers enjoy the same benefits.

originally posted by: Xcalibur254

Public schools in West Virginia remained closed today for the eighth instructional day and teachers in Oklahoma might be the next to walk out statewide, officials said.

Echoing West Virginia teachers grievances for more pay and more staff, Oklahoma teachers and a newly formed group“Oklahoma Teacher Walkout - The Time Is Now!” are calling for the state’s 41,000 teachers to walk off the job as soon as April 2, the group’s leader said.

“A walkout would be the last resort, but we want more money for education in the state, that means more money for supplies, more staff and pay raises so teachers will stay,” said the group’s leader, Alberto Morejon.

Source

So after the success of what has been happening in West Virginia it looks like other states are starting to follow along. While West Virginia's teachers are now trying to get all state employees to join with them, Oklahoma's teachers are considering their own strike to not only get a pay raise but also get more money for education in general.

On top of just considering a strike though, they're also considering what's being called a nuclear option. The date they're looking at to start the strike is April 2. This is testing day for Oklahoma. If those tests aren't actually taken it could potentially cost Oklahoma millions in federal funding.

Personally I think this is great. Teachers and education have been getting the shaft for a while now. More funding for education and happier teachers will ultimately lead to smarter students. Which sounds like a better idea to me than spending billions more on killing kids in other countries.

ETA: No idea why the hyperlink won't work. Everything is formatted correctly.

Leave a space between the link text and the closing tags...

like

(url=link.to.source)SOURCE (/url)

I've edited it in this quote to show...

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Xcalibur254


reuters

Instead of using "source" use "reuters"in the descriptor, then it will allow the link.

I see BigBurgh already mentioned it.

Problem is, it doesn't in his OP. You can leave a space after the word SOURCE and it does work, but any other link text, without a space at the end, throws a random space in the closing tag, breaking the tag entirely.

strange problem...

BigBurgh just linked the url without the url tags.

originally posted by: badw0lf

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Xcalibur254


reuters

Instead of using "source" use "reuters"in the descriptor, then it will allow the link.

I see BigBurgh already mentioned it.

Problem is, it doesn't in his OP. You can leave a space after the word SOURCE and it does work, but any other link text, without a space at the end, throws a random space in the closing tag, breaking the tag entirely.

strange problem...

BigBurgh just linked the url without the url tags.

I saw the space at the end in the OP. I 'fixed' it by changing the description from Source to Reuters. Reuters just wants its content linked with their name or the article title as also demonstrated. Its easer to track their content across the web that way...

a reply to: SlapMonkey

It's one of those little facts of life...Taxes pay for education. So if the citizens care about the education of their children they will pay. It's really pretty simple.
Education has to be a top priority if we're gonna make America great. Other societies take education way more seriously. Heck our military puts more emphasis on the educating and training of our troops than some states do their youth.
Where are the great thinkers and great ideas of the future going to come from?
Japan...
because they take education very seriously.
Time we did too.

And these teachers already got their pay raise. They are looking for funding for school buildings ( some classrooms are not heated) books and supplies (kids are using old books held together with duct tape) and the hiring of more teachers ( classes often have forty students) so it's not a matter of more money in their pockets it's more money for education as a whole.

a reply to: howtonhawky

Where did those talks take place?

a reply to: Sillyolme

What is with people who think like you and a bunch of the teachers here in KY, who are attempting the whole WV strike-and-protest tactic as we speak?

There are not just extremes, here, there are compromises. Yes, I fully understand high taxes for education--I live in an area with an independent school district, and my property taxes are ridiculous to fund this school that my children to not even attend--but I also understand what it means to be better stewards of our tax dollars.

There are plenty of areas in public education that can be reworked and approached in different ways that can be done with budgets as they are. We can do a better job demanding that poor teachers and administrators be fired and replace with good teachers. We can demand that those fighting for more and more money are also willing to make some concessions, too, and not just put it all on the back of the taxpayer.

But the WV issue is an old one--I've moved on to my own state's issues, where, quite honestly, most activist teachers right now don't even have their arguments straight or really understand the legislation that was passed.

As for your point about heating classrooms and getting new books and supplies--I'd have to investigate those issues on a case-by-case basis and see where the failings occurred. It's not always about amount of money, but how it is prioritized and allocated that matters.

a reply to: smkymcnugget420

They are holding out for better Schools for the kids. They got a raise. Which probably just covers what they spend out of their own pockets every school year for supplies for their students. So you should be happy they are looking out for those kids.
They want heated classrooms and books that aren't falling apart or outdated.
It's not greed. It's great they really care. Like I said you should be happy cuz you care about those students so much.



P.S. they are union free. Just united in their cause for better education.

Geez. Can it get any slower.

originally posted by: smkymcnugget420
a reply to: Xcalibur254

I always despise teachers unions for this crap.... holding children's education hostage until their demands are met... in fact i hate all unions in the public sector. its just taxpayer extortion.

WV doesn't require its teachers to engage in collective bargaining. OK allows it, but prohibits striking (clearly that isn't working). I'm also pretty sure neither state's teachers are unionized anyways. But I guess unions are an easy target when you only care about maintaining partisanism and not actually educating yourself on the issue at hand.
source

a reply to: SlapMonkey

Maybe we can get money from the military.

Death and taxes. Two givens in the game of life.
Me personally I don't mind at all. The higher the taxes the higher the property values dude. Equity...it's a beautiful thing. Puts money IN my pocket.
Better schools attract better people. More property value increases.
Think longer term than you're measly yearly tax bill.

originally posted by: ManBehindTheMask
More money for education?

We are top 3 in the world for education funding yet consistently rank 30-35th out of 71 countries in our education standings

So tell me is it REALLY a money issue?......

Of course not, but we don't really want to actually fix the problem......

We just want to play politics and continue using our children as pawns and talking points

So those statistics are across the entire country. Where is the comparison between state education funding and education standards? Just making the comparison you did is rather weak as averages are easily skewed by outliers.