The Oklahoma protest comes after Fallin signed legislation Thursday granting teachers annual pay raises averaging $6,100, the largest in state history. Oklahoma teachers had been making an average of $45,276 a year, among the lowest wages for educators in the country, according to a 2017 report by the National Education Association.
While teachers in Oklahoma say they appreciate the pay raise, they are upset that state lawmakers shortchanged their students by slating only $50 million for education programs and supplies.
Alicia Priest, president of the Oklahoma Education Association, said the union had asked that teachers' pay be raised by $10,000 annually and that funding for education be boosted by $200 million over the next three years.
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Despite the pay hike, Oklahoma educators still earn below the national average for public school teachers of $58,950 a year, according to the National Education Association report. Only teachers in Mississippi and South Dakota earn less, according to the report.
Teacher union officials in Oklahoma say many educators have left their schools for higher pay in neighboring states. In Arkansas, public school teachers earn an average of $48,218 annually, while teachers in Texas make an average of $51,890 a year.
Tens of thousands of teachers planning massive rallies and classroom walkouts
I'm Calling
here ..... the AVERAGE Median Income for OK in 2016 was 49k ...
teachers just got a $ 6100 pay raise on their 45k [ok so the pay was a little low vs the average] the UNION was demanding 10k
so some teacher(s) somewhere get paid more in their state - teachers in Ok think the deserve more ...
yeah when someone says 'it's not about the money'
it's about the MONEY
While teachers in Oklahoma say they appreciate the pay raise, they are upset that state lawmakers shortchanged their students by slating only $50 million for education programs and supplies.
Alicia Priest, president of the Oklahoma Education Association, said the union had asked that teachers' pay be raised by $10,000 annually and that funding for education be boosted by $200 million over the next three years.
[clip]
Despite the pay hike, Oklahoma educators still earn below the national average for public school teachers of $58,950 a year, according to the National Education Association report. Only teachers in Mississippi and South Dakota earn less, according to the report.
Teacher union officials in Oklahoma say many educators have left their schools for higher pay in neighboring states. In Arkansas, public school teachers earn an average of $48,218 annually, while teachers in Texas make an average of $51,890 a year.
Tens of thousands of teachers planning massive rallies and classroom walkouts
I'm Calling
here ..... the AVERAGE Median Income for OK in 2016 was 49k ...teachers just got a $ 6100 pay raise on their 45k [ok so the pay was a little low vs the average] the UNION was demanding 10k
so some teacher(s) somewhere get paid more in their state - teachers in Ok think the deserve more ...
yeah when someone says 'it's not about the money'
it's about the MONEY
