Near the end of my run this evening, my phoned pinged- notifying me of a text. I usually ignore these while exercising, but I was so miserable, I welcomed any distraction available. The message was from my daughter–a college co-ed who is doing her student teaching in music education. I knew she was required to go to the school board meeting tonight, so I was surprised that she was contacting me. Here is what the text said:
OKCPS board of ed just voted to approve the district’s participation in a teacher walk-out. And it passed unanimously.
Now it comes as no surprise to me that Oklahoma ranks dead last in teacher salaries. This factor will stifle Oklahoma City’s desire to gain a reputation as being one of the “big deal” cities in the country. But what does surprise me is that one of the bigger districts in the state voted to walk out. I am so proud of these teachers who deserve more and are willing to make some tough decisions to make this happen.
But I also know that this will not be easy; teachers will struggle with leaving their students in the hands of others who might not have the knowledge or concern to do the job justice. They realize that the students will suffer short-term but know that the suffering will produce a better tomorrow.
I am hopeful for my daughter’s future as an educator. These young professionals deserve to enter the profession they love with the promise of fair compensation. And those who have dedicated their lives to growing our future generations deserve that too.
Writing All In 
Wow! Good luck to all! ~JudyK
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This slice is full of emotion-I can feel your pride as your read your daughter’s text, your unease as you think about leaving your students, and your hope for the future. Best wishes to all of the teachers participating!
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So sad that it has come to this. When will the general public realize that teachers need to make a living, not just get by (and work additional jobs). Good luck to all Oklahoma teachers!
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