Tulsa Public School Board Supports Teacher Walkout

<p>The Tulsa Public School's Board of Education is urging parents to call and email their state lawmakers to encourage them to come up with a solution to avoid a teacher walkout next month. </p>

Tuesday, March 13th 2018, 3:23 am

By: Dave Davis

Tulsa Public School Board Supports Teacher Walkout

The Tulsa Public School's Board of Education is urging parents to call and email their state lawmakers to encourage them to come up with a solution to avoid a teacher walkout next month after voting to support the protest Monday evening.

Oklahoma Senate Directory and Oklahoma House Directory

The board voted unanimously to support the walkout, if lawmakers don't take action. The resolution approved by the board says, in part, "the board is in full support of the advocacy plan endorsed by teachers and the board is ready to take necessary steps including a district-wide suspension of classes."

Board members say their hope it doesn't come down to a walkout, but they are prepared to shut the school district down if it does.

Tuesday marks the second day teachers will be working only their contract hours and many tell News On 6, they were surprised at the amount of community support on their first day to do it on Monday.

"We came in together unified at 7:15 this morning and we all left together at 3:00 without any bags. Just my purse!" said Second grade teacher at McKinley, Ericka Davis.

"It was weird to leave the building at this time, altogether because there are always people working ," said Cesar Garcia-Morales, Third Grade Spanish Teacher at Eisenhower International School.

Broken Arrow, Union, Owasso, Sapulpa, Mannford and Oologah also voted Monday to allow superintendents to close school and allow teachers to walk out, if the legislature doesn't meet an April 1st funding deadline.