Organizers of education rally hope to attract thousands

<br>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The Oklahoma Education Association hopes to attracts thousands of people to a rally at the Capitol to seek support for a temporary penny sales tax to help financially strapped

Monday, January 13th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The Oklahoma Education Association hopes to attracts thousands of people to a rally at the Capitol to seek support for a temporary penny sales tax to help financially strapped schools.

The state is facing a $600 million budget shortfall and school districts are being forced to make major cutbacks. More than half of state appropriations typically goes to education, and two-thirds of that funds pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

Carolyn Crowder, head of the association, which represents nearly 40,000 teachers, says a big show of support is necessary at the Feb. 12 rally in order to keep schools' money problems on the front burner. She expects at least 10,000 teachers to show up for the rally.

Public education already has cut $158 million from this year's school budget.

Schools have laid off support personnel, janitors, cooks and bus drivers. Tulsa schools have cut in half their substitute teacher budget, calling on volunteers to staff classrooms.

The worst is yet to come, educators say, contending that as many as 5,000 teachers might not get their contracts renewed next year.

Gov.-elect Brad Henry has said an immediate tax hike is not the way to solve school funding problems.

Crowder said strides made in Oklahoma education over the last decade occurred only when teachers rallied ``by the thousands'' at the state Capitol.

Others think teachers should remain in their classroom.

``I think it would be great for the parents to come to the Capitol, but we need the teachers in school,'' said Beth Croll, a parent and president of the Classen Parent, Teacher and Student Association.

In 1990, about 10,000 teachers marched through the grounds and halls of the Capitol and persuaded lawmakers to pass House Bill 1017, the education reform and tax bill that upgraded teachers' salaries and downsized classes.

Circumstances were different a decade ago when the teachers arrived at the Capitol. Then, they already had support of top leaders in both houses of the Legislature, including the support of House Speaker Steve Lewis. None of the leadership has endorsed the rally this time.

Three years ago, about 15,000 teachers showed up at the Capitol to support the first significant pay raises since 1990.

By the time the teachers arrived, the raise already was a done deal, and the rally was more a pat on the back for lawmakers on a job well done.