Oklahoma teachers prepare to strike

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Time is running out for Oklahoma lawmakers. They have until April 2 to reach a spending deal or teachers will strike en masse.

Oklahoma’s teachers are rebelling against years of deep cuts to education that have left 20 percent of public schools on a four-day-week schedule and average teacher salaries ranked 49th in the country. Last year, about a quarter of the state’s public school teachers left the state or quit teaching altogether.

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Oklahoma finds itself in a budget bind after lawmakers slashed taxes for businesses and high earners year after year. A round went into effect in 2009; then taxes were lowered further in 2012 and 2014. The tax cuts were supposed to lead to an economic boom. Instead, they triggered a massive budget gap of about $1.5 billion each year.

To deal with the shortfall, the government cut spending everywhere. The cuts to education were so deep that 20 percent of the state's public schools had to switch to a four-day school week. Oklahoma teachers made an average salary of $45,276 in 2016, according to the National Education Association; the state is ranked 49th in average teacher salaries. The last time teachers got a raise from the state was in 2008. Lawmakers weren’t planning to give them one next year either.

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