Looking Back On The Last Oklahoma Teacher Walkout In 1990
As Oklahoma teachers, educators, staff, kids, and more gather at the state capitol, this isn't the first time an Easter holiday has produced picket signs and pleas for education spending. After a few years of politely requesting and lobbying for and additional $600million in 1988-89, then compromised for a lesser sum. Then when that bill failed to pass in the state senate, teachers from all over the state marched in OKC.
It's funny in a way. It seems that the current political climate has people thinking that striking and demonstrating is some sort of Liberal or Left-Wing action. Something the snow-flakes baked up after America voted for Trump, but demonstrating peacefully is just about the most American thing the citizens can do. As with most things, there are three sides being taken. Those who support this movement, those who oppose, and even more who aren't involved either way. Just look around Facebook, you'll find every opinion represented in almost every corner.
A teacher once told me that history tends to repeat itself. No matter how hard people work to right wrongs, correct injustice, or solve problems, history is cyclical. It's only natural to think that we'll all eventually be right here, in the exact same place again one day. We'll most likely have the exact same problems too. That's how the future and history seems to work. Education funding will be cut in the lean times, legislators will fail to adjust when funds are available. Teachers will eventually gather. They'll make their demands heard like they are now, as they did in '90. Both sides will work to compromise some sort of a deal. Both sides will claim the deal as a victory, but the kids will continue to suffer, and they won't have the education to realize it.