Bernie Sanders: Oklahoma’s fight for public education is far from over

Less than two years ago, teachers in Oklahoma organized a state-wide walkout to protest poor working conditions, abysmally low pay, and chronic underfunding of public education. Since then, educators across the country have followed suit — fighting for their rights as workers and for the right of all children to have a quality education. This is the political revolution our country needs.

Between 2008 and 2015, Oklahoma had cut inflation-adjusted per student funding by over 25% — more than any other state. About one in five schools, mostly in rural areas, were only open four days a week. And teachers had not received a pay increase from the state in a decade, forcing many of them to work second jobs or even sell their blood plasma to make ends meet.

Because of their willingness to stand up for their schools, Oklahoma teachers won a pay raise of $6,100 on average and forced the state legislature to start reinvesting in public education.

But this has not been nearly enough. Teacher pay in Oklahoma is still more than 15% below the national average and per-student funding remains well below pre-recession levels.

The combination of low pay, lack of professional respect and poor working conditions has led to a teacher shortage of crisis proportions. According to the Oklahoma Department of Education, 10% of the state’s teacher’s have quit the profession in the past six years. And because recruiting experienced teachers has become so difficult, last year more than 3,000 unaccredited teachers were hired including many with emergency certifications — an almost 100-fold increase from the 2011 school year.

This crisis was entirely avoidable. In Oklahoma, and across this country, tax cuts favoring the wealthy and large profitable corporations have drained the revenues needed to adequately fund education and other critical public services.

My Thurgood Marshall Plan for Public Education would reverse these trends by prioritizing the needs of students and teachers over those of corporations and the 1%.

At a time when many Oklahoma teachers are working two jobs to make ends meet, my administration would establish a national minimum salary of $60,000 for educators, as well as a grant program to help cover out-of-pocket expenses so that teachers don’t have to spend their own money on classroom supplies.

At a time when Oklahoma is struggling to hire special education teachers, we would strengthen the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) and ensure that the federal government provides 50% of the support for students with special needs and their teachers.

At a time when the founders of the large virtual charter school chain EPIC can profit in the millions, while draining the public school system of more than $112 million, I will follow the NAACP’s lead in putting a moratorium on the expansion of charter schools until we can regulate them and prevent them from wasting public funds.

And at a time when Oklahoma pays for education by imposing new taxes that fall heavily on working families instead of corporate profits, I will make billionaires like President Trump and Betsy DeVos pay their fair share.

By following the lead of teachers in Oklahoma and all over this country, we can accomplish these changes and create a public school system and a government that works for us all.

Sanders, I-Vt., is seeking the Democratic nomination for president.