Thousands of teachers in two U.S. states are striking to demand higher pay and increased education funding. More than 30,000 educators in Oklahoma began a walkout Monday and have promised to stay on strike until their demands are met. Oklahoma’s largest teachers union has called for a $10,000 pay raise for educators over the next three years. It is also seeking an increase of $75 million in state education funding.

Union officials said the strike led to classes being cancelled for about 500,000 of Oklahoma’s 700,000 public school students. Thousands of striking teachers traveled to the state capital, Oklahoma City, to join a mass demonstration. The president of the Oklahoma Education Association, Alicia Priest, called on all teachers to join the protest to pressure lawmakers to act.

Keagan Nedrow, left, and Reed Nedrow, bottom right, stand with their mother, Tara Nedrow, right, who teaches history at Union High School, and other teachers, during a teacher rally against low school funding at the state Capitol Oklahoma City, Monday, Ap

Priest says teachers and students have dealt with 11 years of funding cuts that have prevented upgrades of school equipment. Class sizes have also been growing: “We will not continue to be ignored,” Priest said in a message posted on Facebook. “Educators will continue to walk until we get a deal that our students deserve”.

Alqismet BADALOV,
“Khalq qazeti”