Press Release

AFT in Oklahoma Decries Fallin Repeal

For Release:

Contact:

Ed Allen
405-528-0801
eallen@okcaft.org
Janet Bass
301-502-5222
jbass@aft.org

Oklahoma-AFT President Mary Best and Oklahoma City President Ed Allen issued the following statement:

“We are disappointed but not surprised that Gov. Fallin repealed the hotel/motel-tax that would have yielded additional funding for public schools. Over the last two weeks in this fight for Oklahoma’s teachers, we’ve made clear that pitting teachers against kids is a losing strategy. We will keep fighting to make sure there’s funding for both, because it’s what our teachers need, and what our kids deserve.

“In the meantime, we encourage the state Legislature to consider quickly the wind production and capital gains tax bills as potential revenue streams: Oklahoma needs an increase in public education funding on top of teacher raises. And we need it soon, so we can get back to the classroom.

“Make no mistake: Our teachers want to be in school—teaching. But they’ll remain in the capital until these legislators make good on their duty to fund our state’s schools.”

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The AFT represents 1.7 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.