Since that successful walkout, Collins has volunteered for pro-education political campaigns and revived her school’s Parent Legislative Action Committee chapter. She has also been back to the Statehouse twice this year to press officials from her district to support public schools and helped host a meet-and-greet with area lawmakers at her school. The continued political engagement of Collins, many other educators like her and their supporters suggests that the teacher movement that sparked walkouts in half a dozen states last year didn’t end with the election of dozens of teachers to state legislatures or hard-won gains in teacher pay and school funding. Teacher unions in Oklahoma and other walkout states, including Arizona, Kentucky and West Virginia, all report increases in membership since the demonstrations, and many are busy recruiting political candidates for 2020. It was too important not to say something.” Although there have been clear legislative victories for public education, some Republicans are still bitter about the walkouts.

Source: thestar June 15, 2019 14:48 UTC