TEACHERS IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA PLANNING A WALKOUT ON
APRIL 2 IN RESPONSE TO THE LOW AMOUNT OF MONEY THEY ARE PAID IN
THEIR SALARIES AND THE FACT THAT MANY OF THEM HAVE NOT RECEIVED
RAISES AND AS LONG AS
A DECADE.
AS I MENTIONED THERE HAVE BEEN
TEACHERS WORKING IN OKLAHOMA FOR
AS LONG AS 10 YEARS AND THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED A SINGLE RAISE
IN THAT TIME AND THAT IS LUDICROUS.
WHAT ARE LAWMAKERS IN OKLAHOMA PLANNING TO DO WHEN THEY PASS
LEGISLATION IN RESPONSE TO ALL OF THIS?
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT
TO SHOW YOU THE FACE OF THIS MOVEMENT, LINDSAY STEWART
IS ONE OF THESE TEACHERS.
HER STORY REALLY BROKE MY HEART.
VICE NEWS SPOKE TO HER AND SHE SHARED WHAT HER EXPERIENCE
HAS BEEN LIKE BEING AN EDUCATOR IN OKLAHOMA.
TAKE A LOOK.
I THINK THE PLAN TO WALK OUT ON APRIL 2 IS A NECESSARY EVIL.
LINDSAY STILL HAS TO WORK TWO JOBS TO MAKE ENDS MEET.
THIS YEAR SHE WILL MAKE $34,929 TEACHING, SALARY THAT HAS AN
INCREASED FOR 10 YEARS.
MY LIFE AS A TEACHER IS NOT JUST THE TEACHER.
HAVE TO WORK A SECOND JOB SO I'M A TEACHER AND PHOTOGRAPHER.
MY MORNING START AROUND 5 AM AND THEY END AROUND 8 PM WITH
PICKING UP MY DAUGHTER FROM GYMNASTICS, AND THEN 10 PM WITH
ALL THE EDITING I HAVE TO DO FOR PHOTOGRAPHY.
IN BETWEEN I TEACH FOR SEVEN HOURS, THE NIGHT TAKE MY KIDS TO
THEIR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, THEN DO MY PHOTO
SESSIONS, THEN MY EDITING FOR CLIENTS.
MY LIFE AS A TEACHER IS VERY HECTIC.
LINDSAY WAKES UP, FROM THE MOMENT SHE WAKES UP TO THE
MOMENT SHE GOES TO SLEEP SHE IS WORKING HARD TO SUPPORT HERSELF
AND HER DAUGHTER.
IN THIS NEXT VIDEO SHE TALKS ABOUT HOW SHE WANTS HER DAUGHTER
TO LOOK AT HER AND BE PROUD.
SHE DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THAT IS THE CASE BECAUSE OF THE
SITUATION SHE IS IN.
TAKE A LOOK.
MY DAUGHTER IS VERY ACTIVE IN GYMNASTICS AND IS AN
ADVANCED GYMNAST.
THIS IS WHAT HER DREAM IS.
MY JOB AS A PARENT IS TO MAKE SURE I DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO
NURSE THAT DREAM.
LIKE EVERY OTHER TEACHER IN THE STATE TRYING TO PAY OUR BILLS.
I DON'T THINK ANY TEACHER GOES INTO THE PROFESSION AND THINKS
I'M GOING TO BE A MILLIONAIRE, BUT WE ALSO DON'T THINK
WERE GOING TO BE THAT CLOSE TO POVERTY.
I WANT TO BE PROUD THAT I AM A TEACHER AND I WANT MY OWN
CHILDREN TO BE PROUD OF ME.
SO I WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT BECAUSE I KNOW I AM WORTH MORE
AND I KNOW MY STUDENTS ARE AS WELL.
THAT IS SUCH A HEARTBREAKING VIDEO.
WE HAVE TO PAY THESE TEACHERS A LIVING WAGE AND HEARING ABOUT
THESE TEACHERS THAT HAVE TO SUPPLEMENT SUPPLIES FOR THEIR
STUDENTS WITH MONEY OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKETS, THAT GOES ON
IN CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IT IS JUST WRONG.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OKLAHOMA, THAT
IS DISGUSTING.
THEY HAVEN'T HAD A PAY RAISE AND WHAT?
10 YEARS.
ALL THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED IS CUTS TO FUNDING.
WHAT I LOVE IS THAT THEY ARE STANDING UP.
THEY ARE RISING UP AND FIGHTING AND NOT WILL BE HAPPY WITH THE
$5000 RAISE PROPOSAL.
THEY WANT MORE, THEY WANT FUNDING FOR THEIR SCHOOLS AND
THERE HAVE BEEN TEACHERS AND OTHER STATES HAVE ALSO
STOOD UP AND HAVE WON THEIR BATTLES SUCCESSFULLY.
WEST VIRGINIA IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE.
TEACHERS IN WEST VIRGINIA WERE NOT HAVING IT.
THEY WERE TIRED OF IT.
THEY DID THE STRIKES AND DID WHAT WAS NECESSARY TO GET THE
FUNDING THEY NEEDED TO GET TO DO THEIR JOBS EFFECTIVELY.
TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE COUNTRY, THE NATION'S YOUTH AND
MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE COMPETITIVE, GLOBALLY.
THE ONLY WAY TO DO THAT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROVIDE
QUALITY EDUCATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
AND WE ARE NOT DOING THAT OR PRIORITIZING THAT.
WE ARE FUNDING MILITARY CONTRACTORS, PRIVATE
CONTRACTORS, WASTING ALL OF THIS MONEY TO PAD THEIR POCKETS.
WHEN WILL WE ACTUALLY USE TAXPAYER MONEY TO TAKE CARE OF
OUR OWN?
AND WILL WE USE TAXPAYER MONEY TO BENEFIT OUR
CORPORATIONS OR TO BENEFIT OUR KIDS?
AND WE'RE NOT DOING THAT.
WE ARE NOT PRIORITIZING IT.
WE ARE
FUNDING MILITARY CONTRACTORS, PRIVATE CONTRACTORS,
WASTING ALL OF THIS MONEY TO PAD THEIR POCKETS BUT WHEN ARE WE
ACTUALLY GOING TO USE TAXPAYER MONEY TO TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN?
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO USE TAXPAYER MONEY TO NOT
BENEFIT CORPORATIONS, NOT OUR KIDS AND MAKE SURE THEY HAVE A
QUALITY EDUCATION?
THIS IS MADDENING AND THE IDEA
THAT SOMEONE WOULD WORK FULL-TIME AS AN EDUCATOR
AND THEN HAVE TO TAKE UP A SECOND JOB AS A PHOTOGRAPHER
JUST TO PROVIDE FOR HERSELF AND HER FAMILY IS UNCALLED FOR.
WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO CHANGE THIS AND I LOVE THAT
THE TEACHERS ARE FIGHTING BACK.
THEY HAVE MY FULL SUPPORT.
BRAVO.