Fewer Oklahoma Educators Running For State Legislative Seats

By Carmen Forman and Robby KorthOklahoma Media CenterTwo years after Oklahoma educators walked out of their classrooms and stormed the state Capitol, fewer teachers are running for state legislative seats. This year, more than 50 education candidates launched campaigns for legislative seats, down from 112 candidates who ran in 2018, according to figures from the Oklahoma Education Association. The state’s largest teachers union counts current or retired teachers, schools support staff and candidates who are serving on a local school board as education candidates because of their ties to public schools. Why are fewer education candidates running for office? Winning more seats in the statehouse is no longer critical to teachers having a say in policy matters because the power dynamic has fundamentally changed, education advocates said. The teacher walkout and the 2018 victories of public education candidates brought the issue to the forefront of the Oklahoma Legislature, said Alicia Priest, president of the Oklahoma Education Association. “We have seen a shift in how the legislature works and their openness and their willingness to talk and vote for pro-public education issues and to not put up for a vote things that would be harmful to public education,” she said. Even in the years before the walkout there was a growing emphasis on where candidates stood on public education, said Rep.Read more on NewsOK.com