Oklahoma teachers decimate public school enemies at the ballot box

Submitted by gjohnsit on Wed, 08/29/2018 - 9:44pm

Of all the states to undergo a teachers strike this year, Oklahoma gave the teachers the least amount of concessions and the most disrespect.
Some of you may remember this moment from a few months ago.

Not surprisingly, the teachers didn't forgive or forget.

“There was a lot of frustration with how [the walkout] ended,” said Alberto Morejon, an 8th-grade teacher in Stillwater Oklahoma and the web administrator for the now-famous group that helped organize the march on the Capitol. “A lot of teachers just came together and agreed that since the walkout didn't turn out the way we wanted, the next step is that we’re going to remember when it comes time to vote.”

And remember it they did in the June primary.

Of the 10 “no” voters in the House who were running for re-election, two were defeated outright on Tuesday — Reps. Chuck Strohm of Jenks and Scott McEachin of Tulsa. Seven others ended up in an Aug. 28 primary runoff against fellow Republicans.
Four other Republican incumbents also were defeated on Tuesday, including one who lost to a seventh-grade English teacher from Elgin.

That was the general primary. Tuesday was the primary run-off, and the teachers still wanted their revenge.

Six Oklahoma House representatives who voted against the state's teacher pay bill lost their primary runoff elections on Tuesday night.

That gives the Oklahoma teachers an 8-and-2 record in the primaries against anti-teacher politicians.

Of the 19 legislators who voted against the teacher pay bill in the state House, 15 now won't be returning to Oklahoma City next year: Eight lost their primaries, four are not running for office and three are leaving because of term limits.

It's not a clean sweep, but it's darn close. 15 wins in 19 tries will get you in the MLB All-Star game.
And here's the thing - the OK teachers aren't done yet. They are still organizing on a local level, plus there are dozens of them running for office.

"All over the state, we have been holding forums, town halls," said Priest. "From the time we stopped the walkouts to yesterday, we have not stopped working on campaigns and elections."
...Out of 112 education-related primary candidates, the OEA said 56 it supported have made it through the primaries.
The new political activity is boosting Democrats' hopes for possibly flipping the state governor's seat.

Can you imagine just how sweet it would be to knock that arrogant bitch out of the governor's office?

Tags:

Oklahoma

teachers

Election

Vote

Comments

Submitted by dkmich on Wed, 08/29/2018 - 9:55pm

A joy to behold.

Revenge is sweet.

—

"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Submitted by gjohnsit on Wed, 08/29/2018 - 10:53pm

Tulsa World article

link

Such turnover is unprecedented for any recent decade, let alone year, and seemed to mark a dramatic shift in the Oklahoma Republican Party.
Each of those defeated Tuesday had, in some manner, earned the wrath of public education supporters during last spring’s occupation of the state Capitol.

Three of the four who survived Tuesday were on the other side of the issue.

NY Mag

Last spring, state representative Jeff Coody told students in his districts that their teachers’ demands were “akin to extortion.” On Tuesday night, GOP voters returned Coody to the private sector. His colleague, Bobby Cleveland — who scolded teachers for whining at the Capitol instead of teaching in their classrooms — will now be taking a hiatus from politics. In May 2017, State Representative Tess Teague mocked the ignorance of protesters who were demanding tax hikes on fracking companies — in a Snapchat video that made heavy use of animal filters.
Sooner voters just gave Teague a lot more time to spend with her social media accounts.

Representative George Faught of Muskogee had won five terms in the statehouse on the strength of his unwavering support for minimizing Harold Hamm’s tax bills. He lost his bid for a sixth to a political neophyte who credited the teachers’ strike for inspiring his campaign.
...
Oklahoma’s historic primary season was no aberration. Last year, Democrats in the Sooner State won a series of special election upsets by speaking to popular outrage over disinvestment in education.
...
Meanwhile, back in Oklahoma, Mary Fallin’s 19 percent approval rating is giving Democrats a serious chance of reclaiming the Sooner State’s governor’s mansion this fall.

Submitted by karl pearson on Wed, 08/29/2018 - 11:14pm

Oklahoma Politics

Oklahoma has a history of populism and claims to have had the nation's strongest Socialist party back in the day. Maybe they are rediscovering their roots after many decades.

Submitted by Will Rogers Guthrie on Fri, 08/31/2018 - 8:11pm

Oklahoma Teachers

@karl pearson Maybe they are finding roots.They are also in the present.The Democratic candidate for governor,
Drew Edmonson, is strongly pro teacher and pro public education.The Republican candidate,Stitt, is
against pay raises for pubic employees, including teachers.
Edmondson also has a track record of integrity from his days as Attorney General.
The teachers, regardless of political affiliation, may well help the Democrat win the governorship.

Submitted by Raggedy Ann on Thu, 08/30/2018 - 5:53am

It takes hard work.

They did not sit back and just complain about their lot. They did not go shopping to forget about their issues. They organized. They worked hard every day to make that difference.

Take note, Americans, this is what it takes to make it happen. They are the change they want to see.

—

"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

Submitted by Lookout on Thu, 08/30/2018 - 8:23am

I'm proud of the teachers

Teachers are one of the last public servants. They are not willing to see their salaries and benefits minimized to accommodate tax cuts for the rich - those who need it the least. Nor are they willing to sit by while our public schools are privatized.

Thanks for a bit of positive news gjohn!

—

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Submitted by gjohnsit on Thu, 08/30/2018 - 12:02pm

OT: This is what Clinton did too

more useless symbols

But there is one striking difference from NAFTA: The new pact includes several labor rules meant to benefit workers on both sides of the border. For example, Mexico has agreed to pass a law giving workers the right to real union representation, and to adopt other labor laws that meet international standards set forth by the United Nations. American auto companies that assemble their cars in Mexico would also need to use more US-made car parts to avoid tariffs, which would help US factory workers. And about 40 percent of those cars would need to be made by workers earning at least $16 an hour — three times more than Mexico’s minimum wage.
These are much-needed reforms, and they address a lot of concerns that US labor unions had about NAFTA. The problem is that they seem impossible to enforce. It’s one thing to make trading partners adopt strict labor laws, but making sure they enforce those laws has proven much, much harder. Unless the White House comes up with a dramatically different plan to sanction Mexico if it doesn’t keep up its end of the deal, companies on both sides of the border will continue to reap all the benefits of free trade at the expense of their workers.

Submitted by dkmich on Thu, 08/30/2018 - 12:14pm

Credit where credit is due.

@gjohnsit

This is the type of trade reform we need. Can't have an enforcement problem if you don't even make it a part of the deal. Republicans flanking the Dems from the left.

—

"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Submitted by TheOtherMaven on Thu, 08/30/2018 - 6:53pm

Leave an opening that wide, somebody will take it

@dkmich

And it's not as though the Republican Party hasn't had its maverick populists over the years - "Fighting Bob" LaFollette was a Republican. So was Fiorello LaGuardia.

—

There is no justice. There can be no peace.

Submitted by Alligator Ed on Fri, 08/31/2018 - 3:34pm

Wouldn't it be interesting if El Trumpo was a closet unionist

@TheOtherMaven Not likely. But then again he's taking more action on this since the Clenis engineered the whole mess with his neoliberal buddies. But, remembering the political maxim: "any bill which is titled so-and-so modernization act" is a screw job to us, taking away rights, money and other social benefits.

El Trumpo may be walking a political tightrope but the overall benefit of his governance once again adheres to the benefits of the elites, whether globalist or nationalist--it's a faction war--not a proles-relevant war. We, as per usual, will be the supine victims of NAFTA of the New Trump SHAFTA.

So let's all raise a glass of tequila now (at current low prices) and drown another symbolic shafting.
Cheers!