Tulsa civic and business leaders thanked state lawmakers Thursday for passing bills this week to give teachers a raise.
Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said he’s never been so happy to be proven wrong as he was after last night's Senate votes on teacher raises averaging $6,100 and a funding package for them.
"I thought that we would be holding an advisory on what people should expect in the weeks ahead because our schools would all be closed because the legislature had failed to take action," Bynum said. "They proved me wrong. They proved themselves as leaders in our state."
Bynum, however, tempered his praise.
"It’s also important to understand that one historic vote does not right a decade of neglect," Bynum said.
Tulsa Regional Chamber OneVoice Agenda Education Task Force Chair Wes Mitchell said the final solution isn’t ideal and summed up his thoughts with a baseball analogy.
"It’s a long season, and it’s been a long season for me fighting this fight. We’ve been so focused on pitching a perfect game that we were unable to get a win in any column. It finally feels good to get a W," Mitchell said.
While the raises seem to have averted a potential long-term teacher walkout set to begin Monday, districts are still discussing what to do next week with widespread agreement the legislature must do more to fund education. Tulsa Public Schools announced Thursday afternoon all district sites will be closed Monday.
