Even as they face threats–a looming lawsuit in Arizona; jail time in Colorado–public school teachers continue to strike. The two western states are just the latest to join a movement that began in West Virginia to call for higher pay and better benefits for public employees. The strikes have precipitated some changes: The two-week strike in West Virginia brought about a 5% raise for teachers, Kentucky teachers mobilized lawmakers to override the governor’s veto of a budget that didn’t increase education spending, and Oklahoma secured $500 million in new funding for education–less than they hoped for, but a turnaround in a state known for ushering in some of the deepest cuts to education spending in recent years.
Striking teachers are fighting for the future of public schools
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