Teachers, Parents Renew Call For Investment In Students At #OklaEdRally

March 30, 2015 in Theory & Policy

We couldn’t have asked for a better day to rally. The weather was gorgeous — not too hot, not too cold, and not too windy. That’s a rare day in Oklahoma. Thousands of teachers, parents, administrators, and students gathered together outside our State Capitol building to show our support for public education — and to ask our legislators to listen to us, to truly hear what we are saying and invest in our children.

The highlight of the day though was the slam poetry performed by Kiante Miles, a senior at Mustang High School. I missed the first few seconds because my phone was slow, and I’m way in the back, but you can listen to most of it here:

You can watch a higher quality video taken from a better angle here.

My colleagues and I rode to the Capitol in a Little Axe bus, and I was able to take my children with me. As I mentioned in a Twitter convesation during the #OklaEd chat on Sunday night:

@steph_powell11 I’m bringing both my kids with me. I want them to know they can stand up for their own education. #OklaEd

— Mrs. Waters (@watersenglish) March 30, 2015

I also want my children to have choices in their education, and in the education of their children. I don’t want education to be something that is done to them. I want them to take an active role in what they’re learning and how they’re preparing themselves for their futures.

Little Axe Middle School Principal Dalton Griffin jokingly asked my daughter if she wanted to carry our school flag. He didn’t realize she’d volunteer enthusiastically — and carry the flag the for the entire time we were out there. Go Aimee!

My children at the #OklaEdRally — Chris and Aimee, who is holding the Little Axe flag, supporting public education at the rally on March 30, 2015.

Our school had an awesome turnout for the rally!

Little Axe Superintendent Tony Smith and High School Principal Carrie Tucker, along with many of our teachers, at the #OklaEdRally at the State Capitol on March 30, 2015.

My son graciously snapped a couple of pictures of me with a pillar of the #OklaEd community, the retired Norman Public Schools Reading Teacher Claudia Swisher:

Oklahoma Educators and Bloggers Claudia Swisher and Michelle Waters — Educators and #OklaEd Bloggers Claudia Swisher and Michelle Waters

You can read more about the speakers and impact of the rally here (I will continue to update this list):

Related topics: #oklaed, Education Policy

About the author

Michelle Boyd Waters, M.Ed.

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I am a secondary English Language Arts teacher, a University of Oklahoma student working on my doctorate in Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum with an concentration in English Education and co-Editor of the Oklahoma English Journal. I am constantly seeking ways to amplify students' voices and choices.