Collinsville, Oklahoma
March 31, 2014
Education Funding Rally
Educators, Parents & Students Statewide Gathered At State Capitol Monday To Lobby For Increased Funding & Less Testing
This is a portion of the Collinsville contingent that joined with about 25,000 other concerned citizens lobbying for increased funding for public education in Oklahoma. Oklahoma is ranked 49th in spending on public education. Excessive, overly stressful and expensive testing was another rallying point.
This photo was taken (from the Capitol steps) before the speeches began at about 10:30am Monday March 31, 2014. There were still thousands more teachers, administrators, school board members, parents and students that arrived later during the rally due to logistical issues getting everyone to the south side of the Oklahoma State Capitol building at the same time. The total crowd was guess-timated at roughly 25,000 total.
Our State Senator (Rick Brinkley) came outside to visit with many of the Collinsville rally attendees near the endof the rally. A few others were able to visit with Representative Earl Sears inside the Capitol.
Herald Elementary was well represented at the rally.
The nearby Oklahoma State Department of Education building bears the name of a Collinsville High School graduate and teacher (Class of 1921). Dr.Oliver Hodge was Tulsa County Superintendent of School from 1937-1947 and then State Superintendent of School from 1947-1968.
-- (Previous Coverage)
A bit off subject here ... but the elevated bus provided a good view of the new Arkansas River bridge still under construction in Tulsa ... and one of the rally speeches made a point that the legislators give priority to highway funding but seem reluctant to do the same for public education.

The historic event drew lots of statewide news coverage and perhaps a bit of national coverage. I offer just a few links below as a sample. I will not even attempt to sample the many online resources offering varying opinions on the issues of concern to Oklahoma educators ... but will leave that as an excercise for the reader.

I may weigh in later with an editorial, but clearly too few legislators have made education a priority, hopefully this rally will sharpen their focus on that subject. -- Ted Wright 4/2/2014

Sample Links:

http://www.okedcoalition.org/uploads/2/6/6/1/26611945/rally_agenda.pdf

http://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/readersforum/rep-scott-inman-parents-teachers-welcome-to-your-state-capitol/article_c626bf78-2468-5000-881e-8602161a26af.html

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/capitol_report/after-monday-teacher-rally-senate-panel-proceeds-with-income-tax/article_3e68d398-b9a3-11e3-8db0-001a4bcf6878.html

http://newsok.com/estimated-25000-converge-on-oklahoma-state-capitol-for-education-rally/article/3948854

This web site is brought to you by the Newspaper Museum In Collinsville and the other advertisers appearing on these pages. If you would like to provide news content or advertisements ... contact Ted Wright via wrightted@aol.com.
1110 W. Main, Collinsville, OK 74021
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Ted Wright -- last update 4/2/2014 (EducationFundingRally.html) www.cvilleok.com
Copyright 2014 -- Collinsville, Oklahoma
A charter bus (provided by American Bank of Oklahoma) left the high school at 7am but many other folks from Collinsville also drove to Oklahoma City Sunday night and Monday morning.
678,000 Oklahoma Students Deserve Better