Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin compared teachers in her state protesting for a boost in school funding to spoiled children hoping for “a better car.”
“Teachers want more, but it’s kinda like having a teenage kid that wants a better car,” Fallin, a Republican, told CBS.
“It has been a difficult time,” Fallin conceded, according to CBS. “And that’s why I’m very proud that this year we were able to get something done for our teachers.”
Fallin also claimed “outside” groups have joined demonstrations in front of the state capitol in Oklahoma City, including members of far-left group Antifa, CBS reported.
Teachers have been protesting since Monday because they say they are fed up with long-stagnant wages and the possibility of pension cuts in the future.
The demonstrations continue despite Fallin signing legislation in March that increased Oklahoma’s education budget by $50 million and gave teachers an average raise of $6,100 — the first pay rise some educators had received in more than a decade.
Teachers, however, argue their campaign is still important because the budget does not properly fund schools, many of which lack basic supplies that some educators end up buying themselves.
They are asking that an additional $150 million be injected into the state’s schools and that they get a raise of $10,000 over of the next three years.
The union action in Oklahoma is the latest in a string of walkouts by teachers across the nation, including in West Virginia and Kentucky.
