Red-state teacher rebellion hits Oklahoma, grows in Arizona

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — First it was West Virginia teachers who walked out of their classrooms and won higher pay. Then Oklahoma teachers threatened a walkout and got double-digit raises. Will Arizona be the next educators in a red state to rebel?

The threat of a walkout in Oklahoma was enough for the GOP-led Legislature to vote overwhelmingly this week to boost taxes for teacher raises and more school funding. It’s the latest success story in a movement that national education leaders say is gaining momentum.

A 9-day strike led to 5-percent teacher raises in West Virginia, while Oklahoma teachers will get raises topping 15 percent. Teachers in Arizona are also demanding pay hikes from their GOP Legislature.