VERDIGRIS, Okla. — A Verdrigris teacher's response to a comment made by Governor Mary Fallin got a lot of attention online this week.
As teachers across the state shut down schools to rally for more education funding, Fallin said in a national interview that, "teachers want more, but it's kind of like having a teenage kid that wants a better car."
Pam Cook, a 5th grade teacher at Verdigris Elementary School, said she was angry after hearing what Fallin said. She responded through a Facebook post:
"Well, actually, Mary, we do want a better car. The one you have us currently driving was given to us in 1980. It's never had the oil changed, tires rotated, filters changed, or engine checked. We've patiently waited for a tune-up, car wash, or even just a little air freshener to dangle from our mirror. Since we got the "new car" 38 years ago, it's been driven without regular maintenance. We've essentially been given the message to drive it 'til the wheels fall off."
Governor Fallin compared Oklahoma’s teachers rallying for school funding to “a teenager wanting a better car”. Well,...
Posted by Pam Jacobs Cook on Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Cook said she wants to spread the message that not only do teachers "need new cars," they also need new "cars" for their students. She said it's even more important to help the students in the classroom, not just the teachers.
She and other Verdigris teachers and supporters held a rally Thursday along Highway 66 to share the message.
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