About

The Oklahoma Education Association is a professional interest group that considers itself to represent the voice of public education in Oklahoma. The OEA is a branch of the National Education Association, and works with local and state government agencies and legislation to ensure that public employees and schools in Oklahoma are properly funded and cared for. The OEA has nearly 40,000 active members and has been instrumental in taking care of public school employees in Oklahoma for over 100 years. 

Goals

The goals of the OEA are to ensure a great public school education for every student in Oklahoma, and to advocate for professionals and unite public school employees to allow for children educated at a public school in Oklahoma to be successful upon graduation. In their recent strikes Oklahoma teachers requested a raise for all public school teachers, teacher's assistants, and all public employees in addition to more funding for public schools. 

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Opposition

While local and state governments in Oklahoma are not direct enemies of the OEA, these are the two groups with which members of the OEA most often conflict with over the amount of funding schools receive, or the pay and benefits that public employees at these schools receive. Other groups that work in opposition to the OEA are conservative anti-union organizations such as the American Legislative Exchange Council and the Manhattan Institute. While these groups do not directly attack the OEA, the generally work as political think-tanks that help write bills and draft legislation that takes away funding from labor unions and reduce the impact they have on a local, state, and national level.  A link that discuses these groups more in greater detail has been attached below. 

 

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/17090-union-dues-and-donts-how-conser... 

Location
#OkTeacherStrike