SSPS Superintendent Durkee addresses teacher walkouts at District Dialogue

Sand Springs Superintendent Sherry Durkee. (Stock photo).

The Sand Springs Public School District held a District Dialogue Meeting Monday evening at Charles Page High School. Superintendent Sherry Durkee spoke on State funding, school safety, and the looming threat of a teacher walkout during the session.

“We can’t sanction it,” says Durkee. “That’s on the teachers.” She pointed to the current situation in West Virginia where teachers just participated in a nine-day statewide walkout and the potential side effects that such a long break could have on students.

Student activities such as spring athletics, prom, graduation, music programs, testing and more would all be severely affected by an extended school closure. Durkee is also concerned about impoverished students who would lose access to free nutritional lunches. 

According to Durkee, funding solutions proposed for a $5,000 pay raise have failed to consider the number of teaching positions that have already been eliminated in response to budget cuts, and the need to hire more teachers and reduce class sizes once funding stabilizes. Additionally, any salary increase would increase the District's required payout for teacher retirement. According to Chief Financial Officer Greg Morris, that would amount to nearly $290,000 per year. 

"If we end up in a statewide walkout, I'm praying that doesn't happen, that we find resolution before that," said Durkee. "The truth is, it hurts kids." As a teacher, Durkee participated in the 1990 walkout that resulted in the passage of education reform legislation House Bill 1017. That walkout lasted four days.

Durkee said the district would have no choice but to shut down in the even of a walkout due to the lack of available substitutes and an inability to supervise students. The district currently has seven unused snow days that could be used, but a walkout that lasted longer than a week could severely cut into instructional time. 

School shooting threats were also a topic of discussion. Sand Springs and Tulsa Public Schools were both victims of several hoaxes in the weeks following the Florida massacre. Durkee expressed interest in the possibility of implementing student ID badges.

On Monday the Oklahoma Education Association announced plans to release a detailed revenue package and statewide school closure strategy. The OEA will hold a press conference in Oklahoma City Thursday at 1:00 p.m.