Tens of thousands rally in Oklahoma in support of teacher walkout

Tens of thousands of people on Monday gathered at the Oklahoma state Capitol in support of teachers who walked out and shut down schools across the state.

Teachers in schools across Oklahoma walked off the job Monday, demanding pay raises and more funding for schools, Sky 5 News reported.

Teachers taking part in the walkout held up signs and rallied in hopes the state legislature would back their demands.

{mosads}Many school districts in the state also announced plans to stay closed Tuesday, according to Oklahoma’s 4 News.

The rallies come after the state’s Republican-controlled legislature passed a revenue package last week that included pay raises for teachers.

But teachers — who are demanding a $10,000 pay increase over three years and $5,000 for support personnel — said the measures weren’t enough.

Oklahoma teachers have an average salary of $42,460, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, placing them at 48th in average U.S. classroom teacher salary.

Teachers in the state began discussing a walkout as West Virginia teachers held a days-long strike last month over low wages.

Schools in West Virginia were closed for nine consecutive school days during the strike until the state legislature passed a 5 percent pay raise for teachers.