Senator Boren responds to Gov. Stitt’s attack on professional educators

OKLAHOMA CITY – On Friday, Sen. Mary Boren, D-Norman, warned against Gov. Kevin Stitt’s executive order claiming to protect school employees from being pressured into paying union dues. 

“On Thursday, the State Board of Education approved another 1,077 emergency certifications for teachers, bringing the total for this school year to over 3,000 because of Oklahoma’s unresolved and growing teacher shortage. Partisan and divisive executive orders like Governor Stitt’s are not protecting teachers. Instead, they give teachers one more reason to leave the classroom.

“There is no objective evidence that large numbers of teachers are pressured into joining unions in Oklahoma. Instead, this is one more partisan-driven, false narrative that slanders dues-paying members of the Professional Educators of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Educators Association, and American Federation of Teachers. Oklahoma cannot improve our schools when politicians keep on abusing their power to advance their toxic anti-public school agenda.”

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For more information, contact:  Sen. Boren: (405) 521-5553 or Mary.Boren@oksenate.gov