By SEAN MURPHY
Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma teachers frustrated after years of swelling class sizes and funding cuts to public schools have streamed into the state Capitol not just to protest, but also to run for political office.
More than a dozen teachers filed paperwork this week to run for state House and Senate seats, many of them first-time candidates inspired by the teacher walkout that has shuttered schools across the state for a second consecutive week.
Crooked Oak High School English teacher Amanda Jeffers says she was inspired to run by the education movement, even though she acknowledges an uphill battle against a well-funded Republican incumbent.
The teacher-led rebellion over low wages and funding cuts has spread from West Virginia to Arizona, Kentucky and Oklahoma.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.