Summary: Last week I was walking back to my car from a visit to Oklahoma’s state capitol, when I saw a line of reporters, police, and education supporters stopped in front of me. <br> I just happened to be on the street where Tulsa Public School Superintendent Deborah Gist and others from her community were arriving from a week-long march from Tulsa to Oklahoma City. Teachers, parents, and children lined the streets with signs that read, “Support Education” or funnier ones like “My textbooks are as old as my grandma.” Police on motor cycles led the procession, followed by a high school band, and hundreds of others who had joined the marchers in their last few miles to the capitol steps.<br> As Deb Gist addressed the crowd of thousands, she said, “This is not a protest. This is a movement.” And she praised supporters for the work they had done, called them to continue advocating for schools, and reminded them to vote in upcoming elections. <br> Oklahoma education has been in the news a lot lately. This past week <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/12/us/oklahoma-teachers-strike.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> reported “Oklahoma Teachers End Walkout After Winning Raises and Additional Funding.” Dana Goldstein and Elizabeth Dias explained that many teachers across the state would be returning to school after a two-week work stoppage that affected approximately 500,000 students from schools that participated in the rallies.<br> Across the States<br> Oklahoma is not the only state in the news for education rallies. Across the U.S. state legislatures have faced increasing pressure as teachers respond to years of unsustainable cuts to school funding. Just weeks ago, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/06/politics/why-west-virginia-teachers-striking-healthcare-pay-raises/index.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">West Virginia teachers rallied</a> for new state laws that have resulted in teacher pay raises.<br> <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/04/07/kansas-school-funding-crisis/495733002/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Kansas has been settling a constitutional crisis</a> that required their state supreme court to step in last fall and force the legislature to fund its schools. Just last week, lawmakers there were told their budget is still $80 million short of the funding required, and lawmakers are scrambling to re-do the math and find a solution.<br> <a href="http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/2018/01/22/embattled-missouri-governors-budget-cuts-68m-schools/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Missouri schools face pressures</a> from a court embattled Governor who just months ago removed state board of education members, fired the state education commissioner and cut school funding by $68 million. Now the Governor is facing calls for his resignation from his state’s attorney general and the majority leader in the state senate from his own party for revelations of sexual misconduct.<br> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/13/us/kentucky-budget-veto-teachers.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Kentucky teachers have been rallying</a> at their state capitol as their state legislature voted to override their Governor’s veto on a bill to increase funding for Kentucky’s public schools by $480 million. <br> And <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/04/11/601419914/arizona-teachers-to-protest-low-pay-and-school-funding-shortfalls" rel="noopener" target="_blank">teachers in other states like Arizona</a> are conducting “walk-in” rallies and threatening walkouts if their state does not increase school funding soon. <br> Thoughtful Analysis<br> Across the U.S. many public-school systems have been facing especially difficult times as state legislatures have cut taxes for years. This week, <a href="https://baptistnews.com/article/when-it-comes-to-funding-public-education-dont-eat-your-seed-corn/#.WtHgAS_Mzwd" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Mark Wingfield,</a>
