‘Teacher Caucus’ To Challenge Incumbents In Dozens Of Legislative Races
‘The Teacher Caucus’: Pro-public education candidates to file Wednesday for state legislative races
By ANDREA EGER World Staff Writer
At least 30 public school educators, spouses of public school educators, local school board members and other supporters with school ties from across the state are planning to file en masse for legislative races on Wednesday afternoon.
They include Oklahoma’s Teacher of the Year and national Teacher of the Year finalist Shawn Sheehan, Blanchard Public Schools’ superintendent and two Tulsa Public Schools teachers.
“Imagine the teacher caucus in the Legislature — we’ve been needing that for years,” said John Waldron, a longtime teacher at Tulsa’s Booker T. Washington High School running for state Senate. “We were looked at as people who maybe showed up for a rally once a year but wouldn’t do much else. Now we’re doing something else. We are going to turn these districts into classrooms and teach the good people of Oklahoma that something’s got to change.”
Sheehan, a Norman High School teacher who is currently in the running with only three other teachers for National Teacher of the Year, said he decided to run only after being asked to do so two weeks ago.
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New slate of legislative candidates with education ties (Source: Oklahoma Parents and Educators for Public Education and Tulsa World)
- Traci Barnes, House District 3, public education advocate
- Jim Beckham, House District 42, superintendent
- Forrest Bennett, House District 92, public education advocate
- James Albert Campbell, House District 19, public education advocate
- John Croisant, House District 37, educator
- Jacobi Crowley, House District 64, educator
- Kelly Dodd, House District 82, parent and public education advocate
- Mickey Dollens, House District 93, educator
- Troy Dyer, House District 3, educator
- Toni Hasenbeck, Senate District 31, educator
- Judy Hopper, Senate District 47, retired educator
- Brian Jackson, Senate District 37, education nonprofit employee and spouse of public school educator
- Johnny Jump, House District 101, educator
- Lisa Kramer, Senate District 25, local school board member
- Chris Kidd, Senate District 31, former educator
- Lee Ann Langston, House District 14, educator
- Greg McCortney, Senate District 13, public school parent
- Kelly Meredith, House District 87, public school parent and higher education educator
- Matt Meredith, House District 4, local school board member
- Darla Milligan, House District 12, educator
- Monroe Nichols, House District 72, education nonprofit employee and Career Tech board member
- Jean Oliver, Senate District 29, educator
- Dewayne Pemberton, Senate District 9, educator
- Roland Peterson, Senate District 19, educator
- Jack Reavis, Senate District 9, educator
- Jacob Rosecrants, Senate District 15, educator
- Paul Scott, Senate District 43, spouse of educator
- Shawn Sheehan, Senate District 15, educator
- Paul Sullivan, House District 69, public education advocate
- John Waldron, Senate District 39, educator
- Tammy West, House District 84, local school board member