Dozens Of Oklahoma Educators Plan To Run For State Office

Between 30 and 40 Oklahoma educators are running for a spot at the Capitol and they’re filing at the same time next week.

Judy Mullen Hopper is one of them, running for senate. She is frustrated with budget cuts on education. Mullen Hopper retired last year after 35 years.

“I retired with mixed emotions. I knew I had to, just because emotionally I was drained, but I also knew that those kiddos and those parents still needed a voice for them, so here I am,” Mullen Hopper said.

“I’m very excited to see it. I think it’s monumental,” said Kelly Dodd, an Oklahoma parent.

Dodd is a mother of three and actively involved in her kids’ education.

“That’s where a lot of the disconnect occurs. When you don’t have that communication, and then you have people at the Capitol making decisions based about what they think without actually consulting our educators, who are in the classroom,” Dodd said.

To make a change, many educators are leaving the schools to join this movement.

“We want to do it for our teachers to feel better, to have improvements in the classroom, and that all pays off for the children,” said Mullen Hopper.

On Wednesday at 4 p.m., all the educators are meeting at the basement level of the Capitol to file for office.

A Political Action Committee (PAC) has also been created by an organization called Oklahoma Parents and Educators for Public Education to support any pro-public education candidates.

Learn more about how you can contribute.