A nine-day public school employee walkout produced positive results for West Virginia teachers and the future of the state’s education. It’s an event which will go down in West Virginia history. In fact, it’s been called a movement by some of those on the front lines.

 

“I think it was definitely an educational awakening to our worth and our importance in the legislative process,” said Adam King, Bridgeport High School teacher and American Federation of Teachers representative. “Our heads have been in the sand for far too long. Hopefully, this creates a yearly vigilance to how democracy can work.”

 

BHS teacher JD Lister said he’s still trying to wrap his head around the idea that he and his fellow educators sparked a movement, but he truly thinks they have.

 

Not taking a political stance, but putting the situation into context, he explained:

 

“West Virginia is a deep red (republican), right-to-work state with republican control at almost every level of government and we just won one of the biggest labor wins in modern history,” Lister said. “That cannot be overlooked or tossed aside, especially when you consider our rich history of labor disputes and union victories.”

 

Lister believes other states are taking note and realizing the power they can have if they are organized.

 

“Oklahoma, Arizona, Kentucky and a few other states are taking what happened here and using it as a rallying call,” he said. “You never want to overplay your own importance, but I think the teachers, service personnel and state workers of West Virginia should take a moment to appreciate what was done.”

 

From a history and government teacher perspective, Lister said the nine-day walkout has been one of the best civics lessons students – and teachers – could get.

 

“National politics is more my arena, so I got to learn about some of the specifics on how West Virginia government operates,” he said. “This was also a great example of democracy in action – people coming together and peacefully protesting and fighting for their beliefs and livelihoods. I’m so pleased to see so many of my peers who weren’t interested in politics become awakened to the process. I hope they never waiver and continue their interest.”

 

It’s also been fantastic to see the unity and camaraderie that was built during this movement. Our staff has never been closer and I hope we stay that way. I also think the community has grown closer to its educators. While we have some who were very negative during this process – which they are fully entitled to be – the support in Bridgeport was overwhelmingly positive. I’ll never forget how I felt watching parents and students stand on the line with us, bring us something or simply stop by to say hello and that they support us.”

 

Kim Olivio of Johnson Elementary said the walkout and all that surrounded it most definitely created a movement.

 

“This experience opened many eyes. It has also made many aware that we, as teachers and service employees, need to stay involved and be proactive with the legislature,” she said. “Union membership has been down, but I have a feeling it will become a must.”

 

And as for the Bridgeport community, Olivio said the support has been unbelievable.

 

“I get tears in my eyes thinking of how kind and supportive our community was. It seems like all counties in West Virginia had an enormous amount of support,” she said. “Johnson’s PTA was unbelievable, as well as our administrators. We were fortunate that we had backing from our superintendent and the board of education which was not so in the 1990s. We are blessed to be part of the Bridgeport community and our great state. Our motto is #55Strong.”

 

Simpson Elementary School’s Matt McCullough said from the time we are little, we are told we can make a difference in the world.

 

“This is something many of us teach our children on a daily basis. However, there have been times in my life that I haven’t truly believed this,” he said. “With what I’ve witnessed over the last six weeks, my faith has been restored in this idea once again. An entire state of teachers and service personnel put aside our differences and stood toe-to-toe with state government officials and said, ‘We’re not going to take this.’”

 

And that was done, McCullough said, without one riot or act of violence.

 

“It came from the unlikeliest of groups – teachers’ unions – from one of the unlikeliest of states,” he said. “However, I think history will show we’ve set the model for how to create change by staying truly unified.”

 

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind, Lister said.

“I think about the first informal meetings we attended and how quickly they turned into packed gymnasiums and then it seemed like in the blink of an eye we walked out the door,” he said. “I am so proud of our school level, county level and state level leadership for taking a grassroots teacher- and service-led movement and turning it into 55United. It took countless hours of planning and much hard work. I know I was losing sleep over it so I can only imagine what higher-ups were facing.”

 

Lister said though that it must be understood that there is still work to do.

 

“We have to get out and vote in May and November for people (regardless of party) who will work for us and will ensure that PEIA gets a long-term fix,” he said. “I’ve said it before, but if PEIA task force isn’t successful, we are back to square one. I think Charleston now knows how much of a voice we have and while the capitol is relatively empty right now, they know that we are watching and that we will be back if necessary.”