The three-day filing period opened Wednesday morning for candidates running for state and federal office. More than two dozen educators are considering politics as the state continues to deal with deep cuts to public schools. An unofficial head count shows about 30 teachers running for office.
Don Wentroth said he simply wants a better learning environment for students.
"I'm having to make decisions not on what is best for kids, but what hurts kids the least,” Wentroth said. “I can't deal with that.”
The Bethany High School principal said he never wanted to be a lawmaker, but the current climate is forcing him to give it a shot. Every seat in the 101-member Oklahoma House is up for grabs in the November election, along with 25 seats in the state Senate.
"This isn't just a situation that has been caused by the oil bust,” Wentroth said. “Public education in Oklahoma has never been taken seriously or funded like it should be." Wentroth plans to run for the House District 100 seat currently held by state Rep. Elise Hall, R-Oklahoma City.
Other educators agree, and they're lining up to get a seat at the table. Kevin McDonald, the chair of the English department at Edmond Memorial High School and the current Teacher of the Year in Edmond Public Schools, said he’s concerned about funding cuts to public education.
“It's becoming apparent to more and more educators that to be heard we need to be in the conversation, not outside of the conversation trying to talk at people,” McDonald said.
McDonald plans to run for the Senate District 41 seat that will be open this fall because state Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, is term-limited.
Oklahoma’s current Teacher of the Year is also running for the state Senate.
Norman High School teacher Shawn Sheehan announced Monday he’s running as an independent for the District 15 Senate seat currently held by Republican Rob Standridge. Sheehan told The Oklahoman’s Rick Green the state needs new sources of revenue:
“We need to look at tax policies, and we need to diversify revenue sources,” he said. “As oil and gas goes, so goes the state of Oklahoma. There has to be less truth to that statement.”
Sheehan has been named one of the four finalists for the National Teacher of the Year award that will be announced later this month. He’s taught math and special education at Norman High School since 2011. Senate District 15 includes far east Norman, Moore and Oklahoma City, as well as the University of Oklahoma and most of Norman west of Interstate 35.
Edmond parent Angela Clark Little formed the 22,000 grassroots effort Parents and Educators for Public Education, and provided this unofficial list of teachers and administrators planning to run to The Oklahoman:
- Mickey Dollens, House District 93, educator
- Johnny Jump, House District 101,
- educator
- Shawn Sheehan, Senate District 15, educator
- Jim Beckham, House District 42, superintendent
- John Waldron, Senate District 39,
- educator
- Jean Olive, Senate District 29,
- educator
- Chris Kidd, Senate District 31, former educator
- James Albert Campbell, House District 19, public education advocate
- Kelly Meredith, House District 87, parent/professor
- Brian Jackson, Senate District 37, husband of teacher
- Troy Dyer, House District 3, teacher
- Greg McCortney, Senate District 13, husband of PTA president
- Tammy West, House District 84, school board member
- Traci Barnes, House District 3, public education advocate
- Roland Peterson, Senate District 19, educator
- Darla Milligan, House District 12,
- educator
- Jack Reavis, Senate District 9,
- educator
- LeeAnn Langston, House District 14, educator
- Forrest Bennett, House District 92, public education advocate
- Paul Scott, Senate District 43, husband of an educator
- Toni Hasenbeck, Senate District 31, educator
- David Dickerson, House District 82, public education advocate
- Jacobi Crowley, House District 64,
- educator
- Monroe Nichols, House District 72, educator
- Dewayne Pemberton, Senate District 9, educator
- Matt Meredith, House District 4,
- educator
- Kevin McDonald, Senate District 41, educator
- Judy Hopper, Senate District 47, retired educator
- Don Wentroth, House District 100, educator
But Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, says teachers might be in for a surprise if they do get elected. He thinks the legislature has done a lot to support education over the years. Throughout this current budget shortfall, he says education has taken fewer cuts than any other agency.
“If you come on the inside of the Capitol, and listen to our discussions, you might see something different,” Bingman said.
He also points to the teacher retirement system as proof that they’ve cared about education over the years.
“We’ve put a lot of money in to the teacher retirement system to shore that up," Bingman said. "I think we had one of the worst funded retirement systems in the country.”
However, Bingman says he welcomes anyone that wants to improve the government and the state. And says, ultimately, the decision rests with the voters.
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