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Some Extracurricular Activities Continue Despite Oklahoma Teacher Walkout

Kateleigh Mills / KOSU
Athletes from around the state gather at the Carl Albert Stadium in Midwest City on Thursday, April 5, 2018.

As the teacher walkout stretches into a second week and many schools remain closed, some teachers and coaches are trying to keep student extracurricular activities going.

Athletes from around the state gathered at the Carl Albert Invitational in Midwest City last week. Jeremiah Smith, a physical science teacher and track coach at Midwest City High School, says it might have put more pressure on lawmakers if they had canceled the meet, but that wouldn't benefit the students.

"We can’t do that when we have so many kids depending on these events for later on after their high school career."

Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association spokesman Van Shea Iven says the walkout has not affected any competitions, and he doesn't expect it to.

However, Oklahoma Scholastic Media director Melanie Wilderman had to reschedule one of her competitions because of the walkout.

“We plan these things about a year in advance. The teachers have planned far in advance, but I think rescheduling to get all the students here might be hard on the teachers.”

Wilderman says the group rescheduled the event in order to support the teachers. But if the walkout progresses past then, there might not be a competition.

Kateleigh Mills was the Special Projects reporter for KOSU from 2019 to 2024.
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