Teachers Strike in Kentucky & Oklahoma for Better Pay, Benefits
BLITZER: Teachers in Kentucky are rallying today at the state capitol forcing schools to be closed for a second day. They are protesting changes Republican lawmakers made in their pension plan hidden in a bill about sewage services. Republicans say the changes are critical to fixing the pension crisis in the state, which is one of the worst in the country. The bill voted along party lines now sits on Republican Governor Matt Bevin's desk. He's expected to sign it. Meanwhile, schools are also closed in Oklahoma today. This is Oklahoma City right now. Look at these pictures. More than 30,000 teachers, elementary school, high school teachers walked off their jobs and they are rallying at the state capitol. They're demanding more education funding and better pay. According to the Department of Labor Statistics, wages for teachers in Oklahoma are thousands of dollars below the national average. Last week, Governor Mary Fallon approved raises between 15 percent and 18 percent and added $18 million in school funding, but teachers say it isn't enough. Joining us now is a teacher who is thinking of quitting her job as a result of the pay. Allyson Kubat (ph) joins us. Allyson, thank you so much for joining us. We have heard from other teachers in Oklahoma who had to work up to six jobs to make ends meet. What have you had to do? ALLYSON KUBAT (ph),</s>TEACHER: Well, I hold several jobs. I work as an event coordinator in member management at an event venue. I drive for Postmates, a delivery service. And I have sold health care and beauty products. I'm also a surrogate.</s>BLITZER: Tell us about being a surrogate. You need that money in order to make ends meet because you can't make a living being a schoolteacher. Is that right?</s>KUBAT (ph): Well, I do all my work because I love it. That's part of the reason I'm a surrogate also. It definitely helps lift a burden for my family. But, you know, just like any work, why I chose to be a teacher, it's not all about the money obviously. I do need the extra income, yes, to help pay some of the most basic bills.</s>BLITZER: These increases that they are trying to put through, is that going to be enough?</s>KUBAT (ph): Well, it's kind of a two-edged sword. While we are thankful that they have put this initiative and Mary Fallon signed it into law and that's amazing, but at the same time, they were turning around and repealing parts of the bill they had just passed. It's hard to say it will be enough until we see it happen. It's hard to take them at their word when our legislature has, over and over again, said they are pro-teacher, pro-education and most of them are voting to make it look like they are, and then turning around and changing the narrative. They wanted this bill to be enough to stop what's happening today, but when they turned around and started underfunding it immediately, it doesn't work that way. They are trying to make it look like we are greedy and it's all about a pay raise. The majority of teachers are here for funding.</s>BLITZER: It's hard to believe, it's not just Oklahoma or Kentucky, it's states all over the country now where schoolteachers -- there is nothing more important than educating the young people of America. Schoolteachers can't make a living doing their jobs. We haven't yet heard President Trump comment on this. He comments on a lot of topics, tweets about all sorts of issues. What would you like to hear from President Trump?</s>KUBAT (ph): I would like to hear messages of support from all levels, including President Trump. The lip service isn't enough. We have to see action happening. We have to see the funding back in the classrooms. My public-speaking textbooks talk about going to your librarian, so they can talk to you about this new thing called the Internet and how to look up information on microfiche. Those are the things we need funded. I need new textbooks. I'm not the only one. My English teacher friends are buying their own novels. It is nice to hear words of support and it's nice to hear that people are pro- teacher, but what we need is action.</s>BLITZER: Good luck, Allyson. Good luck to you and good luck to all the teachers in Oklahoma, Kentucky, all over the country. Once again, nothing more important than educating the young people. The teachers are so critically important. Hard to believe in this country they can't make a living doing such critically important work. Good luck to you, Allyson. Thank you very much.</s>KUBAT (ph): Thank you so much.</s>BLITZER: As the president suggests, the U.S. will be leaving Syria very soon. New details emerging about a capture-or-kill operation that took the life of an American soldier.