The Oklahoma teacher walkout ended on April 12 after nine days. The Oklahoma Education Association (OEA) had given lawmakers a deadline towards the end of April to make reforms mainly focused on budgets and pay for schools and teachers, or else the state would face a major teacher walkout.

Teachers had been granted $6,000 in a pay raise before the strike happened, but members still voted in favor of pushing the deadline to April 1. When lawmakers failed to meet most of the major demands, the walkout happened on April 2.

The Oklahoma Education Association gave a list of specific requests, most calling for the restoration of funding cuts to classrooms. By April 6, the Oklahoma state Senate passed two measures that increased funding by $40 million.

After this, Alicia Price, the president of the Oklahoma Education Association, said that the measures passed weren’t enough and pressed for lawmakers to raise certain taxes to raise money for more school funding.

Finally, on the 12, Price called off the strike in a press conference. While polling members of the OEA throughout the entire strike, the majority said that they doubted continuing would increase funding.

“There comes a time, when if what you’re doing is not getting the results you seek, there is wisdom in shifting focus.” Priest said. “While the walkout is ending today, and we’re going back to school, we are not just giving up and going home.”

The OAE are looking forward and plan to aim at the 2018 midterm elections in hope of improving funding and unseating those who voted against increased school funding.

While some are glum that the walkout has ended, others are looking forward to returning to school again.

Jonathan Moy, who teaches at Yukon High School, said he’s ready to go back to school. He’s one of many who feel that lawmakers could have done more.

“I told my students before this began that Oklahoma legislators have shown that education isn’t a priority. Now the nation has proof of this,” Moy said. “It’s disappointing, but I think we’ve accomplished as much as we can. The kids are the priority.”