ListenOK

Description

Nicole 'Nikki' Rice joined Broken Arrow first as a fourth grade teacher and then as a 7th grade science teacher. She would like to impact discipline policies, which don't take into account the context of a child's life experiences, and thinks the best way to do that is from an administrative position rather than a classroom teacher. While not an activist prior to the walkout, she aims to be part of legislative efforts through going to OKC and advocating for pro-education bills when they come through. She is cynical of the state and future of education in Oklahoma, however. Ultimately, she was discouraged by the way the walkout was handled and she felt that 'not all voices were heard' and also that the Oklahoma Education Association and others claimed to 'speak for all' but that was not the case. For her, the lasting legacy of the walkout was that it was not about pay raises only, and was really about advocating for future students and educators and for the future of education in Oklahoma.