WATCH NEXT: We Talked To 18 Oklahoma Teachers Who Are Calling It Quits - bit.ly/2kW2ro4

I love Mrs. Stuart. She was my history teacher. It makes me so sad that she is going through what she is. I'm so proud of her and every teacher across the state fighting for what they and their students deserve!

Omg this is my history teacher!! I'm so proud of her for standing up for what's right. Being a teacher is a hard job and education deserves so much more it's just so extremely important, it's also hard to be a student in Oklahoma with huge class sizes and no textbooks but hopefully we can eventually change that for the better

If I went to school for 4 years and got a teaching degree to work 3 jobs I'd be pretty mad too

The unnoticed teacher giving their all to help students excel...I just wanna say thank you to those kind of teachers..I appreciate what you do

Every teacher in America should walk out. It's shameful how they're treated in this country.

I feel her pain. when she said ...never thought I'd have a college education and be working above the poverty line....

They have to respect teachers they are the foundation that’s where they start for our workers today engineers doctors

As someone who is still going to school in Oklahoma its true for all these teachers. I work with my English teacher at a whole foods store. Its sad how much they get paid and how much time they put into it.

They should have walked out a long time ago, teachers deserve way more

Why the hell are the taxes so high in Oklahoma yet teachers are paid the lowest, when in Texas they don't have state taxes and are paid more? Why the hell can't they pay them without raising our taxes?!

“I know more teachers than not that have to have second or third jobs,” teacher Lyndsey Stuart told VICE News. Watch more on America's school funding crisis HERE: bit.ly/2pL31rz

She has three jobs to be correct. 1. Mom 2.Teacher 3.Photographer

2:00 work at a Convenience store and make more money than a teacher? 40k a year is about 25 an hour.... Youre not making that at a convenient store

I studied education to because I love the interacting with growing minds. However I was given a pink slip bc my school was being systematically shut down and taken over by charter school. I went into trucking and after 2 years I’m a trainer. I average over double than what I was making as a teacher. Last year I made $67 with bonuses. Life is great

Teachers deserve a better pay.

Pay the teachers. More respect for them then the thug cops imo

I personally had this woman as my teacher. I find this somewhat kind of irritating and a little misleading. I agree that you can always make a claim to being warranted to receiving more pay. I will also tell you that being one of her students for several years and having multiple periods in classes, she has always gave the image of receiving hand outs. She was also the teacher to sit in her desk and allow us to work out of our books and maybe have a decent lecture once or twice a week. I will also speak on the mindset of this community and area and say the living quality is very cheap. Most residential areas in this place are very cheap when compared to any housing in the nearby states. The amount of pay that they are demanding is just simply not there. I'm not going to even brush on the fact that her family lives well out of its means compared to most of the residents around there. I will also say she is close to not even knowing what she is speaking of when making such a false claim to the pay rates in the area. The probability of finding a job that pays more then 7.25 an hour is an oddity. She is a great woman, and does care for her students. But this is high charade of what is actually going on. She had also made the claim several times of not choosing the career for the money, and had quite the amount of education. She choose the job, the job did not choose her. Her spending must only be lavish, to have issues with a low mortgage house in that area. here's the math, According to money.usnews the bottom 10 percent of teachers make 38,180 a year. Teachers days off ~ 4.5 months * 4 = 18 weeks. Compared to the average worker of 2. 52 - 16 when factoring in weeks worked compared to the average worker = 36. 31810 / 36 = 1060.55 / 5(days in a work week) = 212.11 / 8(hours in a work day) = 26.51 dollars an hour. SO the BOTTOM 10 percent of teachers make 26.51 dollars an hour for work compared to an average worker equaling ~ 53020 dollars an hour worked. www.trulia.com/real_estate/Bartlesville-Oklahoma/ The house of median value in the area only comes about to be about a 127,000. An overview of the general cost of living index for Bartlesville, OK is displayed above for your reference. Residents in Bartlesville, OK enjoy a cost of living index of 91. This index is 4% higher than the Oklahoma average, and 9% lower than the national average. (This means its 9% lower cheaper to live anywhere else then the rest of the country.) So taking the average teacher salary of Kansas. 47,464. Minus the Oklahoma state teacher average salary 44,128. =3,336 With the increase of daily live compared to each state, the increase of pay is worth nothing. I love you vice, But you need to show the other side of things.

During the three years I lived in Oklahoma (Enid), it was the WORST education I received. Buildings falling apart (Asbestos abatement), oversized classes (had to sit on the floor due to insufficient seating), teachers that didn't care, books falling apart, no air conditioning in sweltering 100 degree days.

Our teachers here in Oklahoma deserve better! I was a pain in the ass student and just for that they definitely deserve a raise for putting up with me for all those years back in the day! Lol!

i’m a student at bartlesville high school. i participated in the BHS walkout. this interview was an eye opener and shows that change isn’t just something that happened in the past or is happening somewhere else. change is happening NOW and ANYONE can be a part of it.

To this teacher, thank you for all you do, from bottom of our heart.

Thank you so much Lyndsey you are an inspiration. We hear you thank you for having a voice, thank you to all teachers and people alike who brought this to light! ❤️

I love this lady she works so hard for her kids and students I feel so bad for everybody

This is what happens in a 100% Republican Controlled State

wow, are there people out there who didn't know Oklahoma is shit? If you want to make money with ANY job be willing to move, she could make at least 10k more; in not 2-3x that by living in a decent state

Traffic was insane today from this. I’m happy so many people were involved

Vice, you guys gonna have an update video on this next week? Interested in knowing what happens.

I'm behind this walk out, I truly wish these teachers the best of walk. Our government doesn't want to pay and give our teachers the right amount and give out less in terms of budget. All they do is point fingers but no action.

So she makes more than half of what teachers in northern VA make while real estate prices in her area are a quarter of the price. I doubt she HAS to work an extra job to afford the necessities. Also, what convenience store is a kid working at in rural Oklahoma where they can make $40,000 per year? That's $19 per hour if the kid works 40 hours/week for 52 weeks. To make $40000 per year at the federal minimum wage, you would have to work 106 hours per week. It is really sad that teachers (I am one myself) don't get paid more, as so much of this country's progress depends on them. However, don't twist the truth to make your point.

This is so fucked up.. Teachers constantly put in extra hours at school and use their OWN money (when they aren’t even making that much) to buy supplies for their students. They never receive compensation for their OT or the supplies they bought.

i used to go to a tiny school in oklahoma and it was so underfunded that they let us stop going to school one friday to save money to pay the teachers and pay to keep the school running (even though we had 2 gyms and they always were squeaky clean and had new floors every year)

keep going teachers, we stand behind you!

don't get me wrong teachers deserved to be paid more but the idea that they have to work 2 or 3 jobs to make ends meet is just absurd

My wife and I live in Oklahoma. She teaches a deaf 3rd grade class in Tulsa. Her take home pay BARELY covers her student loan payments. Between time in class and time at home lesson planning, she works 70 hours a week and is only paid for the first 45.

FYI I live in okc and during the walkout we literally didn’t have school for weeks.

A well paid teacher is a happy teacher, and that means happy students, and that means... Go figure.

I Live in Oklahoma here's the thing WE DONT HAVE THE MONEY FOR IT we literally do not have the money in the state for it....We will have to take it from mental health and things like that

Put it in perspective: 42k for The teachers who works only 3/4 of the year average income in Oklahoma is 49k, Oklahoma ranks 47th in education. You want better pay then produce better results.

The way the representatives just walk away.... THAT is what is wrong with this country right now. The perfect embodiment of it!

I learn more from online resources like Khan Academy and other educational KZfaq channels than I do sitting in a classroom with bad teachers and so do the majority of my peers. I'm not saying this teacher in particular is bad, but really because each teacher has varying degrees of teaching ability, this creates huge disparity in quality of education that students should be receiving. I really think the teaching profession is on its way out and as a student with so much frustration coming from bad teachers- the feeling of thinking I'm incompetent when in actuality, it's the teacher's poor delivery, I really don't mind so much. I'd rather have a teacher through a screen that I can pause and rewind and learn at my own pace than moody, disengaging teachers. Everyone should watch Sal Khan's TED Talk for more on this.

The way america and economics works, if you believe you are not getting paid enough, ask for a raise, find another job, different career or unionize. The market has to adapt. as long as there are people taking the jobs at that salary, the salary will stay the same. But with that said, I believe the market should value a teacher at least double what it is now and be compensated accordingly.

I know one teacher who moved from district to district, city to city, and state to state in the nearly 2 decades she has taught. She went back to college to earn additional degrees and was even certified to teach in Canada, but lacked the money to move there. In all that time, she never got a pay raise. It's not worth it.

When someone says, they make $45k, does that mean before or after taxes?

I'm not against education, but I found most of my years in public school to be a waste of time. After about fifth grade, you top out, and then it becomes a matter of memorizing answers for tests and showing up five days a week. I never found high school to be efficient in anyway. 90 % of high school could be learned in a fraction of four years. Unless you're trying to get in a really good college, I say go ahead and drop out, and get your GED. You can wrap up High School in a matter of hours with a certificate that's virtually the same thing as a high school diploma.

This makes no sense... they have to beg basically to let their state know they are struggling. Amerika is going down.

$34,000 is pretty low to live on. I taught High school Physics in Dallas, TX for 3 yrs before quitting in 2016 and started with $45,000 and within a year and half got $7,000 raise. And I thought it was still small. Oklahoma and the other states need to do right by their teachers.

I’m an Oklahoma student and I think this is stupid. We had to had extra time to our day even though they got their raise they wanted more. And you have to understand they get many days off they get the weekends, all breaks which includes the winter, spring, and summer break which is almost 4 months. I hated the walkout it was retarded and the kids at my school here in Oklahoma think it’s stupid too.

42k is a fine income. No one works at a convenience store for more. Teachers also have insurance and summers off. Maybe you should not spend so much instead. I am so tired of whiney Americans. People are starving in this world. All she is teaches is entitlement.

The cost of living is super cheap in Oklahoma compared to the rest of states. Yes, a teacher in California might earn &70k a year but guess what the cost of living is twice or tripe of that in Oklahoma. So I guess pay varies by various factors.

You're such a hard worker ma'am, I hope you get the salary increase that you want/deserve. c:

We went thru a 2 month teacher strike in my senior year, they ended up getting a fraction of what they asked for.

I agree that teachers deserve to be paid more, but lady going to Starbucks every day doesn't help.

Holy hot damn this got your boy teary eyed af!!!

You know what’s sad today my chemistry teacher said that we pay 1 million dollars a year on average to take one person to jail all of that can be used for education in just saying

Low pay is fine when the living cost is low. But that's no longer the case. I've seen schools where half the teachers quit and went to work in the state prison because it paid far more and there was no lesson planning to do.

She took that “can I speak to the manager?” haircut to the capitol building!

lol you don't make more than 42K a year in a convenience store. This story is full of exaggerations

No place seems to be mentioning that this strike lasted 2 weeks. (Maybe not for all schools but for mine it did) We had so many great teachers that I loved leave for different jobs or different states. And power to them but I will miss them.

What do you mean these coupons are expired? I wanna see your manager!

because its all about the children, so give me more money, full medical/dental and retirement packages where my contribution is zero. you know, for the children.

No money for teachers and NRA has tons of money. Explains about your country Usa.

My son was an Elementary School teacher. He had to work two other jobs. He worked as a school janitor in the evening and was a bike messenger on the weekends. He worked 3 jobs for 3 years without taking a single day off! I witnessed my son's health and his body deteriorate so bad, until his body couldn't take it anymore. He blew both of his knees and he is now bed-ridden. Now we're fighting for his medical insurance to cover knee replacement surgery. It's a nightmare!

I am with you in spirit today Lindsey Stuart!

Fire bad teachers and good teachers can get paid more. Apply free market principles to the teaching profession. The problem isn't pay its corrupt teacher unions that protect bad teachers.

Why does she drive a gas guzzling SUV?? It's a family of three!!

I have so much respect for teachers..we NEED them..coming from a junior in college

So what was the end result? Any news...

I know a lot of people that would kill for 42,000 a year, also did u notice she was a single parent she probably gets some kind of child support as well. The bottom line is if you can't put food on the table with 42,000 dollars a year, I think she needs to stop buying herself those expensive ass clothes or get a better job

The cost of living in Oklahoma is very cheap

This is exactly what GA teachers need to do but the state is so divided. Some county’s/cities get great tax funding and money from state level funds. Teacher pay is very good in these areas also but in other areas teachers are poor. I taught for 12 years and made just over 55,000 and the cost of living was slowing but surly catching up to me. I left because there was no change in 9years. But if you went and got a masters in education they would give you this crazy raise around $500-$800a month. Education is all about money a power and control now in Glynn County School system!

I live in Owasso, Oklahoma. And I'm happy about the walk out. Being in owasso 6th grade, we need extra money, for classes that need supplies for classes, there has been a couple of time that those class had to watch a movie bc they couldn't afford the supplies planned for that day

Education, more like indoctrination

"that close to poverty" hah thats so funny like i feel her but that was soo wrong

They were asking for a $10,000 raise and $3.3 billion in funding. Gov. Fallin offered them a $6,100 raise and 2.9 billion funding. After ending the 9 day strike, they are getting what was initially offered before the walkout.

Man I’d walk out on the second too... That’s like prime opening trout season you’d be missing!

Thats what you get without the father around.🙄

Pokoknya sip ditunggu klik - klik

They have extra money via fracking in OK right? Just use those extra taxes or did their lawmakers cut their taxes too?

I’m not against this but would she have more money in her pocket if her kids didn’t do those activities as they are not only ripping a hole in her pocket but they’re putting unnecessary stress.

Abolish the department of education!

I worked at Fedex making $35K for a 55-60 hour work week for all 12 months of the year. These teachers complain they pull $35K for 9 months of work....What a joke. They run a daycare for young adults. I would only agree to pay them more if their graduates were able to find good paying, middle class jobs. The reality is very few come out of high school with any licenses, certificates or marketable skills. Government led education is nothing more than day care. If they don't like being paid $35k to sit at a desk, then grab a shovel and head into the coal mines!

Thank you teachers for all you do. And good luck.

Oklahoma Tribes have contributed 7.2 BILLION in gaming revenue to the OK school system. Where'd the money go?

man I thought I had it rough living with a drug addicted roommate in a shitty run down apartment but she got a house a nice car a fancy computer with pets and shes complaining? I think she can cut back and live within the means of survival. maybe you dont need the fancy bracelet jennifer

They get the whole summer off! This is ridiculous.

that's crazy...a Canadian high school teacher medium salary is 56,000US then it changes depending on experience, province you live in, school etc.

I was very bless to have incredible teachers, that went above and beyond to help their students to excel. It’s a shame that they have to work two or three jobs to put food on the table. All the support to the teachers.

Hard to have sympathy for these teachers. They make more money than most people on average do in the United States. They don't work a full year. They are protected with benefits, healthcare and pension. People work 2-3 jobs and will never have any benefits or pension. Take your kids out of expensive gymnastics classes and get a smaller house.

The average salary of teachers is 60k, if anything these teachers are overpaid...FACT

the I watch these videos the more I feel blessed to be Canadian. I know our education isn't perfect but sure is better than theirs...Props to those teachers for sticking it out and working hard for their students!

Me and 5 other people from my school went up to the capitol today for 10 hours by ourselves because our teachers couldn’t leave due to not have the funds for a substitute or be able to leave school

She works 9 months out of the year. Works 7 hours a day teaching as stated by her. Gets full benefits and a pension when she retires. All those benefits add up. She’s making on average $27 an hour. Another example of people trying to take more money at the expense of everyone else.

Maybe teaches are paid the lowest in the country because we are also one of the cheapest states to live in. You can't compare a teachers salary here to one in California. That's stupid. Also maybe they are paid the lowest because according to Forbes we are ranked 42nd in education. I support pay raises for teachers who have earned it and have shown they excel in their job. That is not all teachers tho. Also I knew when I was in high school 20 years ago they didn't get paid much. You did it for the kids. So you knew damn well what you were getting into.

can't wait for this to happen tomorrow. This needs to change, that is such a low price a year!

I was just in Oklahoma saw some teachers protesting.

situation sucks but complaining about not being paid enough and wearing an apple watch is counter productive....

Looks like you are living way above your income.

Not just teachers need better wages ,this whole country NEEDS BETTER WAGES FOR EVERYONE!!

Teachers are tasked with educating the future of America and yet are treated like shit 😕