The Latest: Oregon teachers walk out to protest funding

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The Latest on a walkout by Oregon teachers to protest education funding (all times local):

8:40 a.m.

Holding signs and wearing T-shirts declaring “Proud Educator,” teachers across Oregon are staging a one-day walkout to rally for more money for schools.

Many schools in Oregon were to be closed for at least part of the day Wednesday, including dozens in the greater Portland area.

Oregon schools have some of the largest class sizes and lowest graduation rates in the United States.

The action follows a wave of teacher activism that began in West Virginia in 2018 and was followed by Oklahoma, Kentucky, Arizona and elsewhere.

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10:24 p.m.

Thousands of teachers plan to walk out across Oregon to protest education funding.

Schools around the state will close for at least part of Wednesday as teachers try to put pressure on lawmakers for more money.

Oregon schools have some of the highest class sizes and lowest graduation rates in the United States.

The action follows a wave of teacher activism that began in West Virginia in 2018 and was followed by Oklahoma, Kentucky and Arizona.

Teachers in North Carolina and South Carolina rallied at their respective state capitols last week seeking more money.

The state’s school funding problem can be traced to the 1990s, when voters passed two ballot measures to limit property taxes.

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