Carrie Underwood Speaks out About Sisters Involved in Oklahoma Teacher Strike

The Oklahoma teacher protest has been going on for five days now, and Carrie Underwood is sharing [...]

By Hannah Barnes

The Oklahoma teacher protest has been going on for five days now, and Carrie Underwood is sharing her support for the educators campaigning for better resources for their schools.

On Thursday, Underwood shared a snap of her two sisters holding a sign with a photo of Ryan Gosling that read, "Hey teacher, we [love] our kids! Let's stay strong and fight for our kids!"

In her caption, the American Idol winner praised her siblings for their strength and dedication to providing the best environment possible for their students.

"So proud of my sisters...Making a difference for the best reason...KIDS!" the superstar wrote. "Here's hoping OK schools get the funding they need so students and teachers can come back to a great learning environment! Love you guys! #ProudSister #Oklahoma #Education #TeachersRock."

Underwood hails from Checotah, Oklahoma, and both of her older sisters, as well as her mom, are teachers.

The teachers' strike is an effort by educators to secure more funding for education, including school facilities, equipment and textbooks.

Last week, Gov. Mary Fallin recently signed a bill that raises the average teacher salary by $6,100, but the teachers' union wanted to see an increase of $10,000, CNN reports. Oklahoma is currently ranked 49th in the nation in teacher salaries in a list that includes Washington, D.C., according to the National Education Association.

While lawmakers were expected to vote Friday, April 6 on various bills that could help put more money towards education, a state union leader told NBC News that he doesn't think the planned proposals will end the walkouts, which he predicts could continue into next week.

"Our members know their needs, and they're going to tell us when it's enough," said Oklahoma Education Association Executive Director David Duvall. "I anticipate that we'll be back up here on Monday."

The Senate was reportedly going to consider proposals that would expand tribal gambling and tax certain internet sales that would generate around $40 million annually.

"I think they thought we were not going to come out in the forces that we did, especially throughout the week," fourth-grade teacher Amanda Girdler told CNN. "But we're holding strong, and you don't mess with teachers when we're trying to fight for our kids."

Photo Credit: Getty / John Shearer

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