When teachers and school administrators filed for political office in the 2018 election, most were not shy about supporting the first tax increase in nearly three decades, even though it’s a progressive political message in a deeply conservative state. But one teacher won her primary, and beat an incumbent who voted for the tax increase, on the opposite message.

Many educators in Oklahoma say the teacher walkout awakened them to the importance of staying informed, and voting. Now, these teachers, principals and school officials are not only working to educate themselves, but are also organizing into groups with the goal of enacting widespread political change.