Wildcat Teacher’s Strike Gains Momentum in Miss.

A wildcat strike by Mississippi teachers spread into north Mississippi on Friday, and officials said 4,600 teachers were off the job and more than 75,000 students were out of classes.

The weeklong strike, which began in three south Mississippi school districts Monday, had grown to include 23 of the state’s 154 school districts. The strike is expected to escalate even further when a restraining order against the walkout expires Monday.

Gov. Bill Allain met with 75 teachers, representing the lowest paid educators in the nation, at the Capitol on Thursday but refused to go along with their demand for a $7,000 raise over two years and threatened to withhold state funds from the school districts that have been struck.

The teachers, whose pay averages $15,971 annually, say the raise is needed to bring them up to the Southeastern U.S. average.

The strike picked up steam in north Mississippi on Friday with more than 250 instructors picketing and 6,000 students getting the day off in Panola County.

Paul Messer, superintendent of the North Panola Consolidated School District, said he closed the system’s five schools after only a few of the 125 teachers showed up for class. The district has 2,200 students.