Last Tuesday night, the majority of Kentucky teachers got their wish: Andy Beshear, the “public education candidate,” defeated incumbent governor Matt Bevin to become the next leader of the Bluegrass. (We think.) Beshear and his educator-turned-running mate Jacqueline Coleman landed their victory thanks in no small part to public education groups like 120United and KEA, who lauded their commitment to…
Tag: Matt Bevin
As student achievement stalls in Kentucky, Bevin and Beshear paint different paths forward
The Battle for the Bluegrass is nigh, and no, we’re not talking about the Cats and the Cards. Tuesday, November 5th is Election Day, and Kentucky find itself resting firmly in the national spotlight. Proclaimed by some as a litmus test for Trump’s true influence, Kentucky’s 2019 gubernatorial election has already proven unconventional at the least. For education voters,…
Beshear’s plan to raise teacher pay is a good start, but not enough to tackle Kentucky’s teacher shortage
Last week, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andy Beshear made headlines by proposing a $2,000 pay raise for Kentucky teachers. It’s not yet clear how he plans to pay for it, and of course, there’s no guarantee he’ll win the election, either. But regardless, after all the fiery rhetoric and absurd commentary surrounding Kentucky education these past couple of years, I’m happy…
New poll shows Beshear leading Kentucky’s race for governor, but some say not so fast
Unless you’ve been living under a rock or lying comatose for the past four years, you’re aware that Kentucky’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andy Beshear is the son of a highly-popular, former Democratic governor. He also happens to be running for governor this year against the least popular incumbent in the U.S., current Gov. Matt Bevin, whose political acumen is as…
It’s time for a renewed focus on student outcomes in Kentucky
The accountability drum is typically a lonely one to beat, but thanks to a new study by the good folks over at the Prichard Committee, I’ve got a little extra rhythm in my step today. According to their latest poll, 84% of Kentucky voters said that they were more likely to support a gubernatorial candidate with a plan to strengthen…
State funding cuts are never a good thing, but they’re even tougher for Kentucky’s rural and high-poverty schools
State funding cuts will likely always be a maligned part of the education conversation. Kentucky teachers have known that better than most: over the past decade, funding cuts to K-12 education in the Bluegrass were among the worst in the nation. Regardless of where you live, teach, or send your kids to school, you’re probably already aware of the universal…
Kentucky Reacts On Twitter To House Approval of Bevin’s Pension Plan
Unless you live under a rock or somewhere not named Kentucky, you’ve probably heard the news. Earlier today, the Kentucky House of Representatives voted 52-46 in favor of House Bill 1, Governor Matt Bevin’s newest pension plan. #HB1 passes. We got this wrong today.#APensionIsAPromise pic.twitter.com/9YArBDu1ki — Buddy Wheatley (@buddywheatleyky) July 22, 2019 This pension plan is different from the controversial…
Rural Families Deserve To Know What Will Happen With KentuckyWired
KentuckyWired, a bold plan to bring broadband Internet access to thousands of rural families, is set to make the Bluegrass State the envy of the nation. Eventually.That’s because the bipartisan plan to provide rural Kentucky families with high-speed Internet access is currently years behind schedule and $100 million over budget, as revealed in an ongoing investigation by the Courier Journal and ProPublica.
Gov. Matt Bevin Is Big Mad About Teacher ‘Sickouts’
He does not like them here or there, he does not like them anywhere. But alas, this one isn’t about green eggs and ham. If you couldn’t tell, the “he” that I’m talking about is none other than Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin. And if you’ve spent any time at all in the Bluegrass State, you’ll know all about his distaste…
Teacher “Sickouts” Strike Again. Am I Missing Something?
In case anyone thought we might make it through this legislative session without another walkout or protest, they were wrong. Today, teachers from across the Bluegrass are flocking to our state capital in droves (again) to rally against another controversial retirement policy. Let me add that I won’t be there. I’ll be teaching about ecosystems to my middle schoolers while…
Donald Trump Wants Your Kids To Read The Bible
Or at least, he thinks they should have the choice. No, this isn’t #Fake News. On Monday, the Donald himself weighed in on the controversial movement to introduce Bible literacy in schools. Numerous states introducing Bible Literacy classes, giving students the option of studying the Bible. Starting to make a turn back? Great! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 28,…
Yes, Kentucky Teachers Are Still A Political Force. Here’s How They Can Keep It That Way.
Any true child of the ‘90s should have gleeful memories of the sitcom Kenan and Kel. The show centered around the shenanigans of Chicago teen Kenan and his orange soda-loving friend Kel, who would often find himself getting bribed into mischief for a bottle of his favorite drink. Kel had a famous catchphrase that’s still beloved to this day: So…
Pension Reform Bill Struck Down By Kentucky Supreme Court
For those following the pension reform debacle in Kentucky, we finally have the verdict: Senate Bill 151, the controversial “sewage” bill that stood to make major changes to public pensions, has been struck down. In a unanimous decision made Thursday, the Kentucky Supreme Court stated that the bill “did not comply with the three-reading requirement,” and thus ruled that the…
We’re Still Here: Kentucky Teachers React to the 2018 Midterm Elections
It’s been a month since the 2018 midterm elections humbled Kentucky’s #RememberInNovember crowd, but with the newly-elected General Assembly beginning their session next month, you may think that Kentucky teachers are still licking their wounds. It couldn’t have been a more personal loss. Angered by a controversial pension overhaul bill and a Governor’s uncanny remarks, many Kentucky teachers thought they…
You Can’t Have Your Pension Reform Cake And Eat It, Too
If you live in Kentucky and consume any form of news media at all, you’ll be familiar with the bitter, contentious debate that’s been raging about teachers’ pensions. The road to reform began with an actuarial report recommending deep, structural cuts to our teachers’ retirement system, then took a major bump in the form of teacher protests and walkouts earlier…
Kentucky’s Midterm Elections: Winners and Losers
It’s been a week since the 2018 midterm elections, but the results are as fresh as ever in the minds of Kentucky teachers. Spurned by Gov. Bevin’s controversial comments and policies, teachers across the Bluegrass protested. At rallies, other teachers and their supporters swore that they would “remember in November.” It looks like they forgot. Of the 51 educators running…
Why We Fight
Public education, and more specifically public educators, have increasingly been in the media more this year than in the past several decades. Thousands of teachers in West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arizona, and North Carolina have held work stoppages, strikes, and rallies at their respective State Capitols over the severe lack of funding for their students, teacher salaries, and teacher (and…
This Midterm Election Is A Referendum On Charter Schools
In a recent interview with the Courier-Journal, candidate Denise Gray explained why she felt the need to run for office. “This is a time when we need to make a difference. We can’t continue to complain about a situation and not be willing to step up. I just had enough of complaining.” So did the other 50 educators who have decided to run…
#KYEdUpdate: Hal Heiner, JCPS Takeover, and EPSB Overhaul
While teachers and students across the Commonwealth are holding on tight to their final days of summer, the action in Frankfort and beyond just keeps coming. The Kentucky Board of Education has a new chairman, but he’s no first-timer in Frankfort. Interim Education Commissioner Wayne Lewis has a deal for Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS), one of the largest districts in the…
Franklin County Court Rules Pension Reform Bill Unconstitutional
Kentucky’s controversial pension reform bill, Senate Bill 151, has been declared unconstitutional. WDRB reports that on Wednesday, Franklin County Court Judge Phillip Shepherd declared Senate Bill 151 void, ruling that the bill failed to meet procedural requirements set forth by the state Constitution. The controversial bill was initially passed and signed into law by Governor Bevin earlier this spring, and…
Here’s How A Supreme Court Decision Could Lead To Another Wave Of Teacher Protests
We saw what happened back in the spring when “pension reform” was all the buzz in Kentucky. Teachers got a sewage bill, Frankfort got a whole lot of protesters, and Matt Bevin got sued. Teachers unions like the Kentucky Education Association (KEA) were critical opponents of that debacle in this year’s General Assembly, and now, they are bracing themselves yet…
Kentucky Has A Slew of National Board Certified Teachers, And That’s Great For Students
I tend to find that a lot of conversations around education reform focus on the work we have left to do instead of celebrating the progress we’ve already made. But a couple weeks ago in Frankfort, there were a lot of reasons to celebrate. 3,601 reasons, as a matter of fact. That’s how many National Board Certified Teachers are currently…