With the approximately 10,000 fewer teachers than the state of Kentucky needs, Governor Andy Beshear met with state legislators to pitch his plan to attract more educators to the Bluegrass State.
"Kentucky is losing quality teachers," Beshear said in a Tweet. "We can't remain competitive because we rank 44th nationwide for starting teacher pay. And without teachers to lead our classrooms, our children are falling behind. "
At Boyd County High School, Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman met with teachers and school staff to discuss their "Education First Plan."
The priorities of Beshear's plan include:
- A five percent pay raise for educators.
- Student loan forgiveness for educators.
- Universal pre-K.
Beshear also Tweeted: "There is no excuse. Our public schools, our children, our workforce and our future depend on investments like these. Let's do what's right – let's invest in the Education First Plan."
WKYT reports that chair of the House Education Committee, James Tipton, said the teacher shortage will be addressed when the General Assembly reconvenes next week.
“It is a tremendous challenge. And there’s no one answer,” said Rep. Tipton. “The Governor mentioned funds; resources are an important part of this. As I talk to teachers, there are issues: burnout, additional duties.”
Beshear's push for education reform comes just two weeks after Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron accused Beshear of violating transparency laws. According to Cameron, Beshear denied a records request for correspondence to or from 13 named officials "mentioning or related to school closures, remote leaning, nontraditional instruction or NTI, KEA or the Kentucky Education Association, JCTA or the Jefferson County Teachers Association" from 2020 to the present.
Comments / 45