State of Kentucky Archives: on Education

Andy Beshear: $1000 salary boost for all school workers

Andy Beshear: $100 million to repair crumbling public schools

Rand Paul: COVID: Opening schools doesn't lead to a surge

C. Wesley Morgan: Government should get out of the student loan business

A: I think the U.S student has been sold a bill of goods with an inadequate education. The government should do a one time payoff off all student loans. After that, the government should get out of the student loan business. Our college and university system should be overhauled to provide an education that teaches students an appropriate course study that guarantees a student can find a job at graduation.

Amy McGrath: We need a well-funded public education system

Amy McGrath: National service program practical solution for college debt

Amy McGrath: Perform national service to get college aid

Steven Cox: Cover all costs at public colleges

Andy Beshear: Waive GED testing fee for those who can't afford it

Andy Beshear: Teachers deserve a living wage, teacher shortage is a threat

Andy Beshear: End historic cuts to universities, community colleges

C. Wesley Morgan: Reform education towards career prep

Robert Goforth: My strong public education overcame childhood poverty

I was raised by a single mom in the kind of situation where a hot meal and a roof over our heads was not always a sure thing. I had to drop out of high school to support my family, but I earned my GED and learned discipline serving as a combat engineer in the U.S. Army. After the Army, I worked in a factory until I suffered a major back injury that sidelined me from that kind of work. The doctor who treated me encouraged me to do something else with my life, so I decided to pursue a long-forgotten dream and I enrolled at the University of Kentucky as a 23-year old freshman.

Adam Edelen: Support teachers with pensions and more in classroom

He added that politicians should be doing more than protecting teachers' pensions. Edelen said he hopes modernizing the economy and rewriting the tax code will help provide the necessary revenue to pay for Kentucky's financially-ailing public pension systems.

"Folks, protecting pensions isn't the best we can do; it's the least we can do," Edelen said. "Merely protecting pensions doesn't change the fact that every teacher I know buys materials for their kids out of their pockets."

Adam Edelen: Don't make schools profit centers for charter corporations

We need a new approach to public education by embracing evidence-based strategies, new technologies, and a commitment to leaving failed ideas behind.
• Universal Pre-K Make sure students have the tools and baseline skills necessary to achieve and excel.
• Respecting Kentucky TeachersTreat Kentucky teachers like the professionals they are. Our teachers have been insulted and scapegoated.
• Funding Education, not Bureaucracy Ensure that state dollars make their way to the classrooms where they belong, not burnt up in administrative bureaucracy.

Adam Edelen: Make college affordable to the children of working families

Kentucky's students are being left behind--and Frankfort is making it worse.
• Affordable Higher Education A child with the ability to attend college and put their skills to work for Kentucky should not be turned away by cost of a higher education. The leaders of tomorrow in Kentucky need an affordable education that allows them to build a life unsaddled by decades of student loan debt. Making college affordable to the children of working families will be a day-one priority for Adam Edelen's administration.
• Real Opportunity for Students To empower students to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving economy, Adam Edelen will work with schools, community colleges, four-year universities, and private industry to provide students with college credit classes, clear pathways to a degree, or the skills education that will make them career ready for our rapidly changing 21st century.

Andy Beshear: Committed to a world-class public education

Rocky Adkins: Protect public education from private, for-profit schools

As a former teacher and proud son of a father who taught in the classroom for 39 years, I know the importance of a strong public education system. Charter school legislation passed in the 2017 legislative session takes money from public education--from teachers and students in those classrooms--and moves it to private, for-profit schools. Charter schools can pick and choose which students they serve, and they often don't offer programs to assist low-income students. Education is the great equalizer so we must ensure that every student, from our rural towns to our urban centers, receives the highest quality education.

Andy Beshear: Don't change teacher pensions to 401(k)-style plan

Beshear has made fighting the pension law his main priority and has frequently advocated against it as he challenges Bevin for the governor's seat in 2019. Highlights from Beshear's press conference:

• Beshear has targeted Bevin's pension bill from the beginning, filing lawsuits in conjunction with teacher advocacy groups. His main sticking point was that it was done in secret, by slipping the pension bill into an unrelated sewer bill.
• Beshear, looking ahead to the next legislative session, said the high court ruling will force lawmakers to be more open with their bills.
• Beshear has said repeatedly that the "inviolable contract" of pensions, the idea that you get the benefits that you entered a job with, was harmed under Bevin's bill, which proposed a new 401(k)-style plan.

Andy Beshear: Won lawsuit to improve teacher retirement pensions

Gov. Bevin held a press conference to discuss the ruling, saying that he is concerned that this will accumulate more and more debt. "The greatest financial threat to the commonwealth has now been made worse by Andy Beshear's self-serving, political lawsuit, and it places the retirement security of tens of thousands of our teachers and public employees at greater risk of failure and further credit downgrades."

Attorney General Beshear has criticized Bevin's pension fix. Beshear said the court ruling was a "landmark win."

Bevin wasn't having it: "This is how they view this, it is through a political prism," Bevin said. "That is the absolute wrong way to look at this. I don't give a rip about the consequences politically at this point."

Matt Bevin: Legislature should decide teacher pensions, not judges

"The greatest financial threat to the commonwealth has now been made worse by [gubernatorial opponent] Andy Beshear's self-serving, political lawsuit, and it places the retirement security of tens of thousands of our teachers and public employees at greater risk of failure and further credit downgrades. This is unacceptable. All options must remain on the table to solve this crisis because without real structural reform, the pension system is on the fast track to failure."

Rocky Adkins: Better retirement pensions for teachers

Gov. Bevin held a press conference to discuss the ruling, saying that he is concerned that this will set back legislative fixes on the pension system as it continues to accumulate more and more debt.

So far, Bevin has two challengers for the 2019 governor's race: Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear and House leader Rocky Adkins. Both Beshear and Adkins have criticized Bevin's pension fix during their campaigns. Adkins called it a "huge victory" and Beshear said it was a "landmark win."

Bevin wasn't having it, despite the ramifications to his re-election. "This is how they view this, it is through a political prism," Bevin said. "That is the absolute wrong way to look at this. I don't give a rip about the consequences politically at this point."

Matt Bevin: Proposed school cuts of $128M; legislature restored them

The new taxes will be in the form of an additional 50 cent tax (on top of the current 60 cents) per package of cigarettes and a 25 cent tax on each opioid dose prescribed in Kentucky. The revenue bill also raises money by eliminating a $10 personal tax credit for Kentucky taxpayers.

The budget actually increases SEEK funding for public schools from $3,891 per pupil to $4,055 per pupil in the first year and $4,056 in the second. It also restores $127.8 million in state funding for school transportation costs that Bevin would have cut in his proposed budget. And it spends $11.8 million in FY 2019 and $3.16 million in FY 2020 to fully fund the Teachers' Retirement System employer match, including retiree health insurance.

Andy Beshear: Only legislature can implement charters, not Governor

On June 16, 2017, the Attorney General Beshear filed a lawsuit, arguing that the executive orders exceeded the governor's authority. The court ruled that a part of Bevin's executive order related to the Education Professional Standards board was unconstitutional, since it required teachers to appeal disciplinary decisions to the state board of education instead of the state court system [and the rest were all legal].

Andy Beshear: Only legislature can cut state college budget, not Governor

On May 19, 2016, the Franklin County Circuit ruled against Beshear. The decision stated that the constitution did not prevent Bevin from instructing colleges to spend less money, as he did in the executive order, but did prevent him from altering the funding they receive. Beshear appealed the ruling and on September 22, 2016, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that Bevin did not have the authority to control the budgets of public colleges and universities without the legislature's approval. This reversed the lower court's decision.

Matt Bevin: 2% budget cut to state colleges and universities

On May 19, 2016, the Franklin County Circuit ruled against Beshear. The decision stated that the constitution did not prevent Bevin from instructing colleges to spend less money, as he did in the executive order, but did prevent him from altering the funding they receive. Beshear appealed the ruling and on September 22, 2016, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that Bevin did not have the authority to control the budgets of public colleges and universities without the legislature's approval. This reversed the lower court's decision.

Matt Bevin: Create Charter Schools Advisory Council & implement charters

On June 16, 2017, the Attorney General Beshear filed a lawsuit, arguing that the executive orders exceeded the governor's authority. The court ruled that a part of Bevin's executive order related to the Education Professional Standards board was unconstitutional, since it required teachers to appeal disciplinary decisions to the state board of education instead of the state court system [and the rest were all legal].

James Comer: Teach without interference from the federal government

James Comer: Mountains of student debt hinders getting a job

C. Wesley Morgan: Public funding for charters and vouchers

A: No.

Q: Do you support a merit pay system for teachers?

A: Yes.

Q: Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers?

A: No.

Q: Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support state funding for charter schools?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid?

A: Yes.

Q: Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Kentucky high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?

A: No.

Jim Gray: Investment in education and our teachers is essential

A strong education system is essential to advancing our workforce and economy. Businesses looking to expand or locate in Kentucky need to know that we can provide the workforce they need to compete and thrive. That is why investment in education and our teachers is essential.

In Kentucky, our students' educational successes determine the future prosperity of our state. We must provide all students every opportunity to achieve at high levels. Students need educational opportunities that address their specific learning needs and are not tied to test scores.

Matt Bevin: Move to performance based funding for state universities

Matt Bevin: End education monopoly with school choice and vouchers

Matt Bevin: FactCheck: No, not MIT grad; education is "School of Life"

Bevin's representation of his educational background became an issue after The Hill reported last year that Bevin indicated that he was an MIT graduate or graduate of an MIT-affiliated program, in the headline section of his LinkedIn page. Further down his page, he stated he was a 2008 graduate of the Entrepreneurial Master's Program at the MIT Endicott campus. School officials said the three-week seminar Bevin attended had no formal link to the school.

Bevin changed his LinkedIn page to clarify that he did not graduate from MIT afterwards. Bevin now lists his education as "School of Life" instead of MIT in the headline section of his LinkedIn page.

Alison Grimes: Every child has the right to a quality education

Mitch McConnell negotiated a Washington budget deal that caused 1,100 Kentucky children to lose access to early childhood education and cut an estimated $31.8 million from Kentucky schools. He also opposed legislation to hire and preserve jobs for teachers and blocked legislation to preserve low interest rates for students.

Steve Beshear: We made cuts to survive; now let's assess damage

• We froze funding in our K-12 classrooms, despite rising costs.
• We eliminated funding for textbooks, going from $21.7 million in 2008 to zero. Instead of taking books home to study, students often must leave them for the next class.
• We cut school safety funding by 60% at a time in which we must be more vigilant, not less.
• We cut funding to our universities--causing tuition to go up an average of 4% a year at our community and technical schools and nearly 7% a year at our largest 4-year universities.
• At the same time, we reduced aid to needy students. In fact, we were forced to slam the door in the faces of some 73,000 would-be students--in just one year--who came to us asking for help to go to college.

Steve Beshear: Reinvest in SEEK: Support Education Excellence in Kentucky

• It will take up to $300 million a year to fully fund the ARC for the Kentucky Retirement System.
• Fully funding SEEK--the basic formula for classroom instruction--will also take substantial new revenues. We have protected SEEK from cuts.From 2008 to 2014, it grew zero percent--in a time when enrollment was growing, maintenance and other costs were increasing, and local support in some areas was dropping. Our schools aren't treading water. They are slowly sinking. If we had maintained that [previous average] 3.4% a year growth for SEEK, we would be spending right now an additional $550 million on classroom instruction.
• It will take $75.8 million to restore cuts made since 2008 to textbooks, ongoing teacher training, school safety, technology, and programs like after-school and tutoring that prevent drop-outs by helping struggling students catch up.

Jack Conway: Enforce consumer protection laws at for-profit schools

Steve Beshear: Alternative programs to reduce school dropout rate

Steve Beshear: High national rankings shows that education is good in KY