Ky 120 and KEA weigh in on HB 174

Official KY 120 United AFT Statement Concerning HB 174

Yesterday, the House Education Committee was presented information regarding the teacher shortage from various K groups representing many public education interests.

KY 120 United-AFT applauds the legislature for asking hard questions regarding this escalating crisis in our state. The nine suggestions presented today are a start, but don’t go quite far enough. While lots of focus is rightfully on recruitment, we also need to focus on RETAINMENT immediately to stop the bleeding.

If the 2023 General Assembly is serious about tackling this crisis in a bipartisan manner, we are all in to help. Anyone. Any time. 

Pay does matter. No one goes into public service for the pay, but the commitment should NOT come with a vow of poverty. We would like to see planning periods be protected. At the state level. This session. We would also like to see mandatory exit interviews for every public school employee who leaves the profession. That information can be used to improve working conditions across the Commonwealth.

We have a long way to go. This is a start.

A Statement from the Kentucky Education Association on HB174:

KEA adamantly opposes any proposed legislation that takes funding away from our public schools and hands it over to private schools. That includes HB174. The state Supreme Court has ruled again and again that the Kentucky constitution is clear on this issue; public money can only be used to fund public schools. Period. 

This bill is yet another attempt to strip funds from our already underfunded public schools to divert public tax dollars to private schools that are not required to be held to the same standards, regulations, and transparency for the use of public tax dollars as our public schools.  The bill provides no oversight of private schools that would receive public tax dollar funding and does not require the private school to administer and report state standardized testing.  All of which is required by our public schools. 

On Tuesday of this week, the House Education Committee heard testimony about the educator shortage and the impacts these shortages are having on students, educators, and public schools.  The future of Kentucky is sitting in our public schools right now, and our students should be the priority.  The Kentucky Legislature should be focused on providing a high quality public education for every student in the Commonwealth instead of looking for ways to give public tax dollars to private non-regulated organizations.