KY 120 United and KEA praise court ruling against 'school choice' program

By BERRY CRAIG

AFT Local 1360

Kentucky 120 United AFT and the Kentucky Education Association are hailing Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd's ruling that the state's new "school choice" program doesn't pass constitutional muster.

Click here to read "Judge's ruling strikes blow to Kentucky's new school choice law" in today's Louisville Courier-Journal online. 

KY 120 United AFT statement

KY 120 United AFT is more than pleased with Judge Shepherd’s ruling today on HB 563. Kentucky has a long standing tradition of successful public schools when funded appropriately. By allowing tax credits for funding private schools the Kentucky Legislature violated the Kentucky Constitution and the spirit of the Commonwealth. We believe that instead of funneling taxpayer money to private entities, the Kentucky Legislature should fully fund all public schools so that we are able to give all students in Kentucky a uniform, high-quality education equally to all students.

In September of this year, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)  along with the Council for Better Education NAACP-KY, Pastors for Children, Pastors for KY Children, and Southern Education Foundation, presented arguments to the court about the negative effects of private school voucher programs on students’ academic outcomes, racial and socioeconomic integration in schools, the legal rights of vulnerable student groups, and public school resources.

We firmly believe that any attack on public schools is an attack on equity and progress in our Commonwealth. We will continue to pursue legal action in the future in order to combat this type of attack on our schools.

Statement from KEA President Eddie Campbell

We applaud the decision of Judge Shepherd today for upholding the constitution of Kentucky against an attempt to divert tax dollars from our public schools and students into the pockets of big corporations and wealthy individuals. This is a victory for our public schools, our public school students, and our Commonwealth’s constitution.

HB 563 violates both the letter and the spirit of the Kentucky Constitution, which makes providing public education the state’s highest duty. These plaintiffs stood up for all Kentucky students to ensure that the legislature’s unconstitutional actions did not go unchecked, and the judge has affirmed their concerns.

Under the Kentucky Constitution, the General Assembly must provide for and oversee an efficient system of common schools and cannot raise or spend funds on private schools that serve a select few. Judge Shepherd ruled that HB 563 violated that sound precedent as determined in the court’s ruling in Rose v. Council for Better Education.

Research has shown that private school voucher programs in other states have demonstrated no positive effect on students’ educational outcomes, and often negatively impact student achievement. In fact, some evidence illustrates they may exacerbate school segregation and fund discrimination and they are prone to waste, fraud, and abuse.

We simply can’t afford to support two different education systems — one private and one public — on the taxpayers’ dime, and the judge’s ruling supports that concern. HB 563 would have hurt students here in Kentucky because it undermines the hard work that has been done since to improve public education in the commonwealth since Rose. KEA is thankful that HB 563 has been ruled unconstitutional and will not be allowed to stand.