Kentucky’s Budget Crisis: Pension Bill 151 alongside Higher Education Fall-out - National Council of Teachers of English

Reports

Kentucky’s Budget Crisis: Pension Bill 151 alongside Higher Education Fall-out


State: Kentucky
Level: Higher Education
Analyst: Kim Creech

Kentucky lawmakers and citizens remain embattled over an acceptable measure to address the long-standing pension crisis. A revised bill, released on 2/10/2018, which scaled back many of the extreme cuts proposed by Governor Bevin last fall, failed to pass. Recently, Senate President Stivers doubted the passing of any reform measures in the near future, despite the bill’s first approval and lawmaker expectations that it would move forward. http://www.kyforward.com/senate-president-stivers-says-pension-reform-bill-limited-difficult-path-forward-hints-special-session/

Meanwhile, amid teacher threats of a statewide strike and Attorney General Behear’s claim that the bill’s provisions are unlawful, the bill stalled until it’s recent reemergence in Senate Bill 151 on 3/29/2018, a sewage bill with pension reform buried in the 200+ page document. https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2018/03/29/kentucky-house-committee-approves-surprise-pension-reform-bill/470723002/

Amid teacher disapproval of the bill and questions about the legalities of how the measure was disseminated, several schools are closed on 3/30/2018 as a result of a teacher “sick-out” in an effort to protest the Governor’s expected approval. http://www.kentucky.com/news/local/education/article207399739.html

Simultaneously, Higher Education is grappling with continued program cuts and within the myriad of legislative moves, the entrenched tradition of tenure could crumble as well. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/03/29/kentucky-legislation-could-limit-tenure-protections

With all the complexities of Kentucky’s budget crisis, and as events continue to unfold, we may encounter a teacher shortage, similar to what other states have experienced. So far, teacher-credentialing requirements have remained unchanged, and The Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) supports a traditional route and eight options toward a non-traditional pathway to initial certification. Many questions remain unanswered, one being whether budget reform will continue to support Kentucky’s Teacher Internship Program and the other regarding the Master’s requirement to keep a credential current. EPSB confirmed there is a proposal to eliminate this requirement. http://www.epsb.ky.gov/mod/book/view.php?id=94