Look around at all that our public school graduates are doing and achieving! Don't tell me our public schools are failing. Public education built our country. Public education drives our country. And public education is worth our investment, our energy, and our commitment.
To those piling on Gov. Beshear for following expert advice to keep Kentuckians safe, if you’re truly concerned about “economic impact,” call Mitch McConnell’s office at (202) 224-2541 & tell him relief for working people & small businesses is more important right now than judges
Don’t forget the reason we didn’t get early/mail-in counts more rapidly from WI, MI, and PA is GOP legislatures in those states passed laws prohibiting officials from getting a head start on processing those ballots.
#Elections2020
Just cast my vote for
@AndyBeshearKY
and
@JColemanKY
! Polls are open in the Eastern half of Kentucky. This is the most consequential statewide election we’ve seen in our Commonwealth. Don’t sit it out.
#GoVoteKY
#TeamKentucky
Next time you hear folks pushing to send our tax dollars to private schools, ask yourself why their push for privatization relies on discrediting, demeaning, and demoralizing our public schools and the communities working hard to support them. Privatization = a failed experiment.
Interesting how some legislators are eager to pass laws micromanaging the work of educators and dictating the texts read in classrooms but when it comes to funding pay raises for them educators are suddenly “employees of local school boards.”
#kyga22
Public funds should support public schools. We oppose efforts undermining Kentucky’s constitutional guarantee to public education. That’s why our
@FCPSKY
Board voted tonight to authorize the filing of an amicus brief with the KY Supreme Court in support of the challenge to HB 563
Hey
@GovMattBevin
, what are you doing tomorrow morning around 6 AM? Want to join me at a bus stop on the north end of Lexington to see what it feels like for many of our students? No hat, coat, or gloves allowed.
If you’re attacking the Governor but silent on McConnell’s continued refusal to act on COVID relief, then you’re just playing politics with the lives and livelihoods of Kentuckians. This crisis calls for leadership, not political gamesmanship.
It's not our public schools that are failing. Too many politicians in Frankfort are failing our public schools--placing out-of-state special interests who hope to profit off our tax dollars ahead of our students.
#kyga22
Alvarado says local districts should raise money ourselves for resources? KY Supreme Court: “It is the sole obligation of the General Assembly to provide for a system of common schools...this obligation cannot be shifted to local counties and local school districts.”
#kyga21
Turnout in the 2015 Governor’s election was a paltry 30% and we got stuck with the Bevin nightmare for 4 years. In 2019, it climbed to 42% and we delivered a critical win for our Commonwealth. We’ve got 4 days, folks. Every vote in every precinct matters. Let’s get to work.
#GOTV
Exclusive photo of my meeting with Education Secretary
@BetsyDeVosED
and
@GovMattBevin
during their visit to Lexington today. Really appreciate them taking the time to visit local education leaders and share their passion for public education.
Imagine if the dark money spent pushing the charter school agenda was invested in communities to ensure children were fed, families were supported, and public schools had the resources they need. How many school lunches could the millions spent by these corporate interests buy?
Here's the deal: if this was a good bill and actually defensible, it wouldn't require this much legislative gymnastics to get through a supermajority legislature. Last-minute scramble, musical committees, removing members, backroom deals/threats, holding K funding hostage
#kyga22
I applaud
@GovAndyBeshear
for vetoing SB 1, HB 9, and SB 83. Our focus should be investing in our public schools & students and supporting our staff who make the work we do for children and families possible. Education policy must not be used as a tool to divide us.
#kyga22
If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the past three days it’s that Judge Jackson is far more qualified to be a Supreme Court Justice than some Senators are qualified to be United States Senators.
If you want to know why the principle of separation of powers calls for an executive to manage crises and respond to emergencies, just watch what has unfolded in Frankfort this week.
I’m honored and humbled to be elected as Chair of the
@FCPSKY
Board of Education during this important and pivotal time. My passion for the children we serve motivates me as an educator and will motivate me as your Chair.
Forget chickenpox parties, Kentuckians need to go to the polls this November and make ourselves immune from
@GovMattBevin
and his disastrous policies.
#WeAreKY
Thinking about all my school board colleagues across the Commonwealth tonight. Thank you for your service. What we’ve witnessed in Frankfort this week has been embarrassing and it’s unfortunate local boards of education have been caught in the middle. 1/2
Saying educators should be responsible for designing curriculum and instruction is no more controversial than saying engineers should be responsible for designing bridges and tunnels.
Hey Rep. McCoy, I think there are plenty of educators, superintendents, school board members, families, and students who would gladly explain how our public schools could use adequate funding.
#kyga22
I extend an open invitation to any
@KyChamber
official to trade one of their catered luncheons with the average teacher lunch—15 minutes (at most) to go to restroom, eat, get ready for the next class. Then we can talk about comparisons between our jobs and the “private sector.”
Ky Chamber of Commerce sends letter to General Assembly urging changes to state's public pension systems during the 2019 session. Benefits should change to reflect the private sector's 401(k) model, and with later retirement ages, the Chamber says. ^JC
Our message to
@FCPSKY
students, staff, and families tonight is clear: we stand with our trans community. And we remain unwavering in our commitment to ensuring every child learns in a safe, supportive school community where they know they belong and are valued and loved.
#kyga23
When asked about the fact that Kentucky teachers spend an average of over $400 out of pocket on their classroom, Commissioner Lewis says “they love their kids.” If only we had a Governor and Commissioner who loved our teachers and students the same way.
Yes, students should be in school learning,
@GovMattBevin
. And those schools should be adequately funded with the resources to make that learning possible. And the adults making learning happen should be respected, supported, and valued. 1/2
These charter schools aren’t “public schools.” They’re for-profit corporations looking to maximize their profits off our tax dollars—dollars siphoned away from our public schools and the students and families who rely on them.
Especially in a global pandemic, those of us in positions of public trust have an obligation--a duty--to make decisions guided by science, public health, and the common good. Keeping our children and communities safe should be the very thing uniting us, not a source of division.
Proud to cast my ballot early this morning for
@AndyBeshearKY
and an incredible team of candidates who stand for Kentucky and public education. Why wait until Tuesday? Today is the last day to vote early in Kentucky. Check out for voting info.
#GoVoteKY
Tonight, our
@FCPSKY
Board of Education voted unanimously to continue our district’s universal masking guidelines. We appreciate the work of Dr. Liggins & his team to prioritize health and wellbeing of our students, staff, & families while maximizing safe, in-person learning. 1/2
Making it a *law* that staff must report in-person on NTI days actually makes those calls more challenging for superintendents and administrators. In inclement weather, NTI helps reduce disruption of teaching and learning by giving admin flexibility to continue instruction… 1/2
I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited to get a shot. Thank you to
@GovAndyBeshear
and
@StevenStackMD
for helping make educators a priority for the vaccine. And thank you
@universityofky
for organizing such a smooth distribution process. This truly is a
#ShotOfHope
.
It’s not “school choice.” We already have that in our public schools. It’s an attempt to undermine constitutional guarantee for each & every child to have fully funded public school. Would be a license to funnel tax dollars to private, unaccountable organizations.
I'm excited to announce that the board unanimously moves to appoint Dr. Demetrus Liggins as Superintendent of Fayette County Public Schools. We are enthusiastic to find a candidate whose skills and experiences align so well with the superintendent candidate profile.
Honored and humbled by our victory and am looking forward to serving the people of Fayette County as their next School Board member. I look forward to working with our families, teachers, students, and staff to ensure the best education for all of our students.
This is your annual reminder that school board members are not involved in weather-related school closure calls. We have a great staff well qualified to make those decisions. ❄️
@Kentuckyweather
Rather than discussing how we can change our state’s constitution when it comes to public education, we should be discussing how we can fulfill our state constitution’s commitment to a fully funded public education for each and every child in every community.
#kyga24
🧵The pro-charter/pro-profit playbook: We shouldn't take lightly McCoy's "there are bad public schools" line from today's floor debate. Public schools welcome every child who comes to us and we try to make provisions and support in whatever way we can... 1/4
For those asking, my
@FCPSKY
leadership colleagues and I were not invited to tomorrow’s session with
@BetsyDeVosED
in Lexington. Assuming invite was lost in the mail. We’d be happy to discuss the success of our public schools any time.
There are no “failing government schools”—only public schools that we have failed to effectively support. Vouchers—be they state or federally funded—undermine our system of public schools and further increase opportunity gaps. Investment in public ed is investment in our future.
Another dark day for public education in our Commonwealth. But our fight for public schools and the children and families who rely on them is far from over.
#kyga22
Imagine sending a firefighter to a raging inferno, they tell you they need more support and reinforcements to respond to it, and your solution is sending them 20 gallons of water and spray bottle.
In case you’re wondering about the weather in Central KY right now, conditions have reached “Chris Bailey sleeves rolled up” status.
#kywx
@Kentuckyweather
Full day kindergarten shouldn’t be a political bargaining chip used to undermine public education. And it isn’t an excuse to vote to siphon $25 million in revenue from public education. It should be a commitment free from legislative shenanigans.
#stopHB563
Big turnout in Lexington today to
kick-off the campaign with
@AndyBeshearKY
&
@JColemanKY
. Andy & I continue to work on our selfie skills as we all continue the work of moving Kentucky forward, together.
Tonight, our Board voted to match
@KyDeptofEd
vaccine incentive for staff, offering $200 to vaccinated full- and part-time employees, including subs working at least 10 days. The vaccine is safe & effective and, along with masking, one of our most important tools to combat COVID.
It’s official! Proud to say I’m a National Board Certified Teacher! I’m grateful to all those who supported and pushed me on this journey—family, friends, students, colleagues, and mentors. I am a better teacher because of them. Congrats to all who certified today!
#NBCTStrong
There are out-of-state special interests funded by dark money pushing hard for charter schools in Kentucky. They want to dismantle our public schools and profit off our tax dollars. But we can stop them. Call your legislators at 1-800-372-7181 and tell them to STOP HB 9!
#kyga22
During our regularly schedule Board work session this Monday, September 13th, our Board will consider action to formally codify our existing universal masking requirements in
@FCPSKY
:
With just a few hours until polls open, some friendly pronunciation pointers for out-of-state folks covering KY elections:
Louisville= “Loo-uh-vull”
Versailles= “Ver-sayles”
Daviess Co= “Davis” Co
Go with county names vs. cities except “Louisville,” “Lexington,” & “Northern KY”
Don’t pretend to care about student learning when you’ve spent 4 years trying to undermine the public education system required for that learning.
#kyga19
#WeAreKY
2/2
If
@BamCarney
believes we have “more money than ever” for K-12 education, then he needs to spend more time talking to teachers, families, and school board members about the tough choices we have to make every year to support students.
@KyTonightKET
Public education is at the heart of our democratic society. It should be a pursuit uniting us toward a common goal and a commitment to invest in our future. Some of my comments from Thursday's Senate Education Committee meeting (view full presentation at ):
First in line at my precinct! Get out and vote today, Kentucky! Matt Bevin and his anti-public education agenda won by 83 votes four years ago. Let today be the beginning of the end of this disastrous administration. Go vote!
#GoVoteKY
#RedForEd
Our board has made clear: funding for full day Kindergarten "should not be used as a bargaining chip to advance legislation that would otherwise undermine funding for public education." Tell
#kyga22
not to use the education of 5 year olds to wrangle charter school votes.
Yes, we can be amused by the “nitwit” line and national disdain
@GovMattBevin
has earned. But it all goes back to one fundamental problem: Bevin is out of touch and disconnected with our Commonwealth. His motives are selfish not selfless. We can and must do better in 2019.
Push for school privatization isn’t about “freedom.” Freedom would be every child in every Zip code having a fully funded & supported public school able to see them, value them, and given resources to support them. This vital role is why state constitution protects public ed.
We’re close enough to sine die that we can start haikus, right?
Pay raises for me,
many legislators say.
But, teachers, not thee.
#sinediehaiku
#kyga22
Groups representing students, families, teachers, administrators, school boards are united in the belief that HB 9 is wrong for our students, wrong for our communities, and wrong for public education.
#kyga22
My heart breaks for our trans students in
@FCPSKY
and across the Commonwealth. They deserve so much better especially as they deal with so many hurdles just by being who they are. The idea of using them as pawns to peddle primary election votes is truly deplorable.
#kyga22
Shame on any legislator who stands in our Capitol and calls our public schools “failing” even as they seek to undermine the work that’s happening in our classrooms and ignore the calls for support and assistance from education leaders across our Commonwealth.
#kyga22
The fact a bill’s own sponsor isn’t well versed in the contents or particulars of the legislation should be all the proof we need to slow down this process, evaluate impact, and have conversation instead of rushing it through the final days of the General Assembly.
#kyga22
The Governor vetoed HB 563 and HB 258 because they are a one-two punch in the gut of public education. One siphons revenue from our public schools. The other makes it more difficult to recruit and retain educators. Call legislators at 1-800-372-7181 and say, “Uphold the vetoes.”
Evidence in state after state is clear: using our tax dollars to pay for private school tuition only offsets costs for those who already send kids there. It doesn’t expand opportunity OR choice. It slashes funding for public schools & is windfall for wealthy and private orgs.
“We have families who are earning $35,000 a year who are now subsidizing the private school’s tuition of families earning $350,000 a year,” said Dan Heintz, Cleveland Heights-University Heights school board member.
It’s official. Honored to be sworn in as a member of the
@FCPSKY
Board of Education. Thank you to my family, our supporters, and the voters of Fayette County for making this possible. And thank you to Judge Phillip Shepherd for conducting my swearing in. Let’s get to work!
Pleased to share our Board voted unanimously tonight to approve 10 COVID-19 related sick days for vaccinated employees who have to isolate as a result of a COVID or who have children who have to quarantine or isolate as a result of COVID-19. 1/3
The
@FCPSKY
school board just voted to begin the 2020-2021 school year with remote instruction, dubbed “NTI 2DL,” until public health conditions improve. I supported this measure and to protect the health and safety of our students, our staff, and their families.
Who wants to join me in opening privately ran fire department? Response time correlated to how much customer is willing to pay. Up charge for tanker truck service. We choose homes served. Will seek tax giveaway from legislature. Of course this is ridiculous. So is HB 563.
#kyga21
If you had any doubt that public education is on the ballot in 2020, then count the number of times we heard “school choice” last night—code for dismantling our public schools and handing tax dollars to unaccountable, wealthy donors. 1/2
Another state. Another failed voucher scheme. Kentucky’s constitution protects taxpayers from these shenanigans. Amendment language in HB 2 would essentially erase these protections. Do we want to hand control of our tax dollars to out-of-state, unaccountable corporations?
In New Hampshire the state can't find out where $22.1 million for education freedom accounts, which allows state funds to go to homeschool families or private schools, is going because the data is held by a private contractor.
HB 205 is a back door attempt to divert public dollars from our public schools—all to fill the pockets of corporate, private interests. This is why families, teachers, school administrators, and school board members must stand united against it. 1/2
These times of all times call for leaders who support and encourage our public schools, the staff who make the work we do possible, and the children and families who rely on them. Thanks to everyone who works hard to support us and who is doing your part to help us through this.
Looks like
@GovMattBevin
is preparing to waste more taxpayer money on a needless special session. How about saving everyone the trouble and expense by electing a governor and legislators who can actually get the job done effectively in the time the constitution gives them?
Another summer of GSP in the books. Proud of these 343 Kentucky Governor’s Scholars who completed the program today. Our Commonwealth has much to gain from their leadership.
Rather than outsourcing education to unaccountable out-of-state, for-profit orgs, the legislature should be fulfilling its mandate to provide for our public schools—schools that serve every child in every community and that are governed by locally elected leaders.
#kyga22
Notwithstanding other serious flaws in SB 138, do we know consequences on high school accreditation for dual credit, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate programs? Among number of potential consequences that ultimately hurt our students all for political games.
Update:
@GovMattBevin
did not take me up on my invitation. But given his use of the word, I’m wondering if he would consider wearing a sweater and puffer jacket indoors while standing in front of a fire “soft.”
…even when it’s not safe for buses (or staff) to travel. With this requirement, admin would also have to weigh risks posed to staff, making outright closures & subsequent interruption of learning more likely, along with need for make up days. Especially hurts rural districts 2/2
Following routine screening, I tested positive for coronavirus. I’m grateful to be vaccinated, as I feel fine and currently no symptoms. We all want to be through this, but we have more work to do and must take the Delta variant seriously. Please get vaccinated and wear a mask.
Public education is a constitutionally protected right in our Commonwealth and the responsibility to adequately fund our schools rests with the legislature. Please call 1-800-372-7181 and remind our legislators public dollars should be used for public schools.
#kyga19
#NoHB205
What
@GovMattBevin
doesn’t understand in his absurd “opportunity” remark is teachers don’t work second or third jobs because they want too, they do it because they have to. He’s too out of touch to realize they have less opportunity because of policies he’s advancing.
At some point, we must take a break from belittling and attacking educators and recognize that the challenges facing our most struggling schools are largely systemic. They’re going to require collective dedication and commitment to adequately address. 1/3