During this legislative session, leaders of KDE, KSBA, and KASP were all left out of the development and writing process of multiple bills. Limited access to committee chambers, because of COVID-19 protocols, was used along with a continuation of “shell bills” as a tactic to keep public education advocates out of the development process. Additionally, necessary and important information about sustainable funding costs was not reported to committees, lost in the limited time, or ignored entirely. Then limited floor debates disenfranchised elected officials the opportunity to discuss or even read impact reports for floor amendments. Therefore, the debate surrounding HB149 and HB563 was done not in the light of day but during caucuses held away from reporters and public eyes. 

If private schools wanted citizens and/or businesses to create managed accounts similar to the Educational Opportunity Accounts in HB149 and HB563, nothing was stopping the development of those funds before this year. If private individuals wished to create scholarships or educational endowments only given to students of the Commonwealth living in counties with a population of more than 90,000, nothing was stopping them before this year. However, codifying the idea of EOAs by creating $5,000,000 of annual tax breaks for the next 5 years in the same biennium that sees a lack of sustainable funding increases for SEEK Moines -because of budget limitations- seems fiscally irresponsible. 

If sustainable and long-term public education is indeed the want of the people and a constitutional imperative, then why was funding for full-day Kindergarten used to manipulate House votes. This session saw the full-day Kindergarten provision used to get HB149/HB563 passed on the House floor; so that, the Senate supermajority could remove that funding and then shape EOAs in floor amendments, again without explanation of how disbursement would work or who would manage them. Then this funding was added as an amendment to another Senate bill resulting in the use of “Rainy Day Funds” and only allows for complete funding for one year. Therefore, teachers in districts taking K jobs next year will know that their jobs are only funded completely for one year by the state and will have to advocate KYGA2022 to keep it in the funding for the next year so that their jobs remain.

I, and others, asked leaders of the KYGA21 those questions and to #OpposeHB563 and not bring it to a floor vote and then asked again to not override the Governor’s veto. We have asked for years for state-funded full-day Kindergarten. We sent emails, made calls, and posted to Twitter asking leaders to “Instead, draft better bills that bring leaders on both sides to the table for a discussion of EOA tax credit funding, impacts on SEEK funds, student movement between school systems, and full-day kindergarten.” However, they did not and my wife and I watched as I washed dishes and she prepped food for dinner. We watched some House members try to give voice to the gagged populace, as our kids played outside. We watched hoping that the votes would not be cast but they were and then it was done. 

I would like to thank Rep. Deanna Frasier, Sen. Jared Carpenter and all those for voting against HB563 and let them know that I will go back to my classroom on Monday and I will teach students. I will continue to develop their skills. I will stoke their curiosity. I will build their hope. I will still believe in them because one day they will be the leaders that support public education in KY.