Kentucky School Advocate
October 2023
By Daniel Cameron
As a son and husband of public educators, and as a product of public schools, I know how important a strong education system is to the Commonwealth. It is a democratizing force. An education system with quality K-12 schools, job training programs, and research universities gives every Kentuckian a shot at the American Dream.
Teachers, alongside my parents, were a source of encouragement for me when I was growing up in Hardin County. Teachers encouraged and pushed me to develop a love of learning that eventually led me to a law degree.
From talking to teachers and educational leaders these days, I know the biggest problem facing our students is the historic learning loss inflicted on them by Governor Beshear’s shortsighted decision to lockdown our schools for nearly two years. Test scores have declined every year since he has been in office. Fewer than half of students can read at grade level. In math, it’s even worse. Science? Just 29%.
Let me be clear, teachers and educators are not to blame. But we need a plan to address this learning loss, and Andy Beshear has no plan to get our kids caught up.
To combat these historic challenges, I released the Cameron Catch-Up Plan that will authorize a fully funded tutoring program, restore classroom discipline, and surge resources to teachers and classrooms. It’s a bold strategy built on peer-reviewed best practices to aggressively close the learning gap, improve the classroom environment and get resources directly to our teachers.
The cornerstone of the Cameron Catch-Up Plan is addressing learning loss by treating it as the emergency that it is. We will fully-fund a 16-week tutoring program for additional math and reading instruction during both summertime and after school hours. This plan is designed to rescue the students who have fallen behind the most.
The research is clear. Targeted and quality instruction – offered in individual or small group settings over an extended period – can be transformative in the life of a student and has been proven to help students who are grade levels behind in reading outcomes.
No one is more frustrated by the current situation in our classrooms than our education professionals. My plan includes setting the first-ever statewide base starting pay rate for new teachers at $41,500 and introduces a stipend for student teachers. By raising starting pay, we adjust the pay scale, and every teacher will get a pay increase. I’ll also ask the General Assembly to create bonuses for teachers who volunteer to serve as a summertime or after-school instructor as part of the Cameron Catch-Up Plan.
My administration will partner with state universities to recruit education students to serve as tutors. In return, they will receive a stipend and hands-on experience. Tennessee built a similar program, and in its second year, more than 92,000 students chose to participate. And, virtually every district was able to adequately staff its summer learning camps with quality education professionals.
We’ll also work with education leaders to return to proven methods of instruction – including phonics-based reading. And we’ll add a reading interventionist expert in every district through the Kentucky Department of Education as a resource for educators to help them implement the Cameron Catch-Up plan.
My plan was developed in consultation with legislators and school leaders, something Andy Beshear has never done. A Cameron administration will bring an unprecedented level of collaboration in Frankfort centered on supporting students and educators.
This is a large undertaking, and it won’t be without significant cost. But I can think of no higher purpose than fulfilling our obligation to provide a quality education to every Kentucky student.
Bold ideas are needed when the stakes are this high. Kentucky has historically been a leader in education innovation. And we can be once again if we have a governor up to the task. I will be that governor for you, our teachers, our parents and our children.