By Madelynn Coldiron
Kentucky School Advocate Editor
I’ve been thinking about the title we’ve given this feature: “Trending Now.” Because the subject I’ve also been thinking about could more accurately be called a torrent instead of a trend.
In the world of P-12 education in Kentucky over the last few decades, have we ever seen anything like the outpouring that has been provoked by the pension reform plan proposed by the governor and legislative leaders?
Has there ever been an issue that has generated as many rallies and forums as this? The teacher rallies were to be expected, perhaps (with more to come, surely). But what about the school districts that have hosted forums so administrators could answer questions and concerns from both certified and classified staff? And even more striking: The forums that have been called and hosted by legislators themselves – of both political persuasions. Has there ever been a subject that pushed lawmakers into such a publicly exposed position, knowing they’d confront angry constituents and be put on the spot? For an elected official in Kentucky, this is about as close as it gets to a profile in courage.
It’s heartening to see so many education organizations unite against a plan they believe at the district level will hurt school employees, and at the macro level will hurt public education, and, in doing so, hurt children.
The “K” groups – KSBA, KASS, KEA et al. – have done more than simply discuss and oppose. Instead, their representatives got together to draft their own plan as an alternative to the governor’s proposed pension bill. This is way beyond simply stating reasons for opposing someone’s draft legislation, or suggesting ways it could be made better; these folks took the time to analyze the issue further and worked together to develop a plan less damaging, more supportive of educators and more true to the inviolable contract than the inaptly named “Keeping the Promise.”
Superintendents, some of whom are not always comfortable getting out in front and speaking up, are writing letters to the editor and columns in their local newspaper, and speaking to their local chamber of commerce and other groups. They’ve also not been shy about using social media to get their points across, as Bellevue Superintendent Robb Smith showed early on, with his viral blog post taking on the governor’s ideas on pension reform. School board members are voicing support for district teachers and staff during their board meetings and reaching out to talk one-on-one with their local legislators about their concerns. Some have already given support for staff to be able to speak their mind in Frankfort during a rally on pension reform.
And hats off to Beau Barnes, general counsel and deputy secretary of the Teachers’ Retirement System, who has logged an untold number of miles to appear at pension forums and school employee gatherings. While he doesn’t engage in advocacy, his PowerPoint presentation explained the past, present and future of TRS with clarity.
The net effect of all this is still a question mark at this writing, but there is no doubt that the outcry, the phone calls, the forums, the social media posts, the letters to the editor have stopped in its tracks what might have been – and certainly was intended to be – a juggernaut.
While this has shown what can happen when the P-12 education sector speaks up with a unified voice, it also begs the big-picture question: What if we did this for all important education issues? Why are we not speaking up in this powerful way when it comes to adequate funding for schools? Is that any less an issue than pension reform? Public education is under attack in ways that are sometimes ill-informed at best and sinister at worst. Will we rally for financial equity among school districts? Will we hold forums to raise awareness of the resources schools need to help kids whose life circumstances have placed barriers between them and their ability to learn?
The trend that became a torrent could become a template for future action. Couldn’t it?