Beshear pushes for better educator pay in shortage

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky is lagging behind in the “competition for talent” to lead its classrooms, Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday in pushing for higher teacher pay as a way to overcome a shortage of educators.

He cited grim statistics in making his case for a 5% pay raise for teachers and other public school employees. Kentucky has 11,000 teacher vacancies and ranks 44th nationally in starting pay for teachers, he said.

The Democratic governor continued his call for the GOP-led legislature to reopen the state budget in coming weeks to pump more money into teacher salaries and other education priorities. Lawmakers reconvene next week to resume a legislative session that continues until late March.

“It is time that the state steps up and does more to ensure that we can win this competition for talent,” Beshear said in a speech at the state Capitol. “And knowing that every teacher is irreplaceable — and every time we lose one to some other opportunity that they likely take to better support their families — it’s our kids and our future that suffers.”

The governor’s pitch came as a coalition formed by the Kentucky Association of School Administrators unveiled its initial proposals to improve teacher recruitment and retention.

Republican state Rep. James Tipton, chairman of the House Education Committee, told the group that bills delving into the teacher shortage are being introduced this session. The legislative panel he leads is scheduled to review the issue next week.

The reasons behind the shortage of educators are multi-faceted and include funding, greater workloads, job burnout and student discipline issues, Tipton said.

“We may not come up with all the solutions in this session,” he said.