Saturday, March 31, 2018

Teachers Walk Out Against New Repug State Budget That Firebombs KY Economy

When you can't get through to 911, when your children have to learn standing up in classrooms of 40 and 50 kids, when you have to pay $30 tolls to drive 10 miles on a highway that's more potholes than pavement, when you can't find a local doctor and the nearest hospital is a 3-hour drive, when you have to buy bottled water to shower in because the tap water is that contaminated ...

... be sure to thank the repug super-majorities in the General Assembly, for passing a budget that is an abomination, but still not as bad as the hellish cuts Gov. I Got Mine Fuck You wanted.

From the Herald:

Kentucky’s two largest school districts in Jefferson and Fayette counties were among 26 across the state that closed schools Friday after hundreds of school employees refused to work following the legislature’s passage of pension reform.
Fayette County District spokeswoman Lisa Deffendall said on Thursday night, more than 1,200 school employees reported they would be absent.
The news came after the state legislature passed a surprise pension-reform bill in Frankfort. At least 15 districts said they were closing because of teacher absences. About another 10 closed Friday morning without explanation. In addition, Breathitt County said it’s dismissing at 12 p.m. but gave no public explanation.

SNIP

“After exhausting all means of positive protest such as, emailing, texting, calling, visiting Frankfort, having walk ins, pension forums, it was evident that drastic measures had to be taken for us to be heard,” said Fayette Education Association President Jessica Hiler . “Although closing school was not an option that we wanted for our students, they have no better advocate than their teachers and other public school employees. We have to be the voice for our students and that means we must continue to advocate for funding and resources needed to provide all students with a world class, 21st Century education.”
Deffendall said teachers at several schools were spending the morning packing food for their students living in poverty who wouldn’t otherwise be able to get meals provided by the school. 
"Lawmakers" gutted teachers' pensions in a secret, last-second move that violated state law requiring open discussion and an actuarial analysis.  Attorney General Andy Beshear vowed to file suit against the bill the instant Bevin signs it.

The governor's race next year is going to be about 14 Democratic candidates competing to be the one who hates Bevin the most.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/news/local/education/article207399739.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/news/local/education/article207399739.html#storylink=cpy

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