Kentucky Association of School Administrators’ Coalition to Sustain the Education Profession will testify before the House Education Committee on Tuesday.
The session will take place at 10 a.m. EST in Room 154 of the Capitol Annex.
Made up of 150 thought leaders representing business, education, government, local communities, and families, the Coalition’s purpose is to study, research, propose and advocate for viable solutions to the state and national teacher shortage. The following Coalition members will testify on the findings of their work:
• Ms. Amanda Sewell, Teacher, Fayette Co. Schools
• Mr. Tim Isaacs, Principal, Hardin Co. Schools
• Dr. Jesse Bacon, Superintendent, Bullitt Co. Schools
• Mr. Scott Shoenberger, President and CEO, Al J. Schneider Company
• Dr. Rhonda Caldwell, Executive Director, KY Association of School Administrators
Coalition representatives’ testimony will focus on nine preliminary policy recommendations (listed below).
They will also be available, along with other members, to answer questions regarding the Coalition 2023 Report and general issues related to the teacher shortage.
Coalition representatives hope to impress upon the committee that failure to adequately and aggressively address the teacher shortage crisis has far reaching implications for our economy, democracy and society.
The Coalition’s nine policy requests of the 2023 General Assembly include:
1. Direct the Office of Education Accountability to conduct or commission a comprehensive mixed methods study on the state of public education in Kentucky, including perceptions of and attitudes toward the teaching profession and a comprehensive wage and benefit analysis.
2. Approve a resolution asking appropriate agencies to study, revise and create an easily comprehensible and navigable system of alternative teacher certification.
3. Direct the Kentucky Department of Education to create a teacher recruitment web portal containing all resources from consideration of a teaching career to a statewide application system.
4. Approve a resolution that encourages the Education Professional Standards Board to address multiple certification issues including teacher testing, admission to teacher education programs, state-to-state reciprocity, and varying grade levels of certification.
5. Approve legislation clarifying acceptable personal and professional educator behaviors and provide clear and appropriate penalties for violations.
6. Direct and provide funding for a marketing campaign to highlight the importance of education and the education profession to the citizens of Kentucky.
7. Direct and provide funding for the development of a model teacher recruitment and induction program and mandate the establishment of a Tenure Review Committee for teachers inducted into the education profession under that program.
8. Direct and provide funding to expand the GoTeachKY and GoTeachKY Ambassador program in every Kentucky school district.
9. Create and provide funding for the creation of an annual renewable undergraduate teacher education scholarships for each Kentucky school district and for the creation of a $500 stipend for teacher education students who are engaged in student teaching.
KASA is the largest school administrator group in Kentucky representing more than 3,300 education leaders from across the commonwealth. Formed in 1969, KASA connects education leaders to policymakers, legislators, and other interest groups, and provides numerous benefits to Kentucky’s school administrators.
Kentucky Association of School Administrators