March 30, 2018
LAWRENCE, AREA SCHOOLS CLOSE ON ‘GOOD FRIDAY’ FOR LACK OF TEACHERS
Protest over the pension bill: Here’s what we know…
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A wave of school closures have swept Kentucky as teachers across the state, frustrated by a controversial pension reform bill passed Thursday night, requested substitutes or called in sick.
This morning (5:30 am) a Lawrence Co. Central office employee informed the public of Lawrence County’s decision.
“…All Lawrence County Schools will be closed on Friday, March 30, 2018. This will not be a NTI Day for students. This will not be a Flexible Professional Development Day for teachers and staff.
Thanks,
Vernon
Vernon Hall
Director of Pupil Personnel & District Personnel
Lawrence County Schools
Fletcher says 30% of teachers were going to be out in Lawrence County, so schools had to be closed
“…Lawrence County Schools were closed today, Friday, March 30, 2018, due to the numbers of classrooms that we were unable to have supervised by a regular teacher or by a substitute teacher.
At 5 AM, we had approximately 30% of our teaching staff that would not be in attendance and 30 classrooms that did not have a specific teacher assigned to them.
On Thursday, I and my fellow educators (in Lawrence County and throughout the Commonwealth) watched as a wastewater (sewage) bill was replaced by a pension bill, approved by conference committee, approved by the House, and approved by the Senate, and now awaits the Governor’s signature.
This all occurred in less than 12 hours. Since a new bill could not be introduced at this point, an existing sewage bill was used as the conduit to place the bill before the conference committee.
It was frustrating, at best, to see this voted on without actuarial analysis and without the opportunity for educators to review the bill itself.
The bill is a 291-page bill that I have not had the opportunity to review completely. I did receive a copy around 10:30 AM this morning. Since I have not had time to read the entire bill, it would be irresponsible of me to make a judgment about the bill. Due to the process that was used to pass the bill, I am very skeptical, and along with our teachers, very frustrated with the situation.
Finally, thank you to the Lawrence County community for their patience and for their understanding. We live in a great county with great people.”
All In,
Robbie L. Fletcher, EdD
Superintendent, Lawrence County Schools
Jefferson County Schools closed due to significant teacher absences that left it unable to “safely cover a large number of classes with substitute teachers,” according to a statement.
The district is not alone. At least 20 counties have announced school closures — many citing an inability to cover teacher absences — as teachers and supporters rally behind the hashtag #120Strong on Twitter, calling for all 120 counties to close their doors.
Some, like Madison County, have explicitly connected the closures to protests following the pension reform bill’s passage, while others have attributed it simply to employee absences.
“This has been a difficult evening for all for all of us in education. We share a passion for our students and for their futures that is unmatched and unwavering,” a post on Madison County’s school district’s website said. “Tonight we have to balance that passion with the need to stand in solidarity with others in our profession across this state.”
Why are teachers angry?
Teachers have been a consistent, loud voice against the state’s attempt to fix its broken pension system, clashing with the governor and lawmakers who support the GOP plan.
Earlier this month, they protested loudly before a key pension reform vote was delayed and hundreds of teachers and public workers have gathered in Frankfort for rallies against the proposals.
A banner posted on the front steps of one rally summed up their feelings: “WE’VE HAD ENOUGH.”
Thursday night, as the pension bill passed, many continued to voice their outrage, stunned and furious by lawmakers’ quick unveiling and voting on the measure. They chanted objections throughout, like “Shame on you.”
The bill, which cleared the House and Senate in a matter of hours, first came into view Thursday afternoon when a committee resurrected a bill without warning that had seemed near death for three weeks.
While it does not include some provisions teachers found most objectionable — like a reduction in cost-of-living increases for retired teachers or a change in how long current teachers must work before being eligible for retirement benefits — it does move future teachers from the current traditional pension plan into a new “hybrid” cash balance plan. It also limits the impact of sick leave payments on retirement benefits.
More on bill: Surprise pension bill surfaces and zips through General Assembly despite cries of stunned teachers
What counties canceled Friday classes?
Bath County
Boyle County: “As of this morning, more than one-fourth of Boyle County Schools’ employees have reported that they would not be at school today.”
Campbell County: “Due to excessive staff absenteeism in our schools and the inability to adequately fill absentee requests.”
Carroll County: “Due to an unusually high number of employees calling in sick. In light of this, we do not have enough substitute teachers to operate our schools.”
Carter County
Clark County
Fayette County: “Due to having more than a third of our school employees out.”
Floyd County
Gallatin County: “Due to low staff attendance and the lack of available substitutes.”
Jessamine County: “Due to a shortage of substitutes to cover absences tomorrow.”
Johnson County
Knott County: More than 1/3 of staff say they are unable to work.
Lawrence County
Madison County: “This has been a difficult evening for all of us in education. We share a passion for our students and for their futures that is unmatched and unwavering. Tonight we have to balance that passion with the need to stand in solidarity with others in our profession across this state. There will be NO SCHOOL in MADISON COUNTY SCHOOLS TOMORROW, Friday, March 30. We hope our parents and our community will continue to support educators and other state employees locally and across the commonwealth.”
Marion County
Montgomery County: “Due to not having enough substitutes to fill our staff absences.”
Nicholas County: “Due to lack of substitute teachers.”
Oldham County: “Due to significant teacher absences.”
Pike County
Powell County: “Due to flooding and not having enough subs to cover teachers who are out today.”
Scott County: “Since the passage of SB 151, dozens of teachers have requested subs for tomorrow. We can currently fill only 54 of the nearly 150 that we need. That leaves too many classes not covered, which causes a situation that is unsafe and unproductive for students and staff. I want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable Spring Break, but I also want everyone to return on Monday, April 9 with their focus on doing what’s best for kids. Let’s show our children, their parents, and our community what really matters to professional educators.”
Who is organizing this?
The Jefferson County teachers union is encouraging teachers to go to the state capitol on Monday to advocate for education funding in the budget, but the union did not recommend for teachers to call off work Friday, according to a Facebook post.
“JCTA is NOT recommending a job action, such as some are promoting on social media,” said a post on the Jefferson County Teacher’s Association Facebook page.
Under Kentucky law, public employees do not have the right to strike.
The Jefferson County union is one of more than 170 local affiliates of the statewide union and typically focuses on local issues. A statewide strike would require a majority of the state union’s board to vote in favor of one.
The last time Kentucky teachers embarked on a statewide strike was in 1970. That strike, triggered in part by pay grievances, involved an estimated 25,000 employees. It lasted five days.
In the end, the General Assembly gave in to each of the teachers’ demands, including a $600 pay raise.
By Darcy Costello
Louisville Courier Journal
