Educators meet with Ky. lawmakers about priorities ahead of General Assembly session

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKYT) - With the 2022 election in the rearview mirror, all eyes are turning to Frankfort for the 2023 session of the General Assembly.

A number of groups have topics they want to bring up in January and educators took time Thursday to make sure they’re all on the same page.

Thursday morning, education officials held a type of planning session with Lt. Governor Jaqueline Coleman and other state lawmakers. They told those officials that they want to see more meaningful investment in education during the next assembly.

Leaders say one of the biggest issues they need to get a handle on is the significant shortages that they’re seeing across the state.

Jim Flynn is the Executive Director for Kentucky School Superintendents. He said they have plans to address that gap, ranging from loan forgiveness programs to paying for student teaching time.

He says investing more in teacher salaries could be another option to help offset all of the jobs that teachers are now responsible for when they’re in the classrooms.

“Our teachers are trained to be experts in instruction but now they’re having to also be, you know, counselors, social workers, nurses, police investigators, you know all of the above. That really takes a toll,” said Flynn.

Flynn said other priorities include making sure the School Safety and Resiliency Act of 2019 stays in place to support safe schools, mental health and also to address the learning gap the COVID-19 pandemic created.

Lawmakers return to Frankfort for the start of the 2023 session of the General Assembly on January 3.

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