Dear Governor Bevin,
Before you make decisions in regards to the Kentucky Teacher Retirement System, I wanted to make you aware of the power of a public education. Although words truly cannot do this justice, I will do my best to attempt to make this as real as possible for you. The things I am about to share are difficult to put into words, but I believe they need to be shared so that you, and even the general public, can see and feel the value in the work that we do each and every day we enter the classroom. The story I am about to share means that I must admit my past is true. Quite frankly it is much easier to pretend the things I share are not real, or never happened. However, I believe in the power of sharing my experiences with other people. We all have a story to tell, and a reason to tell it. Standing up for a job I am deeply passionate about is my reason.
I am here today as a result of receiving a public education. You see Governor Bevin, when I was middle school aged, my world was ripped apart. I was moved half way across the United States when I was in the 8th grade, causing me to lose friends I had known for a lifetime. Although I survived the move, things became difficult a year after our move. I will never forget the moment I found out my mom had been found by police wandering around with $1,000 in her bible at the mall talking about marrying Jesus. From there my mom was placed in a mental health facility, and my life changed forever.
From that point in time I lost one of the only support systems I had ever known. I went from living very comfortably, to neglectful conditions. The public school system was a safe place for me. There was a span of time where the only meal I ate was the meal I had at school.
Kimberly Klein
There was a time when school was the only dry place I knew. My room was a small closet sized space with a roof that leaked into my bed continuously when it rained.
I have had a knife pulled on me, been threatened that I will be killed, and have come home from work to find a bed so infested with fleas I had to find a corner on the floor so that I could sleep. My arm was broken for two years before I finally received the proper care to have it fixed. The scar I bear on my wrist is a daily reminder of the things I didn’t have during the most influential days of anyone’s life.
Let me repeat that; the most influential days of anyone’s life.
You may be wondering how I became a contributing member of society with an upbringing like that. I can tell you without a doubt I have become what I have become because of the power of the public school system. When parents can’t parent we step into that role. We become what our students need. We become what our society needs, and we fill the voids for our future generations to ensure success for the future. Nothing is more important than that.
You see, Governor Bevin, I was saved by my teachers. When my parents were not there to tell me I could do great things, my teachers were. There was a time I wanted to grow up and be a vet, or even a NASA Engineer. However, I can say with pride that I am a teacher. I chose this profession over the others because I wanted to pass on what was given to me, because I had teachers who saved my life. The public school system saved my life. We save lives every day.
So how does this apply to our retirement? Education needs to be invested in. We need the best of the best in the classroom. Teachers who have changed lives, bettered society, and are vested in their jobs deserve what has been promised to them by the inviolable contract. Not having quality teachers during the most influential days of anyone’s life is a crisis for society.
I can promise that I absolutely love what I do each and every day I walk through the door. However, these proposed changes have me questioning my place in the classroom. I feel as if the work I put forth is not considered valuable to the state of Kentucky. The proposed changes will leave me with a cut that sets my salary back by three years, since my annual raises are so low to begin with. I made a promise when I entered the classroom that my students will receive nothing less than the best from me. I wonder how much effort others put forth when they feel as if they are not invested in and are told that love for the job should mean more than paying the bills at home.
A 401(k) is not the answer to the pension crisis. Teachers are moderately paid public employees. If the market crashes our retirement could be lost. Why would someone want to enter the profession for moderate pay and a dismal retirement? This option does not recruit the best for our profession.
Several alternatives to the 401(k) would be to raise taxes on income over $250,000 and to raise the sales tax. Although some may believe this is a burden only those paying into the system should cover, we are public servants. Without good teachers in the classroom, society will pay the price.
As the special session draws closer I ask that you consider all alternatives to the pension crisis. The work that we do in the classroom is life changing. We cannot afford to lose quality teachers. I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes in regards to education spoken by Rita Pierson: “Every child deserves a champion-an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best they can possibly be.” I ask that you do whatever you can to protect the champions for education so that our future can be the best it can possibly be. I can assure you that champions save lives, as mine was one of them.
Kimberley Klein
Walton
Great letter! I hope you are an English teacher.
I will not share my story, however I too can attest that public education saved my life!! Caring, public education teachers are the ones who made sure I went to college, they are also the influence which sent me in the direction of teaching in order to do the same for others.
Private education has its place, however private education cannot reach those students who have nothing but the educational system to help them succeed, to make them want to succeed if only to get out of the situation they might find themselves in. Don’t take away what works! If you did not grow up in Kentucky, it might be hard for you to understand the importance of the public school system.
Thank you to those teachers who helped light that fire in me….Richard Smith, Howard Stanfill, Linda Jarrett, Stella Ison, Lowell Boggs, Dexter Campbell, and many others.
Without these caring, dedicated public school teachers, I might never have made it out of a situation no child should ever be in.
Without a secure pension, and with the very meager salary associated with teaching, I fear that we will not be able to recruit these dedicated teachers in the future. I have a granddaughter who is only 10 months old. My daughter, her mother, and my son in law are both teachers. I fear for all three of them in the future. For my granddaughter, I fear that she will not receive the quality education her mother received in a public school, and I fear that my daughter and son in law will not be able to afford the few things they have worked hard to acquire.
I have retired from teaching after 30 years and I fear I may have to go back to work. I know people in the private sector work longer than 30 years at times….but does the private sector take their work home with them everyday, not just grading papers, etc., but also worrying about those students who need more time and effort than others? Are they responsible for 100-150 young minds and souls everyday? Do you really want every teacher to teach until they are 67?
Think about what could happen in the state of Kentucky if you succeed in destroying public education. Our brightest will go elsewhere. Do you really think that all the successful private sector employees/employers went to private schools? I think not. It would be wise to invest in the public schools of Kentucky, as it ensures the success of Kentucky!
Thank you for sharing your story! I’m proud to belong to your profession!
Thank you to all those that have read this letter and for sharing your thoughts. I teach science, but I did teach writing for one year. 🙂 We are all in this together. May we never lose faith in fighting for what we believe in. ❤
Kentucky promised to contribute to these retirement plans.
Imagine if your company had hired you agreeing to match your 401k, then told you that they haven’t bothered for thirty years, so you have to make cuts.
That’s what Bevin wants to do to our teachers.
We need to be able to attract and retain great teachers like Ms Kline.
I too am a teacher-40 years in the classroom-now retired. My wife was a teacher–46 years. Believe it or not we must budget very carefully -Some of the proposals from Frankfort are very frightening .We need to know that our income will continue and that new Teachers can count on support from our government and our officials that control it.
Thank you andGod bless you for the work you do everyday. I know you make ta difference in your classroom–you touch the lives of your students. I am a teacher as well and I love my students and my job–to me it was a calling. I pray that Mr. Blevins will hear our cry–we deserve what we have been promised and the fact that our government chose for years to underfund our retirement is no fault of ours. Several reasonable solutions have been suggested to begin the “bailout”-none forceing teachers to “gamble” with their retirement. Mr. Blevins, HEAR US, the children of the great state of Kentucky needs its TEACHERS! God Bless!
The public does not realize KY teachers are required to receive 6 years of college which they pay for and the fact that most teachers serve many hours of the week outside the classroom that they do not receive pay! I am a retired teacher and while teaching I had very few weekends that I did not do class work at home! On those weekends I felt guilty that I did not work on school work! Teachers find ways to help students who have problems of poverty and bad home Life! The public feels like teachers retirement should not be better than theirs! Did they spend 6 years going to school before they began the workforce?
Many of us had wonderful and dedicated teachers that changed our lives for the better, and many of those lives were very hard.
No one wants to see teachers punished for the crimes of state politicians over the past decade and a half.
Governor Bevin did not raid your pension funds for 15-years (2001-2015 biennial budgets), nor did the new Republican Majority.
The KY Pensions were raided by the following people each biennial budget (2001-2015):
-Speaker of House
-House Majority Leader
-House Minority Leader
-House Budget Committee Chairman
-Senate Majority Leader
-Senate Minority Leader
-Senate Budget Committee Chairman
-Governor
These are the people you should be angry at and who you should demand banned from KY Public office for life as well as insist on criminal punishment for anyone involved in future raiding or violations of pension funds.
This problem could be remedied with a short-term (4-5 year) .5% income tax on all incomes (no exemptions) with any leftover or excess money used for state infrastructure (only) as it’s needed.
The KY Pensions were raided to pay for pet projects or to make up for revenue lost when the ‘war on Coal’ destroyed the tax base of eastern Kentucky and significantly damaged the economy of western Kentucky and the state overall. This in addition to the 10’s of thousands of industries jobs lost and 3-4 times as many ancillary jobs.
No one wants to punish teachers or short change children, especially those of us who benefitted so much.
But, I for one would not support a tax increase to replace the stolen pension plan(s) money without the responsible politicians banned for life from ever holding a state of Kentucky public office (elected, appointed, or hired), and a severe criminal penalty put in place for anyone who would raid pension plans in the future for any reason.
JEK
God bless the teachers who are the best of the best! I pray my great grandchildren have teachers like Kim.