Kentucky authorized charter schools in 2017 but never approved a funding mechanism.
The Legislature passed a charter funding bill, and Governor Andy Beshear vetoed it.
Beshear struck down House Bill 9, sponsored by House Majority Whip Chad McCoy, on Thursday. The legislation would provide federal, state and local money for charter schools, which have been legal since 2017 but have lacked a permanent funding mechanism, on proportionate per-pupil bases.
“I’m against charter schools,” Beshear said before signing his HB 9 veto. “They are wrong for our commonwealth. They take taxpayer dollars away from the already underfunded public schools in the commonwealth, and our taxpayer dollars should not be redirected to for-profit entities that run charter schools.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Halleluiah. CBK
Andy for Ed!
“I’m against charter schools,” Beshear said. Wow, that is incredible and historic, an actual real live politician came out against charter schools. It’s almost like science fiction because it seems that 99% of the politicians, D or R, love those charter schools and so-called school choice. Hurrah!
“It’s almost like science fiction” WELL SAID
Beshear gets a lot of points for not being “for sale.”
“I’m against charter schools,” Beshear said before signing his HB 9 veto. “They are wrong for our commonwealth. They take taxpayer dollars away from the already underfunded public schools in the commonwealth, and our taxpayer dollars should not be redirected to for-profit entities that run charter schools.”
Thank god someone in an elected office has the chutzpah to finally publicly say the truth about charters.
I vote Beshear to be the governor Tennessee.
If only… Our public everything is being bulldozed in TN (metaphorically speaking)
As I already said, I never thought, I’d think back the corrupt Haslam years fondly.
Mate, great idea! Beshear for governor of Kentucky and Tennessee!
Merge the 2 states with Beshear as meta-governor to be renamed Kennessee or Tennucky or Esseeucky, etc.
How about Beshear for governor of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and Georgia?
Yeah, Beshear for Governor of the South. (As above plus TX)
And Ohio!
Don’t leave out Missouri from that list!
But all charter schools are “excellent” and “innovative” and all public schools are terrible.
Just ask the huge, paid charter cheerleading squad in ed reform:
https://thehill.com/opinion/education/3261097-bureaucratic-gremlins-attack-charter-schools/
You can’t even parody these people. The blind, unanimous cheerleading of any and all “choice” schools or “choice” agendas reads just like a parody. Apparently there is nothing wrong with charter schools that more funding, more promotion, more marketing can’t fix.
I genuinely wonder what it will be like if ed reformers reach their goal and privatize the whole K-12 system. Will this insistence that all choice schools and systems are “excellent” continue? Or at some point are they going to have to provide actual analysis? What do they do when they don’t have public schools to blame? Will there be a recognition they designed this free market paradise we’re working toward?
The opinion piece sounded as if it was written by a DeVos-funded author. The article was actually written by Will Marshall, head of the Progressive Policy Institute, which was founded by the centrist Democratic Leadership Council.
Disheartening, but no surprises here.
The Progressive Policy Institute is classic “Third Way” neoliberalism, promoting privatization as a bold experiment.
With friends like John Podesta, Will Marshall and James Carville, the left needs no enemies.
Podesta was quoted in a 2006 article, “organizations and websites that meld religion and liberal politics have mushroomed since 2004.”
In a different 2006 article, posted at Pew Research Center, “Defining Ourselves as Catholic Democrats (the group pronounces themselves) …committed to…advancing the Church’s rich tradition of public service and social justice.” Given the SCOTUS decision in Biel v. St. James Catholic school, social justice is a mere talking point to hide the goal of more taxpayer money for the Church, whose organizations are already the U.S’ 3rd largest employer.
It’s no surprise that the state Catholic Conferences are leading the school choice campaign in states..
A hell of a lot better than the “Hope and Change” guy who declared a national Charter School Teacher appreciation week. Just what I had to hear in 2016 from of all people Joe the Plumber.
The “Hope and Change” dude was all about serving the donor class, with a few crumbs thrown to the proles.
I hope the rewards for all the damage wrought to our public education system were worth it to him.
That’s the $65 million question, the amount of the book deal which the Obamas inked in 2017 with Penguin Random House.
It turns out that Pearson had a 47 percent stake in Penquin Random House before allowing Bertelsmann to acquire 22 percent of Pearson’s shares that same year.
Nothing to see hear, folks. Just keep the adulation going for Mr. Hope and Change, please.
So true, Eleanor. He recently returned to Chicago, & the idolatry was maddening.
IMO (&, I know, that of so many others here) he & Arne Duncan (who is now the savior of the wayward youth of Chicago) did more to hurt public schools than any other administration. I remember the election gathering in Chicago: we had quite a few teachers/staff who had gone to the celebration, & were a bit punch-drunk the next day. We all were overjoyed at the sure thing that NCLB (thus “standardized” testing) would end.
There’s so much more to say, 😤, but everyone here knows what he did & the benefits the Obamas are reaping from their inexcusable actions. 💰🤑💰🤑💰
THANK YOU!
It is more than refreshing to see that a politician objects so openly to charterization of our schools. Hopefully there may be others who will see the need to strengthen our Public School system, and give our teachers the autonomy they need to make our schools a greater success.
Listening to our teachers would go a long way to improving our schools since their natural intelligence and experience is of great value to all.
Sadly too, the poorer feel disenfranchised and seem to have given up. They don’t, also, seem to be informed about the political candidates they vote for, so some rather unsuitable candidates are voted in.
Media report the VP of EdChoice in Kentucky is also the associate director of the Catholic Conference of Kentucky. In Indiana, Catholics publicly take credit for the initiation and passage of school choice legislation in the state. Ohio is a very pro-school choice state. The state’s legislative and executive branches are controlled by conservative Catholics. The overwhelming amount of voucher money in the state goes to Catholic schools.