Here is my reply:
Bill,
As a JCPS parent, I find your Point of View appalling and short sighted. As the leader of a news organization, certainly you've seen (and your news department has fought against) the lack of transparency in the Kentucky General Assembly. This lack of transparency, double dealing, and complete lack of discussion with impacted stakeholders by our representatives should be what you wrote your editorial about.
The legislation being pushed in Frankfort has its ties to people who aren't from Kentucky and/or don't even participate in our public school system. There is a continuous stream of false and misleading information about this legislation from these people, our local legislators, and sadly, even our local churches.
The biggest employer in many Kentucky counties is their school system. The people within them prepare our kids for the future. They are not just fighting for their own promised benefits, but against legislation and a Frankfort mindset that continues to bleed funding from the classroom. To say that teachers are selfish or irresponsible for taking action is blaming the victims here. Why not point your focus and ire on a legislature that refuses to be above board in its legislation and would rather chase the whims of big money donors than the needs of average Kentuckians?
Surely you realize that continual back stabbing and underhanded dealing is not the fault of teachers, and that our legislators appear not to care about the needs of public schools. And surely you realize that the General Assembly meets at a time and place that makes it impossible for people who work normal hours to speak out WITHOUT taking time off.
You think public school kids are pawns? Why not take a look at the way the Archdiocese of Louisville, Catholic Conference of Kentucky, EdChoice Kentucky, and other private school interests have sold their Scholarship Tax Credits. They use poor children as pawns to sell a program designed to benefit the middle and upper class. Do you honestly think a poor family will be able to choose a $15,000 to $20,000 private high school on a $3500 scholarship? Do you consider a family of four who makes $92,000 a year to be less fortunate?
You want to blame someone? Point your finger at Matt Bevin, Hal Heiner, Gary Houchens, Bam Carney, Jerry Miller, the Koch Brothers, Greater Louisville Inc., and the many wealthy political donors and PACs that want to divert tax funds from those who need it most. These same people also use poor and minority children as pawns for their ideology while never addressing the real issues that feed poor educational outcomes for these children.
NONE of our teachers wants to make a two hour round trip to a town where you can't find a parking space to wait out in freezing weather to get into a place where you'll spend hours sitting on a hard floor in the hopes that people who don't seem to care will hear your message.
A decade ago they wouldn't have had to. But many forces, including the Fox Corporation your station is affiliated with, have promoted attacks on public schools and public school teachers that are unfair, unjust, and ignore the real problems in society. That you would feed into this impression is simply beyond the pale. You owe all public school educators in Kentucky an apology.