Bevin shows disrespect for educators

During the debate on charter schools, Gov. Matt Bevin unleashed a public tirade against public educators who opposed charters. He implied they were “passionate about power, about the transfer of dollars.” He added, “It’s not about the students to anyone opposing this bill.”

Of course, he displayed his total lack of knowledge of the countless hours spent beyond the workday by thousands of educators who opposed charters and the sacrifices they make with no expectation of monetary rewards.

Now, in analyzing the pension system, Bevin has accused public educators of “gaming the system,” “hoarding” and “sticking it to the taxpayers” in relation to accumulated sick time.

As an educator for more than 23 years, I know there are thousands of educators like me who have worked long hours and weekends, sacrificed time with family, gave out of our own pockets to students countless times, etc. Additionally, we showed up at work regardless of how we felt physically. We had no agenda to secretly “stick it to the taxpayer” or “game the system” by not taking sick time. We felt an obligation to do our jobs, to help kids, to make the future better for young people and generations to come. I am not sure how you can accomplish these goals if you are not at work.

This story was originally published September 7, 2017 at 5:49 PM with the headline "Bevin shows disrespect for educators."