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Matt Bevin on Education
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Legislature should decide teacher pensions, not judges
Governor's statement on teacher pensions: "Today's ruling by the Supreme Court is an unprecedented power grab by activist judges. By striking down SB 151 based on process, rather than merit, the Kentucky Supreme Court has chosen to take for itself the
law-making power that the constitution grants to the legislature. This is very dangerous. In the long-term, this will erode the rule of law that is the foundation of our government, but more immediately, this will destroy the financial condition of
Kentucky."The greatest financial threat to the commonwealth has now been made worse by [gubernatorial opponent] Andy Beshear's self-serving, political lawsuit, and it places the retirement security of tens of thousands of our teachers and public
employees at greater risk of failure and further credit downgrades. This is unacceptable. All options must remain on the table to solve this crisis because without real structural reform, the pension system is on the fast track to failure."
Source: Louisville Courier-Journal on 2019 Kentucky governor race
, Dec 14, 2018
Proposed school cuts of $128M; legislature restored them
The state House was scheduled to vote on a new two-year, $22 billion state budget that restores most cuts to education proposed by Gov. Matt Bevin and a revenue bill that raises $250 million in new taxes on cigarettes and opioid prescription pills.
The new taxes will be in the form of an additional 50 cent tax (on top of the current 60 cents) per package of cigarettes and a 25 cent tax on each opioid dose prescribed in Kentucky. The revenue bill also raises money by eliminating a $10 personal tax
credit for Kentucky taxpayers.
The budget actually increases SEEK funding for public schools from $3,891 per pupil to $4,055 per pupil in the first year and $4,056 in the second. It also restores $127.8 million in state funding for school
transportation costs that Bevin would have cut in his proposed budget. And it spends $11.8 million in FY 2019 and $3.16 million in FY 2020 to fully fund the Teachers' Retirement System employer match, including retiree health insurance.
Source: The Morehead News on 2019 Kentucky Governor race
, Mar 2, 2018
Create Charter Schools Advisory Council & implement charters
On June 2, 2017, Gov. Bevin signed an executive order that made modifications to several of the state's education-related boards. The order modified the structure and membership of three existing state educational boards, abolished five more boards and
reestablished them under new guidelines, and created a new Charter Schools Advisory Council. In a press release announcing the order, Bevin cited the need to enforce Senate Bill 1, which had revised the state's educational standards, and House Bill 520,
which implemented a charter school system.On June 16, 2017, the Attorney General Beshear filed a lawsuit, arguing that the executive orders exceeded the governor's authority. The court ruled that a part of Bevin's executive order related to the
Education Professional Standards board was unconstitutional, since it required teachers to appeal disciplinary decisions to the state board of education instead of the state court system [and the rest were all legal].
Source: Ballotpedia on Kentucky voting records: SB1/HB520
, Nov 30, 2017
2% budget cut to state colleges and universities
Beshear filed a civil suit against Gov. Bevin on April 11, 2016, which claimed that budget cuts made by Bevin violated the Kentucky Constitution's distribution of powers article. Bevin had announced a 2% budget cut to state colleges and universities.
Beshear called the decision illegal and asked the court to order Bevin to release the funds.On May 19, 2016, the Franklin County Circuit ruled against Beshear. The decision stated that the constitution did not prevent Bevin from instructing colleges
to spend less money, as he did in the executive order, but did prevent him from altering the funding they receive. Beshear appealed the ruling and on September 22, 2016, the Kentucky
Supreme Court ruled that Bevin did not have the authority to control the budgets of public colleges and universities without the legislature's approval. This reversed the lower court's decision.
Source: Ballotpedia on 2019 Kentucky gubernatorial race
, Nov 30, 2017
Move to performance based funding for state universities
The funding provided to state universities out of the General Fund will begin to be distributed based upon performance criteria--often referred to as "outcomes based funding"--
that will be developed in collaboration with the leadership of state universities. It is this Administration's intention to fully phase in outcome-based funding over a three-year period starting in FY '18.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Kentucky legislature
, Jan 26, 2016
End education monopoly with school choice and vouchers
As federal overreach in our education system has grown, positive outcomes have diminished. We need to end the monopoly that exists in Kentucky's school system by supporting school choice and school vouchers. It's time to Stop Common Core and its "one
size fits all" approach. Instead, let's empower local school boards, local principals and local teachers to make the decisions that are the best for their students, and most importantly, empower parents over bureaucrats.
Source: 2015 Kentucky Gubernatorial campaign website, MattBevin.com
, Aug 11, 2015
FactCheck: No, not MIT grad; education is "School of Life"
Matt Bevin has come out with a new ad defending his claimed affiliation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "I'm a small-business owner, I've not had a resume in over 20 years. I've never claimed on a resume or to anyone ever that I'm a
graduate of MIT. This is a lie made up by Mitch McConnell," Bevin says in his new radio ad.Bevin's representation of his educational background became an issue after The Hill reported last year that Bevin indicated that he was an MIT graduate or
graduate of an MIT-affiliated program, in the headline section of his LinkedIn page. Further down his page, he stated he was a 2008 graduate of the Entrepreneurial Master's Program at the MIT Endicott campus. School officials said the three-week seminar
Bevin attended had no formal link to the school.
Bevin changed his LinkedIn page to clarify that he did not graduate from MIT afterwards. Bevin now lists his education as "School of Life" instead of MIT in the headline section of his LinkedIn page.
Source: AdWatch by The Hill e-zine on 2014 Kentucky Senate race
, Apr 17, 2014
Limit federal one-size-fits-all role in education
Matt believes we should limit the federal government's role in our education system, allowing states and local towns to make education decisions that best suit the unique needs of their communities. The federal government's one-size-fits-all,
top-down policies rob states of their sovereignty and have failed our students.Over the past several decades, the federal government has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into our education system with little constructive progress to show for it.
It is a travesty that low-income children are trapped in failing public schools with no hope in sight. Government bureaucrats should not have the power to decide where our children go to school.
Matt is a passionate supporter of school choice, and will
actively fight to inject our broken system with badly needed competition. Matt is also a strong supporter of alternative education models, including charter schools and home schooling. Matt and his wife, Glenna, homeschool their nine children.
Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, MattBevin.com, "Issues"
, Oct 25, 2013
Page last updated: Apr 18, 2020
