Sunday, March 29, 2026

Andy Beshear’s Hillbilly Education Elegy

The Kentucky Governor with his eye on the White House dissembles about a veto and about us

WSJ editorial. Excerpt:

"Bluegrass State children could use the help. Kentucky fourth- and eighth-grade scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress were lower in 2024 than in 2013—by 10 points in eighth-grade math and 12 points in eighth-grade reading. In Jefferson County (Louisville) public schools, only 30% of eighth-graders are proficient in reading and 28% in math on state tests.

Mr. Beshear says the Legislature is “quick to blame our public schools for test scores while refusing to give teachers a well-deserved raise,” citing a statistic that average teacher pay in Kentucky is 42nd in the nation. Average state teacher pay was around $58,500 in 2024, compared to median household income of $64,526.

But including benefits, total teacher compensation was an average $94,194, about 10.5% higher adjusted for inflation than in 2006, according to a Bluegrass Institute analysis last year. Meanwhile, total per-pupil funding increased by an inflation-adjusted 40.5% from 2006 to 2023, the institute found."

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