♪ >> Police in my estimation, all comes down to these 3 things, pay support, respect.

Kentucky's top educator tells lawmakers what it takes to recruit new teachers and KET the ones currently on the job.

>> As the Kentucky General Assembly reconvenes beat 2 newcomers to the state Capitol.

So this total retirement.

>> We don't We don't retrain.

And when they come here, they come here totally to retire.

>> And we had to the farm where horses enjoy their golden years.

Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET Endowment for Kentucky Productions.

Leonard Press Endowment for Public Affairs and the KET Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Tuesday, February, the 7th.

>> I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for winding down your Tuesday with us.

The Kentucky General Assembly started the second part of its legislative session today and it began.

>> By looking at Kentucky's teacher shortage, the House Education Committee heard from the Commonwealth's top education official on the shortage.

Our Casey Parker Bell reports on what he says it will take to help fix the problem.

>> The reasons for this shortage are complex and longstanding.

>> Kentucky Education Commissioner Jason Glass and testified that legislators about Kentucky's teacher shortage.

The state is now facing a teacher turnover rate of about 20%.

He says keeping teachers will take long-term work on 3 specific issues, at least in my estimation, all comes down to these 3 things pay support and respect.

>> If we work on increasing total compensation support for educators and respect for educators, I believe we can begin turning the tide on this difficult issue.

Glass did not make specific recommendations to address the shortage in the meeting.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has called for the General Assembly to increase teacher pay with money from budget surpluses and says Kentucky faces an 11,000 teacher shortage.

Commissioner.

Last context.

That number, the 10,811 1000 number that's often bandied about represents the total number of openings over an entire year.

It doesn't represent the number of openings that we have at any one time.

>> Glass says the Kentucky Educator Placement Service that tracks openings as older.

>> And does not provide real-time data.

House Education Chairman James Tipton says Kentucky had about 1500 active vacancies as of January.

Legislators asked Glass how to attract more people into the classroom and multiple legislators say lack of support with discipline.

Some major factor driving teachers to quit.

State Representative Jennifer Decker quoted the study says discipline is the number one issue for teachers.

>> Salary was not at that.

It may have been 3rd.

I think it was on farther down and then they went back to the same people on and said what if you had the salary, you I think is sufficient.

What would you do?

And I said, quit.

Because of discipline.

>> While pain may not be the primary driver is a factor and is an important factor in how we attract and retain teachers and we don't attend a total compensation.

You will end up with predictable labor market issues.

But State Representative Steven Riley, a former educator, says legislators should not dismiss the importance of pay to retaining teachers.

It's easy for people to say the Payson not an issue when they're not the one receiving the check.

Teachers.

And educators have families.

And they want to provide for their families for Kentucky edition.

I'm Casey Parker Bell.

>> Thank you.

Casey State Representative James Tipton, who chairs the House Education Committee, says he's working on legislation to address the teacher shortage and could file a bill by the end of the week.

Shortages and health care are at concerning levels as well as industry shortfalls were building before COVID-19 and hit a critical stage as a result of the pandemic.

A Louisville Republican is proposing legislation this short session to improve education and training pipelines.

State representative Ken Fleming wants to create the Kentucky health care Workforce Investment Fund within the Kentucky Council on post-secondary Education.

Florida is a template for the Kentucky plan.

But Representative Fleming told me today that his version goes even further.

>> This.

Bill that I'm going to be putting is somewhat modeled from Florida and basically Florida, look at just nursing.

And you're right.

There been passed legislation that look at just nursing.

Well, I want to expand that because we look at when you look at health care and a broad spectrum.

So when it comes to mental health professionals, when it comes, the EMT's and paramedics when it comes and nurses, nurses, aides and so forth, we want to basically try to provide an avenue in order to beef up the workforce, not to go back.

We did so years ago, the main thing that we looked at as population, United States of the population, you Kentucky and we've been flat and I hear time and time out.

We need to look at what we can do to help out the brain employees in the state as well as retain employees.

One is reducing our income tax, which we're doing that while the other part of the equation is looking at the workforce.

And so with the health care Workforce Investment Fund, it provides a great avenue to dress that it that issue.

And that was a profound loud, clear signal this past >> So how do you actually shore up the health care workforce shortage and is the higher Ed wants to get involved in that?

>> Yes, they We've been working very closely with Cpe or the Council for post-secondary education and the men very, very wonderful and help with.

We're looking at doing is doing a public and private partnership and this public and private partnership will Breland bring to resources the government as well as the private sector and what you have to address this.

This problem, the way this would be is basically we're looking at dollar for dollar match that private sector individuals.

In fact, I got a question from one person that said, what can I put this in?

My will and are too good to have this going to this.

That's a said.

Well, you sure also a slice.

So there is a there is a strong recognition that we need to really look at helping out with a workforce.

And so this is a public and private partnership.

That's a dollar for dollar match.

Well, going to basically 2 buckets.

The first bucket is going to go to scholarships now.

65.

At least 65% of that money.

It's going go to scholarships for Kentucky residents and then Pond graduation day to stay within Kentucky for at least 2 years.

The other side that bucket are not pocket is going to go to incentives to help these institutions.

These a huge health care programs, universities are or training centers in order to for them to take that money and wishes at least are up to 35% put that money into either a facility or faculty or for equipment.

So if we have this of big of a lot of people coming through the pipeline and we don't have the people that will that will eventually provide a structure and education.

That will help at least address that situation.

>> Under Representative Fleming is planned, the Kentucky Council on post-secondary education would develop a process to prioritize partnerships that help underserved communities and target high need credentials.

A program launched last summer to address the state's nursing shortage is getting ready for a new group of students.

The Appalachian Nursing Academy will once again bring in students from eastern Kentucky to the University of Pike full where they will be exposed to the field of nursing, shaping our Appalachian region or sore puts on the academy.

They call it a homegrown solution to a national health care crisis.

>> It's really, really important that we KET of talent and make sure they're aware of of these jobs that are that are available.

One of the main talking points that we should with these kids, it's you're you you needed.

And and there are good paying jobs in eastern Kentucky in health care is a perfect example of the field to wear.

If you're interested in ministry, think you could be interesting.

You don't have to think about leaving like there's there's there's good paying jobs with phenomenal benefits.

McAdams started to think we wind up with 27 and we brought them.

On the campus.

The rookie pipe organ pipe full for 2 weeks intensive.

Learning Academy of all things dealing with never seen and with health care.

And so, you know, we connected them with nurses themselves.

We connected them with hospital leadership.

They really get a CPR certification.

So we it was very well-rounded right in at the same time they get to make a lot of friends from around the region that they wouldn't have made had it not been.

From this academy.

There's also $1500 from them upon completion of the program that was provided by the great to the Kentucky Department for Public Health have been really want to go into action.

>> It was like, okay, this is a great opportunity to get more info about the nursing field and make sure that that's exactly what I want it to like.

They had all kinds of its options in nursing.

Which I didn't know.

So it taught me a lot of a lot of the different fields and nursing.

We're >> High school students, you know, rising seniors, rising juniors.

But those that the data show were falling through the The program was built around the idea that student, that student that he's really trying hard, but just as has had to overcome some adversity, perseverance with the help was there.

She can mean a car.

>> Job at the doctor's office.

So it really helped me a lot, especially appreciated in my career as a Nurse Inc. Plus, like everyone's fan is going to be great.

A college application will now head off to college.

This is a long-term thing, but you can imagine so if you're there for 2 weeks hopefully start to matriculate into center city programs or other health care related programs and a plan on traveling first and then probably come back to Isha.

Kentucky.

Want to get a little bit older and just staying there for a little while for the rest of my current retired, we just have to retain more than we are now.

So if we can just convince.

Even 5 to 10 to 15% more of these professionals.

These recently graduated.

Whether it's community college or or post-secondary a from a program that we can convince.

>> 10% more than that would have left to stay.

That makes a big difference.

When you scale that year after year.

>> Last year the program had 120 applicants but could only except 30 Hall said they're accepting even more too expecting even more to apply this year and have expanded the number of accepted applicants to 45.

Representative Kim Moser has filed a bill in Frankfort that could help cancer patients.

The Republican from Taylor Mills said she plans to introduce legislation that would require health care plans to cover biomarker testing.

The National Cancer Institute says this testing can help doctors treat a patient's unique type of cancer in discussing why this bill is needed.

Representative Moser noted that Kentucky has one of the highest cancer rates in the country while also being ranked in the bottom 10 for biomarker testing coverage.

>> It's time for Kentucky too.

Do something a little cutting a it's a once we we know have nowhere to go.

But up.

And I think you know, in light of of our product to see state Sen cancer rates in Kentucky, it's really important that we pay attention to science.

>> The American Cancer Society says if passed this bill would allow more patients to benefit from precise treatments.

Back in Frankfort today, a House committee passed 3 articles of impeachment against Commonwealth's Attorney Ronnie Goldie junior.

Goldie is a prosecutor in the 21st Judicial District and in a Montgomery and Rowan counties.

He's accused of giving a woman favors and court in exchange for nude photos of her.

It's now up to the full House to decide whether to impeach Goldie, if impeached, he would be tried in the state Senate where a two-thirds majority is required for conviction.

Tonight, we're introducing you to some more new members and more new faces and Frankfort.

That includes one representative who joined the Kentucky General Assembly last year by winning a special election.

We're asking each new member to introduce themselves to Kentucky ends and tell us what they hope to accomplish.

♪ ♪ >> My name is matinee 9.

The senator that represents Hardin County and part of southern Jefferson County.

And that is the 10th District.

I have a 29 years and have both the teacher and the school administrator.

And I'm a small business owner.

I've served on several civic organization boards and my time on the City Council for the last 2 I've also been able to come up here and visit Frankfort quite a bit in preparation, hopefully for for this position.

So I'm excited about it.

And I just I felt compelled when the opportunity arose after serving on our city council and seeing what we could accomplish on that level.

I really was interested in trying to expand that influence and trying maybe I can do some greater things on the county wide level and the district level and quite frankly, throughout the whole commonwealth.

So I just want to take that opportunity to see what we can accomplish up here.

One of the things that I'm really passionate about, his work force development.

And that, of course, is in the field of education as well as other fields across our state.

We are really I'm looking to add additional employees.

And I think that is resonating throughout the state in every profession.

For example, my Senate Bill, 49, that I was able to the first week of this session, it takes the opportunity to expand on what is called an alternative certification program is what's known as option 6 and a lot of art, a teaching job sometimes go without applicants.

But option 6 is an alternative way to bring people into the profession that may not have originally started in education but have maybe gone into another profession and found the need or desire to want to come into education.

Ensure those skills with students.

My bill simply expands that program from a 3 year program to a 5 year program.

We have other issues.

I mean, from juvenile justice reform, all of those things as We're going to have to KET working to improve.

And I think that's the great thing about being here with other senators.

I think we have a great bunch to work with and that's on both sides of the aisle.

I hope they find me to be level We'll read I've dedicated public servant and I'm looking for opportunities to always improve our communities and our commonwealth.

And I think they will find that in the way I legislate here.

♪ >> Representative could soar here and I represent district.

42 before I got here, the General Assembly, I was actually a lobbyist and a policy strategy is at the ACLU of Kentucky for the last 2 and a half years prior to that, I I would activists, a youth advocate.

It someone who has really worked youth and pretty much like the last 15, 20 years throughout that time.

It it.

It made me see, you can work with the folks.

But policy is really where it's at, you know, after twenty-twenty happen.

But the murder Breonna Taylor and other things that was going on in our communities with the injustices when the opportunity came about for me to run, I was like, you know, that the timing is right is seen like that.

That was the progression our career path.

So said, yes, I will.

I will make this happen.

First off, my job is to make sure that on to not allow any a bad policy to pass.

So that that's my first goal is to make sure that I can impact policy that's going to harm our communities.

But as far as like specific subjects, you'll see me working on things that impact on our our youth or juvenile justice system.

Have always been advocate for restoration of voting rights.

So I will be highly on that.

And I would probably say that the 3rd thing that is very important to me decrease gun violence and violence in general in our communities and doing things it's going make our community safer than we originally from Richmond.

Madison County.

I represent the 42nd district in Jefferson County identify as a queer woman.

I'm a black woman.

I'm a maskless center woman.

So that's a lot.

You know, I'm also someone who's been directly impacted by the criminal legal system.

I feel like that when I look at it who I am and the things that I've experienced, the things that my family's experience, I someone that I really know what Kentuckians have gone through politics, a politics and, you know, there's always going to be outside the political side of things.

But at the end of the you know, I believe that as Kentuckyian we have to really no one You know what, our brothers and sisters are going through what our neighbors are going through.

And we've got Ali would love.

>> We'll have more profiles of new lawmakers later this week right here on Kentucky EDITION.

♪ February is Black History Month and Louisville's Frazier History Museum is bringing history alive.

>> By helping African-Americans locate their long-lost ancestors.

Kentucky additions.

Kelsey Starks has more on that program and others to watch for.

>> The Frazier History Museum is known for exploring all of Kentucky's history.

But tomorrow night, the focus is particularly on African Americans, particularly those trying to get asked what's called the brick wall of 18, 70 and Rachel Plat is that director of community outreach at the Frazier.

She's joining us to tell us about this new program called Help Me find my people and you're moderating it tomorrow night.

And this is much like a finding your roots on yeah, very much so.

First of all, hello, friend.

My great to see you again.

And this program is so important we partnered with Reckoning, Inc. >> And they have done a lot of this research.

We talked about that brick wall.

It's 18, 70 prior to that African Americans and certainly enslaved African Americans were not part of the census.

>> So people would go to try to find, you know, lineage and it stopped until some new information came through with the reckoning.

They found out that information was kept on civil War.

Soldiers in the union with Kentucky, African-Americans.

So that started getting some information.

In addition to that, there is a historian in Kentucky named Charles Lemons who is doing his own research for about 12 years and Nelson County going to court houses and all of these kinds of things and even piecing together more information.

These 2 forces of come together and they're creating a database.

Charles Lemons, just one quick story.

It was in 18.

62 during the Civil War.

A skirmish and New Haven.

And he found documentation of a note that was passed by 3 African-American women to Captain Allen in the union who who ended up winning that battle and he saw the names of 3 African-American women wanted to find out who they were.

That began his research.

It's a crazy story at the foot of the Ellen and Railroad Bridge in New Haven is how his research started.

That is amazing.

I mean, he's he's going to be there tomorrow night and just to hear his story is incredible.

Just fascinating and have all those people together in these types of programs.

Speaking of historians, you have another very prominent.

I him I got tickets.

Yes, I And, yeah, I mean, you say that is the Pied Piper of Louisville, the famed historian for decades.

He's 83 years-old for more than 40 years, has been giving tours around the city.

He's a professor at U of L. >> He is a minister.

He is an environmental as all of the above.

You you love them and we're going to celebrate him and I can't wait.

Yeah.

And so these programs that you do for those who may not know this is where you get these types of people together.

People in the can just experience that these fascinating story.

Exactly.

I mean, no one tells a story like Tom, I have a front row seat of the famed historian really affordable tickets.

We wanted to be, you know, he's he's of the people.

And that's how he wanted a very humble guy.

And he's like, oh, no, if shop on like Tom, I think they're going, oh, I think, >> Great when you have coming up is the Alice and Wade Houston.

I know you all are doing a lot with that.

We have a documentary coming up on that.

And that's another program that's going to be at the Frazier.

We're looking at that in April.

They said yes, and it's played leading, by example, their community treasures, community icons.

But just to let people come in and ask him questions and hear their sage advice.

I mean, they've mentor half this town it.

So that's a big one.

We're looking forward to some other things coming at the a story of the Corvette.

Made in right right away.

They're going great.

So we're talking about doing that.

More to come on that.

We're looking at it, calling it Kentucky horsepower, looking at in May.

So stay tuned.

More to come on that that's on.

These are wonderful programs and available to anyone.

Of course, that help me find my people program is happening at the Frazier History Museum in Louisville.

It is tomorrow, February, the 8th at 06:00PM and tickets are still available.

Thank you, Kelsey, the Alice and Wade Houston documentary premiers on Monday, February 27th at 09:00PM Eastern.

>> Right here on KET.

♪ >> After care has become a really important area of focus in the horse business and the past race horses might be sold as riding horses or to the slaughter auctions once their racing and breeding career was over.

>> 20 years ago, one man who believed they deserved better turn his dream into a reality with the creation of old friends, farm.

>> Friends is a place where thoroughbred racehorse, you can go after their racing and breeding and secondary careers are over.

So this total retirement, we don't We don't retrain.

And when they come here, they come here totally to retire.

We started was one horse who is one of the horses that plate see this get in the movie they rich in Dallas.

Now we have 161 here.

We have 42 down it down the road here Winding Oaks, which is a subdivision and we have another 18 appear ashgrove, which is a senior citizen facilities.

When I first started, I didn't have any idea what I was doing and I went to see Burn Jones, a former governor of Kentucky.

And when I got done explains what are going to going to do, he goes well, let me get this straight.

You're going to get the sources.

You're going to be solved the whole from Japan, except that's correct.

But you're not going to sell now and you're not going to No, you're not going to know, just what exactly is going to do with said, Well, I'm gonna put it in my yard.

Hope people come to this.

The that's ever happened here was December first 2000, a 5th day when Silver charm came home from Japan and we still have him and he's a superstar.

We just got a lot of man.

He's a superstar.

But there are the magnets that attract people to come here.

But for every one of those horses, we try and get a horse who just needs a home.

I have a horse Di claim for $3500 in 1999.

At Finger Lakes, up in upstate New York.

And he's still with me here.

So I think if I could do that with the $3500 for us, you know, we can do a better job to take care of some of these other words.

That is the backbone of this whole Central Kentucky area.

All their lives.

They have to be told what to do.

So when they're breeding, you have to be told what to do when their racing has to be told what to do.

Going to stalk modest, all go for a workout.

Come back to the start.

Get one, you know, it's humans dictating everything that they do.

And look, it's literally sure that when they come here, they're the boss and all our job, the city out what they want to do and when they want to do it and comply because nobody's coming here to see me.

They're coming here to see these great this great athletes.

I never a drug that this place would be this way because my dreams aren't that good.

It evolved as they say, it took me along with it.

So the bomb deserves credit for creating itself.

So when I look ahead, 20 years, I'm hoping that will be places for these horses to go when they're breeding and racing careers are over.

And this is one way to do it.

>> What a great way to honor those athletes to our start back up again, full time in March and ends right after Thanksgiving.

You can see the animals up close, learn about their great careers and even feed them.

Carrots.

Well, tomorrow on Kentucky Edition what caught talk to you more about what's happening in Frankfort, including will get Rylan Barton's take on the politics of the week and remembering the people enslaved by Henry Clay will show you a special artistic effort.

That's tomorrow night right here on Kentucky edition at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central.

You know, it's where we inform connect and inspire.

You can subscribe to our weekly Kentucky Edition, e-mail news letter and watch full episodes and K E T Dot Org.

>> You can also find Kentucky edition on the PBS video app on your mobile device and smart TV.

If you have a story idea you can email us at public affairs at K E T Dot Org and make sure you follow KET on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop.

>> You can follow me on Twitter at Renee to UT KET in the live day by day and Frankfort, thank you so much for watching.

Take really good care.

And I'll see you right back here tomorrow night.

♪