LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: Amendment 2, YES or NO?

Over the course of the last three years, I have been honored to be your representative and have learned so much during my time in Frankfort. I have worked hard to make you proud and have done my best to be someone who fights for the best interests of my constituents. I hope that this has been evident no matter the party with which you are affiliated. Most people that know me would probably describe me as stubborn because I stand firmly on things that I am passionate about. This especially applies when issues will dramatically affect the electorate I serve. I have always tried to put them first. When I decided to run for this position, I promised to try to listen to people from all sides and walks of life, weighing those perspectives fairly before making a decision or a vote. I think most people that know me or that work with me in Frankfort can say that I try to see the good in everybody and treat everyone with respect.
 I have found that although our nation has become a very divisive place when it comes to politics, some complex issues should not be partisan or politicized. One such issue is that of education; however, it has sadly become a bargaining chip and hot button talking point for both political parties. As a result, both parties like to send negative and deceitful political mailers to further their narratives and interests. Both political sides use them and sadly, some people believe every word that they read on these. Over the past few years, these groups have gotten pretty good at deceiving and confusing the voters. This is a practice that I absolutely despise as I try to be as honest and transparent as possible no matter whose narrative it fits. Over the last few weeks, I have received no less than hundreds of messages, calls, and inquiries about Amendment 2. It's for those reasons I wanted to take the opportunity to educate both sides on what this amendment would do and could do if passed on November 5th.
 My strongest contribution to the state legislature has by far been my knowledge of education. I have been blessed to have worked at every level and in many different roles. I have been a principal, algebra teacher, math interventionist, special education teacher, social studies teacher, bus driver, coach of numerous sports, and the vice-chair of the education committee in the state legislature. I am also the parent of 3 young men who have either attended or still are attending public schools. It's for those reasons that I hope that every student, parent, teacher, bus driver, and community member who has ever worked with me will trust me on this amendment and listen to the cold hard facts about its possible effects.
 In order to understand the amendment fully, it's important to read it as it appears on the ballot.

The amendment reads: 
 To give parents choices in educational opportunities for their children, are you in favor of enabling the General Assembly to provide financial support for the education costs of students in kindergarten through 12th grade who are outside the system of common (public) schools by amending the Constitution of Kentucky as stated below?

The General Assembly may provide financial support for the education of students outside the system of common schools. The General Assembly may exercise this authority by law, Sections 59, 60, 171, 183, 184, 186, and 189 of this Constitution notwithstanding.
 YES or NO
 
So what does this mean? If this passes, then the legislature will have the ability to pay for schools that are not public including but not limited to private, charter, Christian, homeschools, etc. Another way some would describe a vote for the amendment would be that of a vote for "school choice". Therefore, if the amendment passes, then it could be said that school choice was the victor. 
 
I love the idea of school choice. I think as parents, our number one job is to take care of our kids and always do what's best for them. It's imperative that we always try to meet their needs in every way possible. Many people in my party such as Rand Paul and Donald Trump, both whom I respect deeply, agree that school choice is something that parents are entitled to and I wholeheartedly agree. They also both have expressed their support for Amendment 2. Where the waters get muddied is the way this "choice" is funded. This amendment would definitely affect how public schools are funded. I must tell you how this amendment could change education in KY forever before you make a decision. 
 In KY, over 40% percent of our overall budget goes to K-12 public education. Currently there are approximately 660,000 students enrolled in public schools, and the cost of this is nearly 5.5 billion dollars. Now for some simple math, public schools currently receive around $8000 for each child. Currently, the state of Kentucky has approximately 76,000 students attending private schools and approximately 40,000 students being homeschooled. Let's say not one child leaves the public school system if the amendment passes and the funding goes just to the kids who are already in the private or homeschool setting. That would mean an automatic cut of at least $1000 to each student currently in the public-school setting. The analogy I love to use is with cutting a pie. The more slices you must cut in a pie, the smaller each slice gets. 
 
I would like for you to ask yourselves the following questions: 
 Are my public schools doing a good job? 
 What other options do I have in my area? 

 Now, here's how I would answer them if I were asked. 1.) Test results just came out last week, so how did our local schools do? Testing report documents show 6 out of the top 10 performing elementary schools in the state were located in our region. This would support the fact that in most areas in southeastern Kentucky, public education is the best academic option for students. 2.) What other options are there? In my district and those I represent, I know that currently our choices for options outside public schools are very limited or sometimes not existent at all. The options we do have are not bad options but are sometimes just not possible due to limited resources such as transportation, location, and other mitigating factors. If I lived in another area, and I'm glad that I don't, I might have a different perspective on this amendment as urban and rural areas have their own unique differences and challenges. A YES vote on this amendment could have detrimental effects in rural areas like ours in this part of the state and that's why I feel compelled to express my concerns for my district and the other small districts I represent. Losing any funding in districts the size of the ones I represent could negatively affect the students that our educators pour their heart and soul into each day. 
 In conclusion this is where I want to leave it. You get to vote YES or NO. If you vote YES, you are for school choice and all that it brings. If you vote NO, you are saying I love my public schools and don't want them to suffer so that other parts of the state can use state taxes to pay their tuition to these schools that are not public. If it passes, I honestly don't think I will lose one student, but with the per pupil funding being smaller I do fear that I might lose staffing or resources. This would create more challenges to an already challenging situation. Is it worth it?