Group voices concerns over budget

This from the Herald-Leader:

SOCIAL JUSTICE, EDUCATION CITED

Kentucky's state budget shortfall and a lack of money to deal with the commonwealth's problems were common denominators among issues presented Monday to Gov. Steve Beshear by an interfaith group of clergy and citizens.

The Clergy and Laity Network of Kentucky, composed of Christians, Jews, Muslims and others who share concerns for social justice and peace, invited Beshear to Christ Church Cathedral in Lexington to hear their concerns about environmental and energy policies, education and budget and tax policies.

"We are concerned about justice, not just us," said Rabbi Marc Kline of Temple Adath Israel in Lexington, who moderated the meeting...

...Cindy Heine of Lexington, a former official of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, identified some improvement in student test scores in the public schools and a greater number of degrees conferred in higher education. But she also said Kentucky continues to be ranked low among the states in many educational measures, and she worries about a $22 million net loss in the 2008 elementary and secondary education budget and the projected shortage of teachers, especially in science, technology, engineering and math.

She asked Beshear: "What will you do or can you do to increase Kentucky's forward progress? And what steps will you take to recruit and train teachers?"

Beshear said that if he could wave a magic wand for money, he would spend it first on early childhood education and development. "If and when I get ahold of some money, that's where it's got to go."

He suggested two steps that could be taken at little cost now.

"We should erase the boundaries between high school and higher education, (so that) students could move back and forth," he said. "Lots of them drop out because they're bored, they're not challenged."

He also said that the transition from community colleges to four-year institutions should be "more seamless, where all their credits would count." Beshear said the state must find ways to lure college dropouts who have earned significant credit hours to return to school, and that the state must examine whether it should continue to allow students to drop out of high school at age 16...