LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- There is no "sick out" for JCPS teachers on Thursday.
There had been rumblings about teachers taking off to attend the final day of the Kentucky legislative session. Like JCPS, many districts have delegates in Frankfort to monitor what happens.
Crosby Middle School held a "walk in" to send a message to lawmakers. Teacher Dr. Brenda Gunnell says their voices will still be heard. "Even though we're back here with our kids, we're still watching."
With a potential sick out looming, the state's largest school district avoided missing another day for students by sticking to its delegation plan that sends 3 teacher volunteers from each school to Frankfort.
"It feels actually good that we're being represented, but we can still be here and do our jobs because we love our jobs, and we want to be here with our kids," Gunnell says.
More than a dozen teachers at Crosby Middle School who didn't go to the Capitol gathered in a crowd of red before school Thursday for the walk in.
"This is about our kids and future teachers. This is a hard profession, and we want the best and the brightest, and they're not going to come if we don't have good incentives for them," says Gunnell.
The walk in comes after Kentucky Education Commissioner Dr. Wayne Lewis recommended districts make new policies that describe a sick out as an illegal work stoppage. His hope is that new policies and punishments end sick outs. Lewis says he will leave any possible discipline to the districts. But he also says he will step in, if another sick out happens.
Gunnell says a change of policy is not practical. "First of all, we're teachers, and we're smart. We're intelligent, and if we don't know something, we're going to research it and find it out. So trying to pull off something that we're not going to catch on to is silly."
On the final day of the session, there is little chance of any so-called "anti-public education bills" being passed, but teachers are ready to keep fighting.
"It could be an even harder fight next year, so we hope they keep this delegate plan in place because we don't want sick outs. We want to be with our kids. But we know the fight is just beginning. We're in for the long haul," Gunnell says.
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