Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman reflects on Nettie Depp statue and education in Kentucky

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKYT) -In early November, the primary statue to honor a Kentucky lady was put in on the state capitol.

It was of a pioneer within the subject of training and becoming for an administration that has labored exhausting to place Kentucky faculties first.

Lately, WKYT’s Amber Philpott sat down with Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman to speak about how a lot this statue means to her personally and in regards to the message it sends going ahead in regards to the worth of training within the commonwealth.

If she ever wants somewhat inspiration and encouragement, educator turned Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman must look no additional than down the corridor from her workplace within the state capitol.

“I see any person who spent her life preventing for training and for equality and to ensure that women and girls are handled pretty,” stated Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman.

Nettie Depp was and nonetheless is a pioneer in some ways serving as an elected college superintendent in Barren County seven years earlier than girls may even vote.

In 2022 her likeness grew to become the primary giant scale monument honoring a Kentucky lady to be positioned within the capitol.

Her statue now stands in a spot the place solely the statues of males have stood. At practically seven-foot-tall the bronze statue of Depp is positioned close to the West entrance.

“For the primary feminine statue in Kentucky state capitol to occur whereas I’m proper down the corridor from it in addition to for that first statue to be a instructor means quite a bit to me,” stated Lt. Governor Coleman.

Lengthy earlier than she had the title of Lt. Governor, Coleman grew up roaming the halls of the Capitol as a toddler whereas her father served in workplace.

“My dad was within the legislature so I spent many a snow days ripping via these halls and by no means noticed a statue that regarded like me and the good factor about this for me is that Evelynne won’t ever need to say that,” stated Lt. Governor Coleman.

And the Lt. Governor’s little lady was there to see Nettie Depp unveiled, she says the statue is an emblem of what she and Governor Andy Beshear battle for on daily basis.

“I in addition to Governor Beshear have a lot respect for the work that our educators do, we raise them up on daily basis, we’re an training first administration,” stated Lt. Governor Coleman.

In a current report the Governor sighted the state’s practically 11,000 instructor vacancies, he says introduced on by the pandemic and years of denied pay raises.

The Lt. Governor says for years she has watched the assault on public training play out in Frankfort.

“I at all times inform academics and retired academics I’ve obtained your again, we’ve obtained your again. And to alter the entire rhetoric across the educating career I believe is actually essential as a result of for thus a few years there was simply actually an outright disrespect from our high leaders and it’s going to take a while to undo that,” stated Lt. Governor Coleman.

In October Governor Beshear launched his Schooling First Plan. A few of what he’s calling for features a 5 p.c increase for each college worker in Kentucky.

He’s once more calling on lawmakers to fund common preschool and full day kindergarten.

It’s one thing that the Lt. Governor says is important in setting college students up for fulfillment.

“I can’t inform you the distinction it will make within the trajectory of a kid’s life to have entry to common pre-k, a whole technology of children,” stated Lt. Governor Coleman.

To assist with the worth tag for the Schooling First Plan, the Lt. Governor factors to a report setting income surplus.

“If we put money into common pre-k for each 4-year-old and a 5% increase for each college worker throughout the state we’ll nonetheless have the third largest finances surplus in Kentucky’s historical past,” stated Lt. Governor Coleman.

As a instructor first, the Lt. Governor is aware of an excellent lesson plan when she sees it and he or she’s hoping what she and Governor Beshear have put forth could be one even Nettie Depp would approve of to try to encourage extra academics like her.

“If you wish to change your neighborhood and the commonwealth and this world turn into a instructor, stated Lt. Governor Coleman.”

The Schooling First Plan will go earlier than lawmakers through the 2023 common session.

The plan additionally requires a scholar mortgage forgiveness program for academics and for the restoration of instructor pensions.

We requested Lt. Governor Coleman in regards to the upcoming 2023 race for governor in Kentucky and he or she says she will likely be on that ticket and able to battle even more durable for Kentucky educators.

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