FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky is lagging in the “competition for talent” to lead its classrooms, Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) said Monday in pushing for higher teacher pay to overcome a shortage of educators.

He cited grim statistics in making his case for a 5% pay raise for teachers and other public school employees. Kentucky has 11,000 teacher vacancies and ranks 44th in starting pay for teachers.

The Democratic governor continued his call for the GOP-led legislature to reopen the state budget in coming weeks to pump more money into teacher salaries and other education priorities. Lawmakers reconvene next week to resume a legislative session that continues until late March.

“It is time that the state steps up and does more to ensure that we can win this competition for talent,” Beshear said in a speech at the state Capitol. “And knowing that every teacher is irreplaceable — and every time we lose one to some other opportunity that they likely take to better support their families — it’s our kids and our future that suffers.”

The governor’s pitch came as a coalition formed by the Kentucky Association of School Administrators (KASA) unveiled its initial proposals to improve teacher recruitment and retention.

KASA provided the following summary of the nine priority requests of the General Assembly:

1. Direct the Office of Education Accountability to conduct or commission a comprehensive mixed methods study on the state of public education in Kentucky, including perceptions of and attitudes toward the teaching profession and a comprehensive wage and benefit analysis.
2. Approve a resolution asking appropriate agencies to study, revise and create an easily comprehensible and navigable system of alternative teacher certification.
3. Direct the Kentucky Department of Education to create a teacher recruitment web portal containing all resources from consideration of a teaching career to a statewide application system.
4. Approve a resolution that encourages the Education Professional Standards Board to address multiple certification issues including teacher testing, admission to teacher education programs, state-to-state reciprocity, and varying grade levels of certification.
5. Approve legislation clarifying acceptable personal and professional educator behaviors and provide clear and appropriate penalties for violations.
6. Direct and provide funding for a marketing campaign to highlight the importance of education and the education profession to the citizens of Kentucky.
7. Direct and provide funding for the development of a model teacher recruitment and induction program and mandate the establishment of a Tenure Review Committee for teachers inducted into the education profession under that program.
8. Direct and provide funding to expand the GoTeachKY and GoTeachKY Ambassador program in every Kentucky school district.
9. Create and provide funding for the creation of an annual renewable undergraduate teacher education scholarships for each Kentucky school district and for the creation of a $500 stipend for teacher education students who are engaged in student teaching.

Republican state Rep. James Tipton, chairman of the House Education Committee, told the group that bills delving into the teacher shortage are being introduced this session. The legislative panel he leads is scheduled to review the issue at its meeting next week.

The reasons behind the shortage of educators are multi-faceted and include funding, greater workloads, job burnout and student discipline issues, Tipton said.

“We may not come up with all the solutions in this session,” he said.

Beshear, who is running for reelection this year, has consistently made improved teacher pay a policy priority. He said the state should dip into its vast budget surpluses to make it happen during this year’s 30-day legislative session, rather than wait for the 60-day session in 2024 — when the state’s next two-year budget will be passed.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a long session or a short session, our kids are worth us having the courage to take the actions that are necessary,” the governor said. “And our teachers deserve so much more.”

Beshear has made state-funded preschool for 4-year-olds another education priority, but that proposal has made no headway with lawmakers.

Kentucky lawmakers have followed their own course in setting education policies. The budget they passed last year funded full-day kindergarten and poured money into teacher pensions and infrastructure. They increased the state’s main funding formula for K-12 schools, but the amount was hundreds of millions less than what Beshear proposed. Their budget left it up to local school districts to decide whether to use additional state funding to provide higher pay to teachers and other school staff. Most districts have awarded pay raises, Republicans say.

But the governor said more should be done. He noted Monday that Kentucky slipped from 42nd to 44th in starting teacher pay in the past year.

“I’m pretty ashamed that Kentucky is 44th in the country in paying one of the most important positions that we ever ask anyone to take,” Beshear said.

The governor’s proposed raise would be besides any locally approved raises.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.