We, the signatories of this petition, believe it is time for the current President of JCTA, Brent McKim, to step aside. The 20-year tenure of current leadership is based on the undemocratic elimination of term limits by this leadership in the early 2000s.

Jefferson County teachers are approximately 75% female and 30-35% African-American. We believe that times have evolved in the last 20 years, with systemic racism skewing the functioning of many institutions, and the elimination of term limits in JCTA perpetuates this undemocratic state of affairs. 

During that 20-year tenure, one of the main benefits of the teaching profession, the defined benefit retirement pension plan, has declined from solvency to a current level of 40% funding - a level considered by actuaries as technically insolvent, and a level that is illegal in the private sector. Moreover, this represents the lowest level of any teacher pension in the country.

Current leadership wields unseemly influence over the political action committee (PAC), Better Schools Kentucky. They appoint 10 of 12 candidates to the steering committee. The recent election held for one of the only two seats voted on by members was marked by serious anomalies and the final outcome remains questionable - as do many recent political endorsements of this teacher-funded PAC.

Teachers want to thank Brent McKim for two decades of service, but believe the time has come for him to step aside. We need someone who is willing to fight for teachers' pensions, racial justice for minority teachers, and educational justice for all students during what promises to be the most brutal legislative session in Kentucky's recent history.