Educators rejoice as Beshear declares victory; Marshall keeps JCPS board seat

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Public education had been a hot topic in the governor's race, as teachers waged war on Matt Bevin over his pensions proposals.

Teachers were bracing themselves for the election, many pushing and advocating for a change in leadership for months now, and it appears that’s what they’re getting with Andy Beshear’s apparent unseating of Bevin.

You’ve seen the signs and heard the protestors; educators made their voices heard this election season and demanded better treatment from those on top.

“I just kept thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, thank you,’” Doss High School teacher Hans Probst said. “I’m so excited. As soon as the precincts from Jefferson County were reporting and the numbers started to lift, I got anxious, jittery, excited.”

Dozens of happy teachers were at C2 Tuesday night for the Democratic watch party, and were thrilled when Beshear made his victory speech.

“This was important because we really saw this as, I don’t know, maybe a referendum of how he treated educators, state employees, and honestly, what I feel like are all Kentuckians, and so I feel like this was our place to say 'No, I do not allow this in my classroom; I’m not allowing this in my state,” said Paula Setser-Kissick, a Fayette County Public Schools educator.

Voters chose to keep District 4 JCPS board member Joe Marshall for the remainder of the term. Marshall was appointed by the board three months ago when Ben Gies resigned.

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