Kentucky House panel advances bill aimed at teacher shortage

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) – A Kentucky House committee has advanced a bill aimed at helping overcome the chronic teacher shortage.

The bill won bipartisan support Tuesday in clearing the Education Committee.

The bill’s sponsor is the committee’s chairman, Republican Rep. James Tipton.

He says it won’t resolve the problem, which he says worsened over years and will take time to resolve. But he calls it a “good first step” by removing red tape.

Democratic Rep. Josie Raymond voted for the bill but said she wished it was “more robust” to deal with teacher salaries, scholarships or loan forgiveness for educators.