LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- Like many teachers in the Bluegrass State, Atherton High School teacher Jennifer Walker faces an uncertain future.
"I'm an English teacher. I'm not a numbers person, but I just know that my pension is all I have once I retire," Walker said. "I never thought I had to worry about my pension. It's not going to be a luxurious pension, but it's going to hopefully pay the bills."
As lawmakers in Frankfort continue discussing the future of Kentucky's pension system, which ranks as one of the nation's worst-funded, teachers across the state have made their message clear - don't take away their pensions and benefits.
"We've paid into the pension diligently our entire careers," Walker, who has taught in Jefferson County for 25 years, said. "We've never missed a payment."
Monday morning, Walker and other Atherton teachers, students and parents will rally in front of the school before the school day from 6:50 a.m. to 7:10 a.m., at which time they will walk into the school together as a show of solidarity against the proposed changes to the system that would cut benefits for teachers and other public servants.
"We have done our part and we just want Frankfort to do their part," Walker said. "They agreed to this. We know it's a problem, but they need to find the funding somewhere else."
"It's interesting to me that we can find funding to spend $19 million on a so-called gang reduction bill, but we're not ale to find $19 million to fund education and public employee pensions," State Rep. Attica Scott, D.-District 41, said.
One of those lawmakers from Frankfort, Scott, said she supports keeping teachers' pensions and benefits, but those programs need to be adequately funded. She and several of her colleagues are working on proposing tax modernization, which could lead to taxes on luxury items like limousines and taxes on cigarettes.
"We have no choice," she said. "It is incumbent upon us to look at additional forms of revenue. We make sure we're being innovative as we are pursuing additional forms of revenue."
"The people in Kentucky believe that education and public education is important and that we are supported by the people in Kentucky," Walker said.
Scott said with days remaining in the legislative session, the public and lawmakers need to stay vigilant to see whether any pension reform is tacked onto unrelated pieces of legislation.
Along with the teachers, several other public leaders will be at Atherton's rally Monday morning, including State Rep. Mary Lou Marzian, JCPS school board member Chris Kolb and JCTA President Brent McKim, all lending their voices to tell Frankfort they will not stand for any cuts to education funding or benefits.