I'm misty glin 

and i'm running for ky state senate 

in the special election on february 21

My name is Misty Glin, and I am running for Senate District 19. I grew up poor in the Portland neighborhood but had no idea we were poor. Everyone around us was poor, so I assumed we were the typical family. I remember being in the 5th grade at Roosevelt-Perry when my teacher asked what I wanted to be during career day. My parents were both blue-collar workers, and I didn’t really know there were other options. I told her I wanted to be a mom. She asked if I wanted to attend college, which confused me because no one in my family had ever attended college. That day, she ignited a spark in me that changed the trajectory of my life. 

That day I decided I wanted to be a teacher. I wanted to work with kids like me and show them the unlimited opportunities. I attended Western Middle School and Shawnee High School, where I participated in the NJROTC and Aviation programs. It was here I decided I could be a soldier. A year later, after my parents decided to divorce, we moved, and I attended Doss High School, where I discovered the power of hard work and studying to help me achieve the things I could not afford. My grades were a catalyst for opening doors to new opportunities. 

Although I told my fifth-grade teacher I wanted to be a mom, I did not anticipate reaching that milestone at 17. I was one of the many unwed teenage mothers facing huge obstacles as I continued working toward my dreams. I worked fast food and customer service jobs to provide and care for the little person who depended on me. I had a great work ethic and was loyal and eager to learn. I still dreamt of college and a career instead of a job. We often just struggled just to make ends meet, but my little girl never knew that. She was loved and spoiled and had more than I knew could be possible with the kindness and love of my family. 

A few years after becoming an unwed teenage mother, I met a wonderful man who loved my daughter as much as I did. He encouraged me to enroll in college and supported me every step of the way. Finally, I was a college graduate with a professional career. I share my story to illustrate how much I value family, hard work, and the opportunities available to everyone if they are willing to go above and beyond. 

In 2007, we were blessed with our son, Alex. This time I was prepared to be a mother. At the same time, my son was diagnosed with a developmental delay and began participating in the ECE preschool program at JCPS, I was offered a position as an instructor at the college I had attended. My students came to my class with plenty of challenges of their own and little interest in listening to or learning from me. I reached out to my mentor and demonstrated patience and understanding, and eventually, I had a group of young adults willing to learn. I told them it doesn’t matter where you start; it only matters where you finish. Most of them have gone on to pursue successful, fulfilling careers. 

By the time Alex was in second grade, he had overcome his delays and was a typical thriving 7-year-old. One day he came home from school covered in bruises. When I asked him what happened, he explained that he had been getting hit by another student in the class. He said it had been going on for some time, but he had not told anyone because he doesn’t want to get the little boy in trouble. I went to the school the next day to speak on his behalf and to teach him that it is okay to speak up for yourself when someone is hurting you. Unfortunately, the issue did not get resolved after meeting with the teacher. In fact, the bullying and abuse increased. My son was so worried about the ramifications of “telling” that he started to pass the teacher notes secretly. I went back to school repeatedly and spoke to the counselor and principal. The situation continued. Rather than address the issue with the student guilty of harming my son, the school isolated Alex and allowed his bully to remain unpunished. 

The breaking point for me was when my 7-year-old son threatened to take his own life due to the bullying. I expected that I could send my child to school and that he would be safe. I expected the school to see reason and right and wrong and make necessary changes to ensure my son's safety. I was wrong. I continued to call the school the “Bullying Hotline” and even the Board of Education. Nothing changed. When the principal finally asked me what I wanted done to resolve the issue, I stated that I wanted to know my child was safe from this student causing harm. The solution was to move my child, not the one harming him, out of the classroom and away from his friends.

I was flabbergasted, angry, and hurt. My heart was breaking for my son, and I didn’t know what else to do, so I called the police. When they came and spoke to all parties, I finally heard back from the Board of Education. They were not upset a child was being bullied, but because the police coming to the school created bad optics. Unfortunately, the police could not do anything about the situation, so I continued to pursue a solution. 

The school offered two other solutions before the situation reached its conclusion. The first involved assigning another student to be a “blocker” for Alex. He would act as a moderator to intervene between my son and the bully. This student was also seven years old. The other “solution” they presented to Alex was to try to build a relationship with his abuser. We saw neither as an appropriate or viable solution, and we felt this was a system-wide problem, so we pulled Alex from his public school. Alex wasn’t the only one that left that year. Alex's teacher also decided that after 26 years at that school, she would also leave for private education. 

With the help of my students at Job Corps, we researched laws and bills and decided a field trip to Frankfort was necessary. We introduced and passed “Alex’s Law” in the House of Education committee. Sadly, a child the same as Alex took his own life due to bullying at a different JCPS school around this time. Alex was heartbroken. He was grateful that he was able to leave his situation but wanted to know what we could do for other kids that couldn’t escape. Unfortunately, “Alex’s Law” died in the Senate. When I am elected, I plan to resurrect the bill and make it universal across Kentucky. 

In 2022 Alex began looking at high schools in JCPS. I was anxious and uncertain so I started looking into JCPS as a whole. Things had changed since my time there. Safety is lacking, violence and guns are prevalent in schools, student achievement is low, and teachers are leaving at alarming rates. I continued to do research, monitor social media,and listen to other parents about what they saw happening. What I discovered led me to take the next unexpected step on my journey. 

My son asked me one day what I planned to do to help the students in JCPS. I had not thought about it until then and asked for his suggestions. He knew me as an advocate unwilling to back down when it came to protecting the best interests of children, so he suggested that I run for elected office. He thought I would be able to make a difference if I was involved in the policy-making process. When people ask me why I am running, my response is: for Alex and for every child out there who feels unsafe, every parent who feels like they don’t have a voice, and every teacher who knows but can’t say what is really happening in the schools. Of course, there are other issues that concern the citizens in our community. 

Here’s where I stand on some key issues: 

School safety- When a school system has a zero-tolerance policy, it needs to be enforced consistently. Our kids should have an environment that is safe, healthy, and conducive to learning. Teachers should feel supported and encouraged to do what they love and not fear for their jobs or students. 

Education- Focusing on the fundamentals of reading, writing, science, math, and history is vital to quality education. Art, music, PE, etc. are essential to helping students discover and develop their “hidden talents”. Offering high school students opportunities to learn and work in trades during the school day provides options beyond a college education after graduation. 

Fiscal responsibility- JCPS has a larger budget than the city of Louisville, spends $18,000 on each student, and only 1⁄3 of students are proficient in reading. A full audit is needed to determine if money should be allocated differently and future transparency in spending is a priority. 

Transparent curriculum- Parents should not have to file Open Records Requests to find out what their children are being taught using their tax dollars. Everything needs to be available to view upon request. 

Parent’s Rights- Parents are the primary authority and custodians of their children. The public school system should never be allowed to usurp that role unless the safety of the child is in question. 

School Choice- If the public school children are assigned to is failing to meet their academic needs, families should be able to take their education tax dollars to a different learning environment of their choice. 

Crime- Crime rates are too high. We must create a system that punishes criminals with the time that justifies the crime. We need to deter crime and the only way to do that is a punishment that people want to avoid. We need to make sure their stay is lawful and uncomfortable and we need to rehabilitate them to be productive members of society. 

Economic development- I support small businesses and community growth, but when we graduate future workers (our students) who can’t read or perform math at their grade level, they are not ready to fulfill the open positions these companies have. I believe if we fix our school problem and we fix our crime problem, people will flock here to live in our beautiful city. 

Drug Crimes- fentanyl and heroin are killing many of our families. Children are left parentless and sometimes parents are left childless. We have to severely punish the manufacturers and distributors of these drugs and make sure they never sell to another person again. 

Constitutional Rights and Freedoms- so many of the freedoms that we have always had and have often taken for granted are being infringed upon. I want to fight to protect all of our freedoms: free speech, the right to bear arms and protect your family and property, the right to practice your religion freely, and all of the other rights that our forefathers fought so hard to safeguard. 

Regardless of your political affiliation, I hope you can agree that these issues need to be addressed and I hope you will allow me to be part of the solution as your elected representative to these problems. Prioritizing the welfare of our children and families is an investment that will pay dividends for our community in decades to come. That requires quality education, safe neighborhoods, a promising job market, and a thriving economy. 

As you do your research about me and the issues, you will discover that I am a relentless fighter who doesn’t back down from a challenge. I will advocate for you and your family just as I did for my own. If there is a particular issue that concerns you or a question you would like to ask, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I look forward to serving my community in the years ahead.