The first challenge is already here with Senate Bill 1, and its proposals will diminish council impact in Kentucky. SB 1 takes decision-making out of the hands of those closest to the students and gives it to the superintendent and school board. SB 1 is being fast-tracked and was introduced on January 4 and passed the Senate on January 8. The bill is currently before the House and the only way to defeat SB 1 is by reaching out to House members.
1) Call the Message Line and say you would like to leave a message for every member of the House. The Message Line can be reached at (800) 372-7181 between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday EST and between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Friday.
Some easy options for a message include:
- SB 1 will hurt schools and students. Say “no” to SB 1
- I’m against SB 1 because one size does not fit all.
- I’m against SB 1. The current SBDM council process gives everyone a voice.
- Stop SB 1. There is no evidence to support giving more authority to the school district. Over the past 30 years, with SBDM councils, our student achievement has greatly improved.
- I oppose SB 1, because I support meaningful decision-making at the school level.
- SBDM councils and your constituents who serve on them deserve respect. They are part of the solution, not the problem. Stop SB 1.
2) You might also contact House members through email and Twitter.
A couple options for messages include:
- SBDM councils provide voice to people interacting with students daily: their parents, teachers, and principal. Let’s keep it that way. #SBDM4kids
- Decision making at the school level should be made by the people who know their students: parents, teachers, and principal. #SBDM4kids
SENATE BILLS
SB 1 SBDM law amended
The superintendent shall select the curriculum, textbooks, instructional materials, and student support services; The superintendent will select the new principal; requires the school council to sign a nondisclosure agreement for principal selection discussions with the superintendent; January 4 introduced; January 6 passed the Senate Education Committee; January 8 passed the Senate; currently in the House.
SB 9 Early Literacy Education* similar HB 226
Read to Succeed Act; omnibus literacy bill will expand reading intervention and reading diagnostic tests for K-3; require new early elementary teachers to take a reading test; reading intervention grants; school board may adopt comprehensive district reading program K-3 with school council consultation; testimony that read to achieve funding will not be impacted. January 5 introduced; January 13 passed Senate Education Committee and heads to the Senate for a vote.
SB 25 Remote Instruction; Retired teachers return to work
Remote instruction may be provided in each school for up to 10 days per school; for 2021-22 (superintendent more flexibility to order remote instruction and not shut down entire districts), retirees who return to employment provisions including separation of service; Emergency. January 4 introduced; January 11 passed Senate; January 13 passed House State Government Committee with amendment. Currently before House.
SB 34 Homeschool participate extracurricular activities* similar HB 257
Requires public schools to allow homeschool students to participate in interscholastic extracurricular activity in the district; parent must certify the student is passing coursework; January 5 introduced; January 8 assigned to Education Committee.
SB 40 Parents’ Rights Protection Act
Creates a law giving parents the right to sue public schools and provides for the awarding of attorney fees for alleged interference with the parents right to have children educated in any authorized manner. January 5 introduced; January 8 assigned to Judiciary Committee.
SB 59 Delete 10th Grade College Admissions Exam
Deletes the 10th grade college admissions exam; adds postsecondary readiness indicators to the accountability system. January 6 introduced. January 10 assigned to Education Committee.
SB 61 Amend Early High School Graduation Requirements
Removes end of course exam and ACT benchmark requirements for early high school graduation. January 6 introduced; January 10 assigned to Education Committee.
HOUSE BILLS
HB 1 Executive Budget
Increase SEEK base funding by $100 per pupil; additional monies for teacher retirement system, full day Kindergarten, facilities, transportation, school district health insurance, professional development, career and technical education, and FRYSC. January 7 introduced and assigned to Appropriations & Revenue Committee.
HB 13 Healthy Relationships Education
Requires each school district to provide developmentally appropriate healthy relationship education instruction to all public school students in K-12; allow parents to view curriculum and excuse a student from the instruction; January 4 introduced.
HB 14 Forbids curriculum racism, sexism; with monetary penalties
Forbids a school board or school council from enacting curriculum or use materials that include or promote that one race, sex or religion is inherently superior; any citizen may file a complaint with Attorney General for alleged violation with penalties of $5000 per day. January 4 introduced.
HB 18 Forbids classroom instruction, discussion or materials promoting racism; sexism
Local school board shall ensure that no public school offers any instruction or use materials that promote one race, sex or religion is inherently superior to another; Additional subsection addresses post-secondary institutions with similar prohibitions and a private right of action with damage award capped at $100,000 plus attorney fees. January 4 introduced.
HB 21 Vaccine Passports
Prohibits a school from requiring persons to provide vaccine passports to enter the school. January 4 introduced.
HB 23 KHSAA athletics participate based on biological sex* similar SB 83
Requires KHSAA to adopt regulation requiring school to designate all interscholastic athletics based upon the biological sex of the students eligible to participate; right to sue school for violations; similar provisions apply post-secondary. January 4 introduced.
HB 44 Student Mental Health
Requires a local school district’s attendance policy to include provisions for a students’ mental or behavioral health status. January 4 introduced; January 11 passed House Education Committee; before the House for a vote.
HB 51 Facial Coverings in Educational Settings
Prohibits requiring facial covering on any public school premises, on school transportation, or at a school sponsored event; prohibits requiring facial coverings on property of a post-secondary education institution except for healthcare licensing board requirements. January 4 introduced.
HB 63 School Resource Officers Required Assignment
Requires that by August 1, 2022, the local school board shall assign school resource officers to each school building. January 4 introduced; January 8 assigned House Education Committee.
HB 66 Require Full-Day Kindergarten Funding
The state shall provide funding to school districts for the attendance of full-day Kindergarten students. January 4 introduced.
HB 67 History of Racism
Requires every public middle and high school’s curriculum to include instruction on the history of racism. January 4 introduced.
HB 85 Dual Credit Scholarships
Increase the dual credit rate ceiling amount; adds dual credit eligibility for high school freshmen and sophomores; add career and technical education courses to the dual credit scholarship. January 4 introduced.
HB 88 Require Historical Instruction
Create a new law requiring African and Native American history instruction in middle and high school courses in United States history; require school councils to adopt curricula for required instruction; January 4 introduced in House.
HB 93 Reading Diagnostic and Intervention Grants
Includes the employment of reading interventionists as a purpose of the reading diagnostic and intervention fund; Emergency; January 4 introduced.
HB 94 Requires School Personnel Administer Naloxone Medication
Schools must have a trained employee to administer Naloxone. January 4 introduced.
HB 102 Moment of Silence Daily Requirement
Requires the local school board to enact a policy requiring a one-minute moment of silence during the first period of each school day. January 4 introduced.
HB 112 Lawsuits for Child Covid restrictions
Child cannot receive a vaccination if one parent objects; child who has not received a Covid vaccination shall not be subject to any additional requirements; parent or Attorney General allowed to sue and be awarded damages including attorney fees for alleged violations. January 4 introduced.
HB 119 Corporal Punishment Prohibited
Creates a new law that prohibits school district employees, nonfaculty coaches, and nonfaculty assistants from using corporal punishment on any student. January 4 introduced in House.
HB 121 Requires Public Comment Period at Local Board of Education Meetings
Requires a public comment period of at least 15 minutes at each local board of education meeting. January 4 introduced.
HB 126 FAFSA High School Graduation Requirement
Requires the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid FAFSA form as a high school graduation requirement; Parents can opt out of the FAFSA requirement. January 4 introduced. January 11 passed House Education Committee. Currently before the House for a vote.
HB 128 Student Assessments
Provides that statewide assessments can include a series of interim assessments if allowed by the Federal Government; January 4 introduced.
HB 129 Collaborative Center for Literacy Development
Funding for the Collaborative Center for Literacy development shall be contingent on the center fulfilling statutory duties; January 4 introduced.
HB 138 Require Board Policies on Dyslexia* similar SB 79
Amends the law to require local school boards to adopt policy on dyslexia. January 4 introduced.
HB 145 Test to Stay Duration
Provides that school test to stay programs can require no more than five consecutive calendar days of testing. January 4 introduced.
HB 146 Test To Stay Locations
Provides that school test to stay programs shall ensure that no less than two testing sites be available within the county to test students and school staff. Emergency. January 4 introduced.
HB 194 High School Equivalency Diploma
Allows students who are at least 17 years old and enrolled in a district alternative education program to seek a High School Equivalency Diploma. January 4 introduced; January 11 passed House Education Committee and currently before the House for a vote.
HB 204 SBDM law amended
The superintendent shall select the curriculum, textbooks, instructional materials and student support services; superintendent selects the new principal and the council reviews 3 of the preferred candidates; school board creates a process for filing an educational concern or grievance regarding curriculum or instructional materials from the teacher level, to principal, to superintendent and the school board; includes disciplinary actions to certified personnel for the use of curriculum not approved under the policy. January 5 introduced.
HB 226 Early Literacy Education *similar SB 9
Read to Succeed Act; literacy bill will expand reading intervention and reading diagnostic tests for K-3; KDE involvement; require early elementary teaching students to take a reading test; professional development through KDE; reading intervention grants; school board may adopt comprehensive district reading program K-3 with school council consultation; January 5 introduced.
HB 270 Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Curriculum
Requires school council to adopt age-appropriate child abuse awareness curriculum for K-9 students. January 11 introduced.
ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE:
- Call 800-372-7181, Legislative Message Line, open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (EST). Ask to leave a message for a specific legislator or for all members of the General Assembly.
- Email your Legislator (If you don’t know your Legislator use Find My Legislator)
Remember to put in the subject line that you live in the legislator’s district because that is important to General Assembly members.
- Use your social media accounts to advocate for your specific issue.
Now included FREE with membership! Access to our election kit is available to all KASC members through our Learning Management System (LMS). The kit includes advice for developing written procedures, guidance for online elections, forms to customize for every step of the process, and legal requirements. Everything is organized for the person/group running each election, so organizers don’t have to view the entire kit.