The Kentucky Senate has given final passage to Senate Bill one. This has been a high-priority bill for senators in the 2022 General Assembly session. At this point in the session, it amounts to two bills in one. The original bill pertains to the authority of public-school superintendents and school councils.
The added language focuses on curriculum, including requiring core American documents to be incorporated in middle and high school social studies academic standards. Campbellsville GOP Senator Max Wise is the sponsor of SB 138. He said nothing in the bill stifles the free speech of teachers or students.
“Learn from our mistakes, learn from our atrocities. To learn about the good, learn about the bad. But there is nothing, nothing in this that will tell a teacher you cannot teach on a certain subject matter, but to go to those core documents as a source to be able to use.”
In casting his no vote, Crofton GOP Senator Whitney Westerfield said the bill sets a bad precedent to establish a list of documents in the statute. Lexington Democratic Senator Reggie Thomas cast a no vote.
“What Senate Bill 138 does, in effect, is chill the teaching of education by teachers. Teachers are now going to be reluctant, or be afraid, or hesitate to say things that are very educational regarding our children. I think that is taking education in the wrong direction,” said Westerfield.
Two Louisville lawmakers expressed concern about a House amendment that states how often the Jefferson County School Board can meet.
