Advocating for Kentucky Students in Frankfort

This bill would allow the use of cameras on school buses and allow the enforcement of a fine for stop-arm camera violations recorded by a camera monitoring system. The revenue generated from the violations will be retained by the school district. There will also be a suspension of motor vehicle registration for a failure to pay the penalty. There is also an increase in the maximum fines charged for failing to stop for a bus.

KSVT is in support of this bill because it contribute to the overall safety of students.

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HB 48 would increase the time period between mandatory summary evaluations for tenured school staff from once every three years to once every five years. Additional summative evaluations will be at the discretion of the staff member's supervisor. This also requires the Department of Education to create a recurring four-year professional development training schedule. Teachers will also be able to access their teaching contracts upon request and there is no longer a mandated formal induction program for new teachers. This also prohibits the Department of Education from requiring comprehensive school improvement plans that are not required by federal law.

KSVT acknowledges this bill's efforts to streamline administrative processes, but is also concerned that it undermines safeguards ensuring schools have high quality teachers.

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This bill would allow local school districts to authorize the voluntary recitation of the Lord's Prayer along with the traditional Pledge, as well as require school districts to develop policies that give every student the ability to recite the Pledge each day. It also requires school districts to develop curriculums around respectful treatment of the flag. In addition, it would require that all public Kentucky schools mandate a "moment of silence" for students and staff between 1-2 minutes at the beginning of each school day.

KSVT is in opposition to this bill due to its irresponsible blurring of the line between church and state.

This bill would invalidate Governor Andy Beshear's 2024 executive order that banned the use of federal funds for the practice of conversion therapy.

KSVT is opposed to this bill because it blatantly disregards the rights of our state's queer citizens and will enable the continuation of an inhumane and discriminatory practice.

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Also known as the "New Voices Act", this bill would ensure a slew of new protections for student journalists. It seeks to counteract the 1988 Supreme Court Case Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, which gave school administrators to censor "school-sponsored media" at their will. It allows for censorship of student media only if it meets a stricter standard for harm.

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KSVT is in support of this bill because it will greatly expand the freedom of student journalists across Kentucky and encourage more youth to express themselves freely.

This bill requires all school board elections to have a partisan election. Candidates will have partisan labels and emblems associated with them on the ballot.

KSVT opposes this bill because it makes school board elections unnecessarily political. Kentucky has long separated partisan associations from school board elections, and this threatens the non-partisan history of education governance at the local level in Kentucky.

This bill would amend Kentucky law in order to prohibit school disciplinary actions that unfairly target students on the basis of race, and expand the definition of racially discriminatory school policies to include policies that target traits associated with race including specific hairstyles.

KSVT is in support of this bill because it ensures that Kentucky's students of color will be subjected to less unfair discrimination due to their race, contributing to a more just school system.