Student Members Testify to KY House of Representatives

Kentucky Student Voice Team members Zachary Clifton and Anopa Musoni testified to the Kentucky House of Representatives on March 12 at the team’s advocacy day at the capitol. Students testified in support of revisiting the landmark 1989 Rose legislation, saying it is past time to resurrect the conversation on educational inequity across the Commonwealth.

Zachary Clifton, student from Knox County and co-lead of KSVT’s legislative team says:

“What we have learned through statewide community has been in line with much of the publicly available data suggesting that the legacy of Rose has wilted in recent years and the inequities and funding between Kentucky's poorest and wealthiest districts have expanded beyond the levels declared unconstitutional in 1989. Unfortunately, these inequities have had tangible consequences and we've uncovered those in our research on the seven capacities. We know that the education students receive is not equitable compared to the education their peers receive from other parts of Kentucky.”

‍

Anopa Musoni, student from Fayette County and podcast coordinator for KSVT, says:

“The vast majority of respondents felt lawmakers should work together to achieve legislative success through compromise. Kentuckians have banded together to share their common desire for an educational system that works for all Kentuckians. Today, our purpose in being here is to demonstrate to the legislature that students not only harbor extensive and nuanced perspectives on the Rose decision but that they are also capable of leading conversations with families, educators and policy leaders as stewards of Rose's legacy.”

Watch the above video to hear their full testimony.