Bill > SB1

This bill makes several changes to education policy in Kentucky: It amends KRS 160.345 to give the superintendent, rather than the school council, the authority to determine curriculum after consultation with the principal and school council, and requires school allocations to be determined by the principal after consultation with the council instead of the council. It also alters the principal hiring process to require the superintendent to select the principal after consultation with the school council. The bill adds a requirement for school council members to sign a nondisclosure agreement prior to consultation and allows for a complaint process and removal of a council member for violating the agreement. The bill also amends KRS 158.6453 to require the Kentucky Department of Education to provide guidelines for effective writing programs to all districts, rather than requiring schools to submit writing program policies to the Department. Additionally, the bill creates a new section of KRS Chapter 158 to require public schools and charter schools to provide instruction and materials aligned with certain principles regarding equality, individual rights, and the American historical narrative. It also requires the Department of Education to incorporate specific American documents and speeches into social studies standards by July 2023. Finally, the bill includes emergency provisions to provide paid COVID-19 leave for school employees during the 2021-2022 school year.