Since taking the majority in 2017, the legislature has remained dedicated to improving the quality of Kentucky’s education system to achieve our ultimate goal of educating children and preparing them for successful, fulfilling lives. The legislature invests historic amounts of funding into K-12 public education (even after adjusting for inflation) and works to address the fact too many children are not developing the reading and math skills they need. These policies include the Read To Succeed Act (SB 9, 2022) and the Numeracy Counts Act (HB 162, 2024). Lawmakers have also invested in programs to train, recruit and retain educators in our classrooms.
This session the House of Representatives is taking another step to strengthen our approach to educating students. Previously, the House had a single committee focused on education at all levels. This session, House Leadership announced that the House Committee on Education would be separated into two distinct bodies: the House Standing Committee on Primary and Secondary Education and the House Standing Committee on Postsecondary Education.
The Primary and Secondary Education Committee deals directly with matters pertaining to kindergarten through 12th-grade education. This includes curriculum, teacher qualifications, and accountability. The committee will also enact policies relating to the State Board of Education and the Kentucky Department of Education.
The Postsecondary Education Committee will deal directly with matters that pertain to higher education, including the Commonwealth’s universities, community and technical school system, and other workforce education initiatives. This includes providing oversight and accountability to ensure affordability and accessibility, as well as the implementation of policies to prepare Kentuckians of all ages not only for the workforce but also to become contributing members of their local communities.
Education is a broad and complex topic. As legislators, we want to treat K-12 and postsecondary education with the same energy and devotion to strengthen our state’s education system holistically. With a combined education committee and only 30 days in this Regular Session, important issues may not have reached the single education committee, but now all higher education-related legislation enters the Postsecondary Committee, and all K-12 legislation enters the Primary and Secondary Education Committee, dividing the workload and allowing more concerns to be heard.
Dividing the education committee allows legislators to concentrate on what is most important for Kentucky’s students at all levels. After all, we must prioritize keeping our children in the classroom, providing them with high-quality instruction, and ensuring they have access to the resources necessary for a fulfilling education. The legislature is committed to addressing these issues, including strengthening the state’s truancy policy (HB 611, 2024), but there is always more work to be done as the way we educate changes and new challenges arise.
Important legislation has become law in recent years, and many critical problems have been addressed. With the establishment of two education committees, the legislature is committing to focusing more closely on our schools and universities. We want to see our K -12 test scores and classroom attendance rise, and we want to see students’ classroom behavior improve.
Additionally, we must ensure that our universities prepare their students for the workforce or further education, find ways to keep higher education affordable for our students, and responsibly expand programs to meet the needs of our communities. The Primary and Secondary Education and Postsecondary Education committees will allow the legislature to divide its time and resources meaningfully to ensure that we are effectively educating students at all levels of education and preparing them for a successful, meaningful life.
This session represents a renewed commitment to educating Kentucky’s children. But, let me be clear, this does not necessarily mean protecting systems and processes that no longer work or never have. Instead, it means that we will continue to put student learning first, expect accountability, and require that the resources we provide directly benefit the classroom experience – at all levels of education.
As always, I can be reached anytime through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181. You can also contact me via email at Amy.Neighbors@kylegislature.gov and keep track through the Kentucky legislature’s website at legislature.ky.gov.
(Laura Leigh Goins, Deputy Chief of Staff for Media Relations – House Majority Leadership)