By BERRY CRAIG
AFT Local 1360
KY 120 United-American Federation of Teachers has issued a statement opposing SB 138, the "Teaching America's Principles Act," which is on its way to the House after the Senate passed it Thursday.
SB 138 is one of four controversial Republican-sponsored bills in the current session of the General Assembly that are aimed at limiting discussion of systemic racism in schools.
The statement reads: "We continue to be disappointed by the super majority and their attacks on public education. Senator Wise announced today in some vague comments that the education community apparently supports SB 138. We ask, which education community? The community we are from only sees the continued danger of taking away the voice of our teachers and damaging the enterprise of free thought and exploration that is the foundation of education."
Sen. Max Wise, R-Campbellsville, sponsored SB 138 which passed 28-8 on a straight party-line vote. The measure mandates how American history must be taught.
Backers of the measure say it promotes unity. Opponents say SB 138 is divisive, censors teachers and whitewashes history.
The other measures are House Bills 14, 18 and 487. All four bills stem from the national controversy over Critical Race Theory, a scholarly study of how racism affects law and public policy. But CRT is taught in law school and some graduate schools, not elementary and secondary schools.