A Persistent Fantasy

OK. So, here's a snippet from yesterday's press release from Karen McCuiston at Murray State University which was distributed by KDE:

Governor Signs Kentucky

Safe Schools Week Proclamation

Frankfort, Ky...Today at 1:30 p.m.,Governor Steve Beshear signed the Kentucky Safe Schools Proclamation and officially proclaimed October 18-24, 2009, Kentucky Safe Schools Week...

The theme for Kentucky Safe Schools Week ... will be “Follow the Golden Rule, Be Safe Online and at School”, coinciding with last year’s passing of House Bill 91 or “The Golden Rule Act”, a prohibition against bullying, harassment and other forms of intimidation--including cyber bullying via the Internet.

A week to highlight an important aspect of school safety is certainly welcome and I hope it serves to promote social justice in our schools.

But the persistent tendency to promote a discarded aspect of House Bill 91, the [anti] Bullying Bill, continues to amuse and baffle me. What discarded aspect? Why, the Golden Rule itself.

Mike Cherry's original version of House Bill 91 contained this language:

"...amend KRS 158.148 to require school districts to formulate a code of acceptable behavior and discipline that embraces the Golden Rule as the model for improving attitude and the rule for conduct for students..."

Cherry's excellent bill was truly intended to be The Golden Rule Act and specified that title. It passed the House 96-0 and was sent to the Senate.

But amid the all-too-typical-dysfunctional-schennagans one can find in the legislative process Senate President David Williams removed that language and replaced it with a poison pill that had to be worked out in a free conference committee. Williams wanted "to require school personnel to report incidents of student offenses under KRS Chapter 508, criminal harassment, or harassing communications to law enforcement, with a requirement that the incident be investigated," which was a roundly objected to for the likelihood that it would ridiculously cripple local law enforcement.

The Golden Rule was nowhere to be found in the final bill.

It is surely some measure of public sentiment that the bill continues to be called by the (now inaccurate) title that most folks seem to wish were true.

I asked Williams for an explanation back in March, 2008 (before it was too late):

"I'm confused as to why you took language out of the HB 91 that would have required schools to use the central teaching of Jesus in disciplining Kentucky students. Can you help me understand that? Do you have a better foundation for public school discipline in mind?" I asked.

I'm still waiting for a reply; very patiently.

Cherry's bill called for KRS 158.440 "to identify the Golden Rule as the model for improving attitude and the rule for conduct for all public school students." But, thanks to Williams, it doesn't.

Cherry wanted "KRS 158.148 to require school districts to formulate a code of acceptable behavior and discipline that embraces the Golden Rule as the model..." But, thanks to Williams, it doesn't.

Neither do sections 150, or 444 as Cherry's bill intended.

If conservatives want to find out who is "taking God out of the schools" they need to look no further than Senate President David Williams.

But for some reason, the folks in charge of don't seem to get it. Oh well.

Here's the complete announcement:

Governor Signs Kentucky

Safe Schools Week Proclamation

Frankfort, Ky...Today at 1:30 p.m.,Governor Steve Beshear signed the Kentucky Safe Schools Proclamation and officially proclaimed October 18-24, 2009, Kentucky Safe Schools Week. Witnesses to this auspicious event were students from Woodford County Schools representing over 670,000 students from across the Commonwealth. Jon Akers, Executive Director of the Kentucky Center for School Safety (KCSS) said, “Kentucky teachers and administrators make every effort to create caring environments for their students throughout the Commonwealth, but there is much that can still be done.”

The theme for Kentucky Safe Schools Week (October 18-24) will be “Follow the Golden Rule, Be Safe Online and at School”, coinciding with last year’s passing of House Bill 91 or “The Golden Rule Act”, a prohibition against bullying, harassment and other forms of intimidation--including cyber bullying via the Internet. The use of the current legislation and data derived from our web analysis tools, Kentucky Safe Schools Week 2009-2010 will focus on Strategies to Combat Bullying with an emphasis on Cyber Bullying.

This week long observance will be used, in part, to bring together all Kentuckians in a concerted effort to improve school climate and thus the educational process. “The KCSS offers our support as a collaborative partner to the schools and citizens of the Commonwealth,” said Akers, “to come together to create community-wide events that focus on bullying and cyberbullying awareness and prevention during Kentucky Safe Schools Week.”

Involving youth in prevention efforts is vital to changing culture and managing bullying and cyberbullying in our schools and communities. The KCSS continues to provide an interactive “Online Pledge Against Bullying” and this year will introduce our new “Online Pledge Against Cyberbullying”. An array of resources focused
on school safety, with lesson plans and activities for students, parents, educators and the whole community are available on line at http://www.kysafeschools.org/.

This state observance complements the national campaign. The Kentucky “Follow the Golden Rule, Be Safe Online and at School!” campaign is sponsored by the KCSS.
America’s Safe Schools Week is sponsored by the National School Safety Center.

“People realize now is the time to join together to insure the safety and well-being of our children, and to provide quality education for the future leaders of our country,” said Akers.