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A RESOLUTION urging the Council on Postsecondary Education and the 1
Kentucky Department of Education, in partnership with the Secretary of State and 2
education entities, to develop strategies and a timeline for improving Kentucky students’ 3
knowledge and understanding of the constitutional republic of the United States of 4
America and the democratic processes specified in the United States Constitution. 5
WHEREAS, the United States government has designated September 17 as 6
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day to commemorate the signing of the U.S. 7
Constitution in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787; and 8
WHEREAS, the United States Congress has mandated that "each educational 9
institution that receives federal funds for a fiscal year shall hold an educational program 10
on the United States Constitution on September 17 of such year for the students served by 11
the educational institution"; and 12
WHEREAS, many students exit their secondary and postsecondary education 13
without an in-depth understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizens under the 14
United State Constitution; and 15
WHEREAS, education for citizenship is important to help every student evolve into 16
an active knowledgeable participant in a constitutional republic society; and 17
WHEREAS, the United States of America was founded on the principle of a 18
government by the people, as recognized in our foundational documents of the 19
Declaration of Independence, United States Constitution, and Bill of Rights; and 20
WHEREAS, evidence abounds of steadily increasing disillusionment of the 21
perceived relevant value of constitutional knowledge to guide citizen navigation of 22
societal issues and achieve sustainable problem-solving remedies. Analysis and 23
discernment reveal such positions are expressed by many citizens who demonstrate a 24
conspicuous lack of this constitutional education, and is manifested in the concurrent 25
decline in confidence expressed through the rise in public discourse, general 26
conversation, and behavior that seeks to highlight, reflect, and communicate concerns of 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 2048
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whether the government can operate within its constitutionally limited parameters; and 1
WHEREAS, it is imperative that citizens in a constitutional republic have access to 2
educational resources leading them to a deeper understanding of the United States 3
Constitution to help those citizens live out the values contained therein, including life and 4
liberty, through individual leadership roles and responsibilities in both the public and 5
private sector; and 6
WHEREAS, access to education and resources on the structure and function of the 7
United States Constitution is indispensable towards empowering each citizen to develop 8
critical thinking skills and to serve the expressed intent of the General Assembly in KRS 9
158.645 to create a system of public schools that, in part, allows and assists students to 10
acquire communication skills necessary to function in a complex and changing 11
civilization and to understand governmental processes and their impact on the 12
community, state, and nation; and 13
WHEREAS, students need to be enabled and encouraged to acquire of core of basic 14
knowledge in social and cultural issues and institutions to empower them to utilize their 15
understanding of a constitutional republic in a functional perspective, thereby equipping 16
each with an actionable awareness of the extents and limitations of an individual's rights 17
and responsibilities within a constitutional republic; and 18
WHEREAS, public schools and postsecondary institutions, as well as their 19
governing boards and appurtenant organizations, are ultimately responsible for providing 20
sound and knowledgeable leadership to ensure Kentucky's students leave the Kentucky 21
education system having been empowered with the essential skills and knowledge to live 22
a life of constitutionally sound and responsible citizenship; 23
NOW, THEREFORE, 24
Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 25
Kentucky: 26
Section 1. The Senate urges the Council on Postsecondary Education and the 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 2048
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Kentucky Department of Education, in partnership with the Secretary of State and other 1
education entities, to develop strategies and a timeline for improving Kentucky students’ 2
knowledge and understanding of the constitutional republic of The United States of 3
America and the democratic processes specified in the United States Constitution. 4
Section 2. The Senate encourages the Kentucky Department of Education and 5
the Council on Postsecondary Education to work with the public primary, secondary, and 6
postsecondary institutions to review Kentucky students' current level of skills and 7
knowledge relating to the United States Constitution and our constitutional republic. The 8
review should include curriculum requirements, assessments of student knowledge, 9
teacher competencies required in these area, and any other relevant data and information. 10
Section 3. The Senate urges each educational institution within the state to go 11
above and beyond the minimum federal requirements in dedicating the entire day on 12
September 17 to educational activities on the United States Constitution and 13
incorporation constitution education throughout the year. 14
Section 4. The Senate encourages the Council on Postsecondary Education and 15
the Kentucky Department of Education, or any education institution developing 16
educational programs on the United States Constitution to utilize the publicly available 17
resources coordinated by and published on the web page of the United States Department 18
of Education, as well as resources provided by other entities interested in spreading 19
knowledge of the foundational documents of the United States. 20
Section 5. The Senate urges the Council on Postsecondary Education and the 21
Kentucky Department of Education to devise implementation strategies, including a 22
specific timeline to improve Kentucky students' knowledge and understanding of the 23
United States Constitution, the inherent democratic processes, and civic engagement. In 24
the development of these strategies, the Council on Postsecondary Education and the 25
Kentucky Department of Education are encouraged to incorporate the appropriate 26
existing state efforts to promote civic literacy. 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 2048
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Section 6. The Senate requests that the commissioner of education and the 1
president of the Council on Postsecondary Education jointly submit a report to the 2
Legislative Research Commission for referral to the appropriate Interim Joint Committee 3
on Education by July 1, 2025, regarding the current programs within the public education 4
institutions to comply with the federal requirement of education on the United States 5
Constitution as well as the implementation strategies to comply and expand these 6
education programs. 7
Section 7. The Clerk of the Senate is directed to transmit a copy of this 8
Resolution to the president of the Council on Postsecondary Education, 100 Airport 9
Road, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601 and to the commissioner of education, 300 Sower 10
Boulevard, Fifth Floor, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601. 11