The Governor and top officials in his administration also spoke about racial disparities in health care access in the commonwealth, a review of criminal justice training protocols, changes in our education system, and updates on skilled nursing facilities and pandemic food benefits.
J. Michael Brown, secretary for the Governor’s Executive Cabinet, announced Monday that a council with the Department of Criminal Justice Training’s (DOCJT) is reviewing and assessing its curriculum in light of demands for change across the nation.
Secretary Brown said the review will look at how current and future police officers are trained, with a plan to develop a proposed eight-hour online training course. The new course will cover several issues, including implicit bias, the use of force, deadly force and firearm deployment.
As mandated by state statutes, all training materials are governed by the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council (KLEC) to meet the Kentucky Peace Officer Professional Standards. KLEC will review any updated curriculum proposal. DOCJT remains committed to providing officers with tactical best practices, latest technology training and information to protect the diverse communities they serve.
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman announced that at last week’s Board of Education meeting, she proposed three immediate changes that will help schools better represent all the students they serve.
“As we have seen over the past week and a half, our society is crying out for change, and as I look into the crowds of people, I notice often it is our young people leading the way,” said Lt. Gov. Coleman. “Let me be clear: public education was made to meet this moment.”
The proposed changes include:
- Appoint a non-voting member to the board that is a current student
“Gov. Beshear added a teacher as non-voting member for the first time,” said Lt. Gov. Coleman. “By adding a current student to the BOE, this ensures every group has a seat at the table as we lead Kentucky into the future.” - Mandate statewide implicit bias training for all school staff
“The issue of bias that all of us harbor is something we must confront,” said Lt. Gov. Coleman. “Especially if bias is hindering a child’s education.” - Develop new strategies and programs to recruit more persons of color to be teachers
“For many kids, the first leader they have outside of their home is their teacher. Kentucky’s kids of color deserve to see themselves reflected in their community leaders,” said Lt. Gov. Coleman. “All of our children are better prepared for their future when exposed to a diverse community of leaders and teachers.”
Lt. Gov. Coleman shared that in a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, end-of-year test scores are higher for black students who have a teacher who looks like themselves. Black students who have just one black teacher by third grade are 13% more likely to go to college and black students who have two are 32% more likely.