In spirit of the iconic 1980s campaign “Just Say No,” I write to ask everyone to stand firm against Amendment 2 in the upcoming November election, and Just Say No!
Many sources claim this amendment is a school choice amendment, but Kentucky already has school choice. House Bill 563, enacted in 2021, requires Kentucky’s public-school districts to create open enrollment policies that allow non-resident students to enroll, and state funding follows the child to the new district.
Rest assured – school choice is not on the ballot; Amendment 2 is a voucher system in disguise.
As Kentucky’s Council for Better Education noted,
“Call them Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, Education Freedom Accounts, Family Empowerment Scholarship Program, Choice Scholarship Program, Opportunity Scholarship Program, Education Choice Scholarships, and tax credit scholarships. It is all marketing; they are still vouchers.”
The passing of Amendment 2 could take over $1.19 billion from our public schools and send that money to private schools – schools with no oversight on curriculum, student assessment, or student and educator anti-discrimination practices. And, families who would benefit from the passing of Amendment 2 are already sending their children to private schools. These families don’t need financial help; families who send their children to private schools make 54% more than families in public schools. Yet, if Amendment 2 passes, students attending public schools are the ones who will lose the most.
More than just a funding issue, however, Amendment 2, if passed, will create seven legal exceptions (loopholes) in the Kentucky Constitution. Sections 59, 60, 171, 183, 186 and 189 would be impacted. I don’t know about you, but hearing the word “loophole” in the same sentence as “Kentucky Constitution” raises my suspicions. Everyone should be skeptical of any legislation that exists simply because of exceptions or loopholes. The passing of Amendment 2 will give lawmakers broad new authority they didn’t have previously. In fact, the ballot wording of Amendment 2 uses the word “notwithstanding”, which I translate to “whatever we want to do regardless of what’s in our constitution”.
Let’s be clear, advocates for this amendment are not being honest about their intentions. They are urging voters to give up constitutional protections under the pretense of providing school choice; yet, school choice in Kentucky already exists.
Consider this: 90% of Kentucky’s students are enrolled in public schools, and the remaining 10% who attend private schools are primarily located in Fayette County, Jefferson County, and Northern Kentucky. With the passing of Amendment 2, budget cuts will impact the schools of the 90%, diverting funds to private schools. But in many rural areas in Kentucky, no private schools exist for children to attend. This practice is not just unfair; it’s harmful to families who rely on local public schools for quality education.
I realize most people reading this probably live in Northern Kentucky, and many of you may not have lived anywhere else in Kentucky. I, however, grew up in Casey County, and completely understand what it means to live in a rural area with only one choice for schooling – the public school system. Those Casey County students, my friends’ grandchildren and great grandchildren, will be among the ones who lose, if this amendment passes.
So, I urge everyone to come together again, just as we did with the “Just Say No” campaign against drugs. We must now stand united against measures that not only threaten education for Kentucky’s children but also grant our legislators extensive authority to alter our constitution.
Just Vote No on Amendment 2 and say “yes” to a future where every child in Kentucky has access to a well-funded public education.
Diana M. McGhee is a retired Northern Kentucky educator who lives in Covington.
The post Opinion – Diana McGhee: Stand firm and ‘just say NO’ against Amendment 2 this November appeared first on NKyTribune .
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