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Legislative Update
Although the summer seems to get shorter and shorter, the length of Alabama's school year wasn't keeping up with the rest of the nation. Up until this year, our public school calendar consisted of 175 instructional days, five days below what is offered elsewhere. Many of our sister states such as Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Florida all have 180-day school years, while Alabama had only 175. While five days may not seem like a lot, children from other states were receiving five more days of instruction, preparation, and learning. The fact is that our students take the same tests and will be expected to compete for the same jobs as the children from those states, yet Alabama's students were operating at a learning disadvantage. Our state Legislature recognized this problem, and in response, passed a bill that adds five more days to school year. This allows our schools to keep their doors open for five more days a year, and puts our children on par with the rest of the nation. In addition to lengthening the calendar, there are several other reasons why the 2006-2007 school year figures to be one of the most promising in a long time. Funding for our schools is at an all-time high. While the past few years have seen some economic downtimes and hardscrabble education budgets, this year our state had money to fund many needs of our schools. The budget dramatically increases the amount of money spent on learning programs such as the Alabama Reading Initiative, as well as math and science programs. Funding has improved in several critical areas such as special education and physical education, and school infrastructures will be stronger since funding has drastically increased for transportation, nurses and supplies. Most importantly, however, the results are beginning to show in the classroom. As we all know, more funding doesn't necessarily equate to better scores. However, for the first time in several years, Alabama's test scores are on the rise - Stanford Achievement scores are up, math and science scores are better, and college entrance exam scores have increased as well. Last year's scores are indication that we are on the right track. Equally important to classroom funding is the ability to retain good teachers. A good teacher can make an impression on a child that lasts a lifetime by providing the right balance of encouragement, discipline and motivation. Simply put, a good teacher may be the difference between a student prospering or falling behind other students. Because of this, it is imperative that we are able to recruit quality educators and to keep the good ones that we already have. Last year the Legislature ensured that Alabama's teachers received a 5 percent pay increase. But the raise doesn't end with teachers; education support staff, such as bus drivers and cafeteria workers, will also receive an increase in pay. With the much-needed pay raise, the state ensured that our education workers are at least in line with the cost of living. While the future of Alabama's public schools may look brighter than ever, it is critical that we continue our dedication to funding schools, keeping good teachers, and supporting critical learning programs.
Although the summers seem to get shorter and shorter with each passing year, we must remember that longer school years will not only help students be successful today, but more importantly, they will help prepare them to compete in the world of tomorrow, and isn't that what learning is really all about?
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