Capital Pulse February 25, 2022

The Rundown

2-Year delay to the retention portion of the Alabama Literacy Act Passes Senate! SB200, by Sen. Rodger Smitherman – which postpones the implementation of the third-grade retention requirement in the Alabama Literacy Act until the 2024-2025 school year – passed the Senate Tuesday afternoon. A separate bill, HB220 by Rep. Terri Collins – which further changes the Alabama Literacy Act by altering the duties and functions of the Literacy Task Force, changes language dealing with good cause exemptions, and no longer allows third-grade students to be retained more than once – passed the House on Wednesday night. Both bills are expected to move in each respective chamber next week.

SB30, the education retiree bonus by Sen. Bobby Singleton, passed the Senate Tuesday. SB30 will provide a one-time longevity bonus payment for retirees and beneficiaries of the Teachers' Retirement System. For example, using the formula in this bill, retirees with 25 years of service could expect to receive a bonus check for approximately $600 ($2 per month of service).

The Education Trust Fund Budget will be presented and discussed at the House Ways and Means Committee meeting on Tuesday, March 1st. The committee will vote on the budget on Wednesday, March 2nd and the ETF budget package is set to go to the floor of the House on Tuesday, March 8th. AEA has spent the past several months meeting with legislators to discuss budget priorities including a pay raise with additional increases within the steps of the salary schedule; retiree bonus checks; increasing instructional supply money; funding for additional reading coaches and Literacy Act requirements; school nurses; and much more.

This week, neither version of the "Parent's Choice Act" moved in either chamber of the Legislature. These bills – SB140 and HB245 – are currently in a joint study group to further research school choice, the full scope of the effects of the program, and what other avenues should be considered and deliberated before making such a massive change to the landscape of public education. Even though these bills aren’t currently moving, they are still very dangerous, so continue to voice your opinions to your legislators!

HB312, by Rep. Ed Oliver, was discussed in a public hearing in the House State Government Committee Wednesday. HB312 would prohibit the state and its political subdivisions or agencies

from promoting or advancing divisive concepts regarding race, sex, or religion in certain teaching or training. In regard to K-12 educators, the bill codifies the State Board of Education resolution dealing with divisive concepts passed last Fall. AEA worked with the bill sponsor to ensure educators would continue to be protected by the Students’ First Act.

Thus far, 679 bills have been introduced by the Legislature. AEA staff continues to read each word of every bill and monitors them daily to ensure they will positively affect public education.

Moving This Week

HB322, by Rep. Scott Stadthagen, would require public K-12 schools to designate all rooms that are accessible to multiple students of one sex to be used based on their biological sex only. HB322 passed the House on Tuesday and was referred to the Senate.

HB331, by Rep. Pebblin Warren, would allow a child who becomes six years of age between September 1 and December 31 to be admitted to the first grade, as long as they have completed kindergarten or otherwise demonstrated first-grade readiness. Additionally, it would provide for those circumstances where a child under five years of age on September 1 may be admitted to public kindergarten. HB331 passed the House on Wednesday and was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance and Taxation Education.

SB209, by Sen. Donnie Chesteen, and HB307, by Rep. Alan Baker, would authorize the issuance of a professional educator certificate to qualified individuals who have held an alternative certificate for one year– instead of three years – and would also allow the issuance of a professional educator certificate to a qualified individual who completes an alternative teacher preparation program offered by an approved alternative teacher education preparation organization. SB209 passed the Senate Education Policy Committee Wednesday and now heads to the Senate floor. HB307 passed the House on Thursday and was referred to the Senate.

Newly Introduced

SB251, by Sen. Tom Butler, would increase the per semester loan repayment award for math and science teachers participating in the AMSTEP program through the Alabama Commission on Higher Education. The Alabama Math and Science Teacher Education Program (AM STEP) provides student loan repayment for public high school math and science teachers who serve in underserved areas of the state. The loan repayment

HB387, by Rep. Bob Fincher, would require the State Board of Education (SBOE) to replace the Common Core State Standards for Math and English Language Arts with the courses of study for Math and English Language Arts in place immediately before the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. Additionally, it would require the SBOE to update the pre-Common Core State Standards, known as the Alabama Course of Study Standards, to be used in all K-12 public schools starting with the 2023-2024 school year. It would also prohibit the SBOE from adopting or implementing any other national standards from any source.

HB394, by Rep. Wes Kitchens, would permit Tier I members retired under the Teachers' Retirement System and reemployed full-time by a local board of education to continue to receive retirement benefits. The member would be eligible to be rehired with no salary cap and still receive retirement benefits as though they had not returned to active service, except that their PEEHIP

coverage reverts to the terms applicable to an active employee. However, the employee would not be eligible to accrue additional service credit in any manner and would not be entitled to any refund of the retirement contributions withheld during the return-to-work period.

Capital Pulse February 25, 2022

February 22-25, 2022