Senate committee approves mandatory kindergarten bill
The Senate Education Policy Committee approved the legislation requiring all first graders attend kindergarten or demonstrate proficiency.
kindergarten
Bill to make kindergarten mandatory carried over in committee
HB423 would require every 6-year-old who didn't attend kindergarten to pass a competency exam before being admitted to first grade.
Speaker says the House had a good week
Speaker Mac McCutcheon said the House had a good week after passing a number of priority bills.
Bill updating sex education curriculum fails on the last day of session
The Alabama House of Representatives ended the 2019 Legislative Session Friday without addressing legislation to remove language from the Alabama public schools sex education curriculum that the LGBTQ+ community finds objectionable. Sponsors said the bill would have also made the curriculum more scientifically and medically accurate. Senate Bill 140 was sponsored by State Sen. Tom … Continued
House passes bill forcing parents to send children to kindergarten
Thursday, the Alabama House of Representatives passed legislation requiring that all parents enroll their children in kindergarten. House Bill 423 is sponsored by State Rep. Pebblin Warren, D-Tuskegee. Warren said that under current law kindergarten is not required. This law would make it mandatory. According to the synopsis, HB423 amends the, “Code of Alabama 1975, … Continued
Legislature to address education reform this week
For decades, Alabama state government has largely deferred decision making on educational matters to the elected state school board. The governor and legislature prepared budgets and the state school board and their appointed superintendent largely did things their way without a lot of interference. This week the legislature is considering a broad spectrum of bills … Continued
Department of Education makes budget request
Alabama Superintendent of Education Eric Mackey addressed the budget committees Tuesday for both the Alabama House of Representatives and Senate. Mackey appeared to be asking for more funds for almost every area. “There is nothing more important that we can do beyond getting the best prepared five year old that we can,” Mackey said of … Continued
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See recent postsAlabama’s pre-k program continues to lead the nation, but thousands of kids still don’t have access
When I was growing up, kids didn’t start learning the alphabet until they began kindergarten. Today, kids are expected to be able to write their names and read at least some words before they even begin kindergarten. The expectations are higher, and starting off behind everyone else in their class can leave a kid feeling … Continued
New Pre-K Classrooms Announced
By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Tuesday, May 17, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley (R) announced 155 new First Class Pre-K grants for the upcoming school year. This will bring the total number of high-quality, voluntary classrooms to more than 800 statewide. The new grants mean that more than 2,700 additional Alabama four-year-olds will be able … Continued
Alabama Pre-K Program is Ranked As the Best in Nation
By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Thursday, May 12 the National Institute for Early Education Research named Alabama’s First Class Pre-K the nation’s highest quality pre-kindergarten program. This is the tenth consecutive year that Alabama’s First Class Pre-K program has earned this distinction. Alabama is one of only two states in the country to meet … Continued