STATE OF ALABAMA

Office of the Governor


BOB RILEY
Governor
 

Press Office

Sustaining Progress in Education Requires Reforms
By
Governor Bob Riley
October 20, 2005

Alabamaís kids are fortunate to have some of Americaís best teachers teaching them. There are many challenges faced by Alabamaís education system, but a lack of teachers who care deeply about their students is not one of them. In fact, because of the dedication of our teachers and the emphasis weíve placed on priorities, Alabama is making real progress in education.

Weíve seen a 23 percent decline in the number of students dropping out of high school. Today, 95 percent of all schools in Alabama have one or more computers in classrooms connected to the Internet. That puts us above the national average, which is 91 percent.

The number of Alabama schools reaching their performance goals this year almost doubled from the number last year. Alabama went from having 427 schools meeting 100 percent of their performance goals to 725 schools meeting 100 percent of their performance goals this year.

Since 2003, weíve made record investments in the Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI), our nationally acclaimed literacy effort. As a result, an additional 300 schools today have ARI and weíll have it in every K-3 classroom in 2006. More than 8,000 teachers have gone through ARI training. Weíre seeing positive results from our intense focus on reading. The percentage of students scoring at or above the reading proficient level is up in every population group ñ minority students, white students, special education students, low income students ñ every group has improved.

These are the kind of results that recently prompted U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings to praise ARI as a ìnational modelî that she hopes other states will emulate.

Likewise, weíre making record investments in the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) to help more students develop the skills necessary for success in the workforce of the 21st century. With these investments, weíre increasing the number of schools with AMSTI from 72 to 175. Like the Reading Initiative, AMSTI has proven its success already. Students in AMSTI schools score dramatically higher in math, science and reading than students who attend schools that donít have AMSTI.

These improvements show weíve got momentum and weíre on the right track when it comes to educating Alabamaís kids.

But we could easily lose that momentum and get off track if we donít take the next step. We must challenge the status quo and develop real reforms that strengthen the teaching profession.

Reforms that benefit teachers in a variety of ways. Reforms that improve Alabamaís ability to recruit good teachers and prepare a world-class league of educators. Reforms that guarantee all Alabamaís children have good teachers.

To help achieve these groundbreaking reforms, I created the Governorís Commission on Quality Teaching. The commission will do more than offer reforms. It will work to implement them during the next five years.

When it comes to improving the quality of teaching, one reform rises above all others: investing in teachers.

Invest in them by building a teaching profession in Alabama that is the envy of the world. Invest in them by improving teacher preparation programs and strengthening professional development. Invest in them by attracting and rewarding the best and the brightest among them.

Alabama must have a comprehensive teacher development system, and it doesnít now. One that addresses a teacherís career path from the time a teacher enters college to the time they enter the classroom and beyond. Thatís the focus and objective of this commission.

Our ultimate goal is to guarantee that students in all public schools have thoroughly prepared teachers in every subject ó teachers who are well-paid, supported with high quality professional development, and held accountable for results.

Both ARI and AMSTI are examples of the stateís initial commitment to teacher quality. Both programs have strong professional development components. Now weíve got to build on these initial successes.

One area I believe deserves particular focus is teacher compensation and incentives.

Pay based on performance is the norm in every other profession in America. Teaching is the one American profession that doesnít reward superior performance. Teachers in Alabama are paid according to a rigid, lock-step salary matrix. Theyíre compensated only in terms of years of service and degrees held. I believe teachers deserve more.

I believe performance-based pay will elevate the teaching profession. Teaching is a craft. Itís an indispensable skill. Itís time we treated it that way. Itís time we reward those teachers who excel and are accountable for results.

What may surprise many skeptics is that Alabamaís teachers are willing to explore and support such a new and innovative approach.

According to a 2003 survey conducted by the Alabama Education Association, 60 percent of Alabama teachers support giving financial rewards to teachers who raise student achievement. This same survey found even more support among teachers ñ 79 percent ñ for giving financial incentives to those who teach in challenging schools. Sixty-three percent reported being in favor of giving financial incentives to teachers who specialize in hard-to-fill subjects such as math and science.

Other professions reward employees for good results and those in demand. In a profession as important as teaching, we should do the same.

We need bold reforms, and the person Iíve chosen to lead this charge for change is a teacher who exemplifies quality teaching, Dr. Betsy Rogers. Dr. Rogers is the 2003 Alabama Teacher of the Year and the National Teacher of the Year. Sheíll be working with teachers and schools leaders, parents and other partners from education and business. I canít think of anyone better qualified to fill this important role.

Alabama will be joined in this effort by regional and national education organizations that are partnering with us to help develop these bold reforms, including the Education Commission of the States and the Southeast Center for Teaching Quality.

Education in Alabama is on the right track. The record shows weíve come a long way in just the past few years. But we canít rest on our past achievements and hope for the best. We must continue to embrace fundamental reforms, especially those that will help our teachers. The stakes are high because failure is not an option when it comes to our kids.

For more contact information, visit Governor Bob Riley's Web Site:  http://www.governor.alabama.gov/ Alabama State Agency Directory  |  Alabama State Employee Directory