Alabama is past due for an education overhaul. In nearly every national publication that scores and ranks education systems, Alabama finds itself dead last. This must change.
Data from the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama found that over half of public-school students in grades 3-8 are not proficient in grade-level reading and math. The proficiency rate for science, which is tested in the 5th and 7th grades, is much lower.
Much of the responsibility for classroom and curriculum issues falls on the State School Board. Instead of focusing on the critical problems affecting our teachers and our students, the State School Board appears to be deadlocked on topics that do not improve the status of Alabama’s education system.
Because of the State School Board’s lack of initiative, most curriculum issues are taken up in the legislature instead. The State School Board needs a fresh perspective. It needs to seriously address the pitfalls of Alabama’s education system. Only by electing qualified and dedicated individuals can we turn the tide and start supporting our children again.
In addition to general curriculum issues, the State School Board has done little to support teachers and administrators throughout the pandemic. As COVID-19 ramped up, and schools began to close their doors, there was no response from the State School Board. Just as our students and parents felt the strain from online schooling, our teachers and administrators worked nonstop to ensure Alabama’s students could continue learning despite the circumstances.
The time has passed for the State School Board to support our teachers and administrators during the pandemic. As we have moved on from COVID-19, we must recognize what could have been done better in Alabama’s schools throughout the pandemic and turn those problems into solutions.
Most importantly, the lack of concern to improve the quality of education in Alabama’s classrooms only puts our students at a disadvantage. As a result, there is a significant effect on Alabama’s economy. This begins with college and career readiness. According to a US News ranking, Alabama students are 45th in college readiness. Close to 30 percent of college freshmen that came from an Alabama public school need remedial classes.
How can we justify economic prosperity in Alabama when jobs in the 21st century require higher levels of education and skill than ever before? The simple answer is for the State School Board to begin identifying technical programs that may be implemented into the school curriculum beginning in elementary school. Generally, by the 4th or 5th grade it is evident how well a student absorbs and processes information. At that stage in a student’s education, we can assess whether that student may be better suited for a technical or skills-based career field.
Governor Ivey’s Office has done a great job of understanding the lack of technical programs in Alabama’s public education system. With the development of the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship, as well as the Governor’s Office of Education and Workforce Transformation, the state is setting up a framework to utilize local businesses to train students as apprentices in skills-based jobs. By retaining those skills-based workers in Alabama, positive economic implications follow.
The reason I’m running for the Alabama State School Board is to provide new perspectives and enhanced awareness of the challenges our schools face. As a 36-year public educator, I have witnessed the problems our students, teachers, and administrators encounter on a daily basis. Alabama needs solutions to these problems, and as your State School Board member, I will work tirelessly, visiting all 172 schools in the district every year to see how to provide the solutions we need.
It is up to Alabama voters to decide that they are tired of the status quo in their children’s classrooms. We must set a new standard for education in Alabama, and that begins with capable and dedicated State School Board members.
Priscilla Yother is a candidate for the Alabama State Board of Education (BOE), District 6.
