Education State of the States

Alabama

February 08, 2005 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley announced plans for a 4 percent pay raise for teachers—their first since 2002—and a few new education initiatives, including a $10 million distance-learning program, in his State of the State Address last week.

“Ladies and gentlemen: There can be no greater investment in Alabama’s future than an investment in education,” the Republican governor told legislators during the televised address on Feb. 2.

Gov. Bob Riley

But the state teachers’ union said it would fight for bigger salary increases. Given robust growth in the state’s Education Trust Fund—the main source of K-12 aid—the union is calling for a 7 percent pay hike for teachers.

Overall, the governor requested nearly $3.5 billion for K-12 programs under the trust fund budget for fiscal 2006, up $330 million from the previous year, or about 10 percent. The fund derives revenue mostly from sales and income taxes.

Read a transcript of the governor’s address.

The distance-learning program “will revolutionize the way we teach our children in Alabama forever,” Gov. Riley said. “Just think about it: A kid in rural Clay County or Wilcox County will have the opportunity to take advanced physics, calculus, or even Chinese.”

He proposed $725,000 to pay bonuses to teachers who volunteer to teach in schools and subject areas with shortages. Mr. Riley also said he was launching a teacher-quality commission “to recommend ways we can better support teachers, retain them in schools with the greatest needs, and reward them for results.”

He wants to increase the state reading program’s budget from $40 million to $56 million, and to give a big boost to the math, science, and technology fund, from just $238,000 to $15 million.

A version of this article appeared in the February 09, 2005 edition of Education Week

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
Classroom Technology K-12 Essentials Forum How AI Use Is Expanding in K-12 Schools
Join this free virtual event to explore how AI technology is—and is not—improving K-12 teaching and learning.
Mathematics Webinar How to Build Students’ Confidence in Math
Learn practical tips to build confident mathematicians in our webinar.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: April 16, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Quiz ICYMI: Do You Know What 'High-Quality Curriculum' Really Means?
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Image of curricula.
iStock/Getty
Education Quiz ICYMI: Lawsuits Over Trump's Education Policies And More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Image of money symbol, books, gavel, and scale of justice.
DigitalVision Vectors
Education Quiz ICYMI: Trump Moves to Shift Special Ed Oversight And More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
President Donald Trump signs an executive order on TikTok in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington.
President Donald Trump signs an executive order on TikTok in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington.
Evan Vucci/AP