Nearly 3,800 Alabama teaching jobs that were in danger of being lost will be spared for at least two years, thanks to the federal economic-stimulus package, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Joe Morton announced last week.
Mr. Morton said about $1 billion will be combined from different areas of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. That includes money under Gov. Bob Riley’s discretion that the Republican governor has pledged to use to keep the jobs, which amount to about 8 percent of the state’s teaching force of 49,000.
Mr. Morton said the governor had the option of using fiscal-stabilization funds that are available to governors for a variety of areas including school modernization, upgrading technology, or paying down debt, as some governors have chosen to do. Mr. Riley said keeping as many teachers in the state’s classrooms as possible is imperative to maintaining the momentum the state has had in improving in areas such as reading and math, and increasing Advanced Placement scores.
