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STATE BOARD VOTES NOV. 18
ON COMMON CORE STANDARDS

     
     A state Board of Education vote on Nov. 18 determines whether Alabama implements the voluntary common core standards in 2012-2013. The English language arts and mathematics standards – developed in an initiative led by states – are more than 90 percent compatible with Alabama’s current standards. Board approval next month would begin the process of preparing professional development, resources and support materials, a process that is expected to be completed in the summer of 2011. Educators would be trained throughout the 2011-2012 school year, including the summer.

State Superintendent of Education Dr. Joe Morton said he plans to recommend a vote at the November K-12 meeting, though state board member Stephanie Bell suggested waiting two months to consider the issue. General elections are Nov. 2. In January 2011, newly elected state board members and the ex-officio state board president – the governor – take their seats. The suggestion stirred responses from outgoing board members Dr. Ethel Hall and Dr. Mary Jane Caylor. Hall asked Bell for the “real reason” behind the suggestion to delay, and Caylor said she intends to exercise her board vote.

Another hot-button issue discussed at Thursday’s K-12 work session was education funding. In the words of Deputy State Superintendent of Finance Dr. Craig Pouncey, “I hope people understand the gravity of what we are facing as we start into this budget process.” Though education receives 75 percent of every dollar in revenue distributed by the state, that’s hardly enough, Pouncey explained. 

“You can have 75 percent of an inadequate sum and not be able to provide adequate services,” he said, noting that Alabama should no longer wear its national bottom-rank in state and local tax collections per person as a “badge of honor.” Alabama collected $3,002 per person in the 2008 fiscal year. Only South Carolina collected less tax per capita.

Yet, Alabama ranks 10th in the nation for its reliance on state-collected, as opposed to locally collected, taxes to fund K-12 education. Nearly 62 percent of all K-12 education dollars come from state sources. The taxes that primarily make up the Education Trust Fund – income tax (53 percent) and sales tax (26 percent) – are subject to economic volatility. A lethargic economic recovery may offer little hope when the state board makes its 2012 budget recommendation to the new governor, particularly since the 2012 budgeting process starts with an estimated $800 million or more hole to fill. Education has lost $1.5 billion in state funding since the 2008 fiscal year, and it’s possible, unless 5.7 percent revenue growth materializes, a predicted $314 million hole in the FY2011 budget could result in 3 to 5 percent proration in the current school year.

Pouncey reminded the state board that the state has drained its proration prevention savings, maxed out its Rainy Day Fund line of credit that still has to be repaid and is approaching the exhaustion of one-time federal help. “We’ve spent the last three years putting Band-Aids on,” Pouncey said, “and there are no more Band-Aids.”
Morton said he’s not yet ready to jump on the 2011 proration bandwagon until he sees whether tourism rebounds in the aftermath of the BP oil spill, there are healthy holiday sales and if the income tax rate improves. Over the past 12 months, five of the state’s metropolitan areas were among the top 10 in the nation for their decline in unemployment.

Morton said he believes there will be a request for more state dollars to cover PEEHIP costs, and he also suggested a discussion about level funding the Teacher Retirement System in 2012 is a real possibility. Other issues that may come up during the 2012 budget talks:

• Retirement benefits kick in at age 60 and a minimum of 30 years of service (requires legislative approval)
• The employee retirement contribution adjusted up from 5 percent to 6 percent (requires legislative approval)
• A reduction in education employee contract days. (The loss of one of teachers’ 187 contract days would mean $18.8 million)
• Increase in class divisors (A .50 increase in divisors for all grade spans would mean 1,251 fewer teacher units and save $81.5 million)

A presentation was also given to the state board on a proposal to repeal existing rules for teacher certification and to adopt a new chapter. The goal is a more user-friendly chapter that includes rules that would not only streamline the certification process but would reflect current practices and procedures; provide consistent requirements and dates across certification approaches; and ensure applicants who take the alternative route to certification have demonstrated content knowledge before working with students. The chapter addresses such topics as alternative certification, emergency certification, the addition of teaching fields (elementary education and early childhood education), accreditation, state-approved teacher education programs completed outside of Alabama; renewal requirements; revocation and suspension of certificates; and unsuitability determinations.

In addition to November’s joint K-12 and postsecondary  meeting, there will be another joint meeting Dec. 9 – the final state board meeting of the year.

EDUCATION TRUST FUND UPDATE

Education Trust Fund receipts for FY 2010 were approximately $100 million short of projections, thus leading to the additional 2 percent proration of the 2010 budget in mid-September, just prior to the close of the fiscal year. The same revenue projection served as the baseline for computing the FY 2011 budget which also contains a 1.175 percent growth rate, as well as other revenue-enhancing strategies to fund the $5.48 billion budget.  Finance experts estimate 3 to 4 percent  proration of the current budget, but some state education officials now argue that it would be prudent to wait to determine the impact  BP settlement payments, the holiday shopping season and the declining unemployment rate have on the ETF before projecting proration of the FY 2011 budget.

ALABAMA TO STUDY TWO YEARS OF
VOLUNTARILY STARTING SCHOOL ON AUG. 15

State Superintendent of Education Dr. Joe Morton with the support of AASB and SSA is requesting schools to voluntarily start the 2011-2012 school calendar no sooner than Aug. 15, 2011. The tourism industry’s perennial bill to mandate a later start date was poised for introduction in the 2011 Regular Legislative Session. In an effort to avoid a possible state law on school calendars, AASB and SSA met with the state superintendent and two key legislators to determine a voluntary solution. Morton proposed that Alabama conduct a two-year school calendar pilot study that asks local boards of education to start the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 school years on or after Aug. 15. “School systems that want to end the first semester by Christmas may do so under this plan,” Morton explained. “A task force will be appointed to study the results of a later start date (Aug. 15) and enlist an unbiased research group to gather and analyze data as directed by the task force. Student testing will be moved to a two-week later “testing window” in April beginning in 2012 to facilitate the later date. All school systems should try to complete the academic school year for students before Memorial Day weekend.”

SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS ‘DOUBLE DIPPING’ BAN

The Alabama Supreme Court last week upheld a state school board policy to prohibit 2-year college employees from serving in the Legislature by an 8-0 ruling. A Montgomery court had previously overturned the policy claiming it was unconstitutional and violated the Fair Dismissal Act.  The state’s high court disagreed and found state employees are not discriminated against and must follow the same rules private employees follow when seeking leave during work hours.  The decision will impact at least six legislators including:  Sen. Quinton Ross (D-Montgomery), Reps. Blaine Galliher (R-Gadsden), Todd Greeson (R-Ider), Randy Hinshaw (D-Meridianville), Jack Page (D-Gadsden) and Pebblin Warren (D-Tuskegee).  Individuals must decide whether to resign from their employment with the two-year system or hold office.

INJUNCTION LIFTED, RILEY BAN CONTINUES ON
STATE AGENCY EMPLOYEE PAC CONTRIBUTIONS

The Gov. Bob Riley administration’s order has again stopped state employee payroll deductions from going to political action committees.  The Alabama Supreme Court lifted an injunction placed by a Montgomery Circuit Court.  The order has only been applied to state agencies, and association dues continue to be deducted, while PAC contributions that go directly to political campaigns are barred.  The case has yet to be litigated.

BOARD PRESIDENT’S ROUNDTABLE SCHEDULED,
REGISTER FOR DEC. 2-4 ANNUAL CONVENTION

If you’re a school board president or incoming president, don’t miss AASB’s fourth annual Board President’s Roundtable on Friday, Dec. 3, from 10:30 a.m. until 11:40 a.m. in the Wyndsor II Room at The Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham. The roundtable is an opportunity for school board presidents to network, share ideas and discuss topics that impact their leadership. This will be an opportunity to network and share ideas and tips with your colleagues.  The roundtable discussion is one of 22 clinic sessions covering everything from technology and academic rigor to dropout prevention and rescuing students in crisis. More than 450 school board members are expected to attend this year’s convention with the theme Take on Turbulent Times: Innovate to Move Students Forward! Registration is now open at www.AlabamaSchoolBoards.org. Earn up to 8 academy hours. Call The Wynfrey at 800/996-3739 or 205/987-1600 for housing information, use AASB group code 1B3456. Call the Hyatt Place Hoover, just minutes from The Wynfrey, for the AASB room rate, 888/492-8847 or 205/988-8444.  

NEW BOARD MEMBER ORIENTATION

If you’re a new school board member or want to refresh your understanding of board basics, plan to attend the Dec. 2 orientation course on Effective Boards & Relationships (formerly Leadership II). The course is required to advance in the AASB School Board Member Academy and occurs prior to the AASB Annual Convention. Attendees earn 6 hours of core academy credit. Registration is open at www.AlabamaSchoolBoards.org.

AASB WELCOMES DIRECTOR SUSAN SALTER

The Alabama Association of School Boards is pleased to welcome Susan Rountree Salter as AASB’s director of board development. Salter first joined the AASB staff in 1995 and served as the association's director of public relations for a decade, prior to serving as director of membership services from 2005 to 2008. After a three-year stint as director of university relations for Auburn University at Montgomery, she returns Nov. 15 to oversee AASB’s School Board Member Academy and to provide board training, custom board workshops and such field services as superintendent searches and facilitated board self-evaluations. LuAnn Bird, the former director of board development, continues work with the Alabama Governing for Achievement Project as a consultant.

VOTE “YES” NOV. 2 ON AMENDMENT 2

Under Article XIV, Section 269, as amended by Amendment 111 of the state constitution, counties may call an election to authorize the levy of a special ad valorem tax of not more than 1 mill to support education.  The rate, duration and purpose of the tax must be approved by three-fifths of voters participating in the election. Since the 1-mill county tax was authorized by a constitutional amendment, a change requires another constitutional amendment. A “yes” vote on this proposed constitutional amendment only changes the requirement for approval from three-fifths to a simple majority.  This brings this tax in line with the other requirements for the school taxes and renewals. 

WINNER OF FREE REGISTRATION ANNOUNCED

Congratulations to Tony Powell of Monroe County. Powell completed his October Conference evaluation online and was selected for a free registration for either the AASB’s March 18-19, 2011, academy conference on Leadership for Developing a Highly Effective Staff or the Oct. 2-3, 2011, academy conference on Leadership for Community Engagement.

eBOARD WINNER CONGRATULATED

As one of the sponsors for AASB’s Leadership Academy, eBOARDsolutions applauds school boards’ commitment to public service as you continue to participate in the Alabama Association of School Boards’ development activities. eBOARDsolutions also congratulates Tuscumbia City Schools Board Member Betsy Gardiner who won the attendance prize donated by eBOARDsolutions — an iPad. The device is just one tool that can be used in the successful implementation of eBOARD, a web-based integrated suite of software for paperless meetings, strategic planning, evaluations, policies, communications and documents. Through the AASB and eBOARDsolutions partnership, member boards receive a 10 percent discount on eBOARD, a 21st century answer to excellence in board governance. Call Diane Sandifer at 770/822-3626 to schedule a demonstration of eBOARD for your leadership team.

ALL-STATE WINNERS ANNOUNCED

What does it take to win the Alabama Association of School Boards’ highest honor for individual school board members? It takes distinguished service and a commitment to serving the interests of all students in Alabama. The 2010 Alabama All-State School Board Members are Terri Averett of Enterprise, Bill Copeland of Tuscaloosa County, Joe Frank Fowler of Lauderdale County, Sue Helms of Madison and Jim Methvin of the Alabama School of Fine Arts. The winners will be honored at AASB’s annual convention in December.

SCHOOL BOARDS CAN JUMPSTART THEIR ADVOCACY EFFORTS NOV. 2

AASB urges all school board members to provide leadership at the polls on Tuesday.  The budget, law and policies affecting K-12 will be set in the next four years based on the choices made and relationships built with leaders elected.  Be sure to reach out and be a source of critical public education information to our local leaders.  Advocacy is a core role in school board service. Visit www.AlabamaSchoolBoards.org and select “Advocacy” for more information on how to be a successful advocate.

REGISTER FOR 2011 NSBA AND CUBE CONFERENCES IN SAN FRANCISCO

Registration for the 2011 National School Boards Association Conference is open. Once you've registered, you must wait 24 hours before booking your housing information.  To register for the Council of Urban Boards of Education early-bird programming on Friday, April 8, 2011, you must check off the box for CUBE programming under the "Optional Events" section of the NSBA Annual Conference registration form. For more information and to register, visit www.nsba.org/conference.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Jan. 18-Feb. 10, 2011
AASB Winter District Meetings (1 Academy hour)
April 9-11, 2011
NSBA Annual Conference, San Francisco

— Denise L. Berkhalter,
publicrelations@AlabamaSchoolBoards.org

Alabama Association of School Boards:
Developing excellent school board leaders through quality training, advocacy and services.