Governor Robert Bentley observes students at Clanton Elementary School’s Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Class learning in large group instruction. Large Group instruction is for all children actively participating with the teacher
MONTGOMERY – Governor Robert Bentley on Thursday signed the Alabama Accountability Act of 2013, which will provide flexibility to help public schools improve while also helping more children have access to a high-quality education.
“For the first time ever, we’re giving all public schools the flexibility they need to better serve their students,” Governor Bentley said. “Every school can now develop new ideas that come from their local teachers and their local principals and then put those ideas into practice. Local educators deserve the freedom and opportunity to make their schools better. That’s what this legislation provides.”
“This also gives flexibility to children and parents by providing new options for students who are stuck in persistently low-performing schools,” Governor Bentley added. “All children deserve access to a quality education, no matter where they live. This provides a new option to help children receive the best education possible.”
“As promised, this bill gives flexibility without infringing on the rights and responsibilities of our classroom teachers,” Governor Bentley said. “This bill shows that we trust our teachers to innovate and to develop new programs to reach our children. And this bill shows families that we’re committed to making sure their children have access to a quality education.”
“Some concerns have been raised regarding the impact of this legislation,” Governor Bentley said. “The Department of Revenue and the State Department of Education are reviewing this bill and can develop responsible rules and regulations to address various concerns. The most important thing right now is to make sure our schools, our families and our children have the tools they need. This bill gives them that flexibility.”
