MONTGOMERY – The Alabama Legislature on Thursday passed SB397. This bill, sponsored by Sen. Del Marsh, would change Alabama’s current elected State Board of Education to a Commission appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Alabama State Senate, if approved by the people of Alabama with a constitutional amendment.
Following the Alabama Legislature’s passage of SB397, Governor Ivey released the following statement:
“Today, because of strong, bipartisan efforts, the future for Alabama’s education system is extremely promising. Every Alabama voter will now have a chance to drastically change the structure for education governance in our state. It is time that bureaucracy no longer stands in the way of our educators, and most importantly, our students.
“When our voters have the opportunity to support this constitutional amendment on their March 2020 ballots, they will be setting a positive tone for education in Alabama. Our current system is simply not working. Statistics prove that. However, through this bold change, I am confident that Alabama will have a system that will work more effectively for our students and educators.
“I commend Sen. Del Marsh for his leadership and dedication to finding solutions for Alabama’s education system. Additionally, I applaud Speaker McCutcheon and the Alabama Legislature for supporting this piece of legislation and showing their willingness to make real, impactful changes.
“It’s time for Alabama to take the lead in education. I look forward to finding more ways to improve our education system in Alabama.”
