Education in Alabama is evolving rapidly. With the recent adoption of the CHOOSE Act, which allows public funding to follow children to private schools, and the expansion of charter schools across the state, parents now have more options than ever when it comes to choosing where to send their children for an education.
As the superintendents of Autauga and Elmore County Schools, we fully support a parent’s right to choose the best educational setting for their children.
In fact, both of our districts have developed in-district transfer policies that give our families the freedom to choose which school their children attend within our systems.
However, while we recognize that there are challenges in our education system, we request that policymakers listen to those in the trenches to enhance public education. In this article, we will explore two critical areas where we can make meaningful changes to improve public education in Alabama.
Curriculum Flexibility: A Right for All Schools
One key issue in Alabama’s education system is the pace of the curriculum and the overemphasis on testing. Unfortunately, as public school systems, there is little we can do to change this reality, as it is mandated by federal and state law. Private and charter schools, however, often use curriculum flexibility as a recruitment tool to attract students and parents.
When we began exploring the idea of converting Autauga and Elmore counties to charter districts, we quickly realized that the law made it impossible. According to the law and the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE), every school in both of our districts would need its own board, which would report to the district’s board of education. This would mean 13 different boards in Autauga County and 16 in Elmore County. Obviously, this is not practical or feasible. Therefore, we have asked our local legislative delegations to explore possible changes to this law.
Parents are often perplexed about curriculum flexibility and the differences in how mandates are applied to different school options. Changing the curriculum is a complex process that requires legislative action. Currently, the law allows for a local board of education to serve as a charter authorizer for a startup or conversion charter school located in its district. However, the law does not address when a local board of education would like to move their entire district to become a charter district. We are requesting that the law be changed to allow an entire district to move to a charter district authorized by the local board of education.
This change in the law would eliminate the need for each school in a district to have its own governing board. By allowing entire districts the option to move away from the state’s standardized curriculum, local boards of education would have the flexibility to make decisions regarding curriculum. This change would also level the playing field between charter schools and traditional public schools in the area of curriculum flexibility.
If curriculum freedom is essential, why not extend this flexibility to all public schools? In Autauga and Elmore Schools, we have the best educators around, and we would love the opportunity to work with them to develop a curriculum tailored to the needs of our students. We request that state legislators work to make this option available to public schools, as it is with charter and private schools.
Accountability for All Schools Receiving Public Funds
Currently, Governor Ivey’s proposed budget includes a $10.3 million allotment for charter schools. There are many steps before this becomes law, but if it does become a reality, it will be problematic for traditional public school systems. Charter schools already receive federal and state funding, just like public schools. With only 14 charter schools in Alabama, this $10.3 million could result in charter schools being funded at levels equal to, or higher than, those of public schools. This is a significant concern, as charter schools must demonstrate they can operate without local funds as part of their application process. In essence, charter schools not only have curriculum flexibility that public schools lack, but if this budget proposal passes, they could also receive funding at levels that surpass those of public schools.
Another pressing issue is standardized testing. If both public and charter schools must participate in standardized testing to receive state and federal funding, then private schools that accept public funds through the CHOOSE Act should also be required to be evaluated by the same standardized measure as public schools—through the State Report Card. If the State Report Card is the chosen tool to measure the effectiveness of schools, then private schools that accept public money should not be exempt from this accountability. By requiring all schools that accept public funds to be evaluated by the same State Report Card, parents will have an unbiased and equal tool to measure the educational success of any school—public, charter, or private.
The Path Forward
We all know that things must change with time, but these changes must be made in a way that is fair and equitable. By holding public, charter, and private schools that accept public funds to the same standardized testing requirements, parents will be able to make informed decisions based on accurate academic data.
With funding being a significant challenge, especially for Autauga and Elmore County, we must ask ourselves: What message are we sending to our public school employees by purposely funding charter schools at higher levels than originally intended? Charter schools are required to provide a business plan that does not rely on local funds in order to be granted the right to operate. If the rules of the game are changed to benefit private and charter schools, it seems that the state legislature is favoring charter and private schools over public schools.
Let’s require that all entities that accept public funds play by the same rules. Only then can parents make the best decision for their children’s education. This is the path forward. Please join us in advocating for equity for all modes of public education in Alabama.
Lyman Woodfin is superintendent of Autauga County Schools and Richard Dennis is superintendent of Elmore County Public Schools.