1 | EveryChildAlabama.org
Session 3: Passing School Funding Reform - Growing Momentum
Speaker Introductions
Jason Meadows
A+ Advocacy & Partnership Director
Mark Dixon
A+ President
EveryChildAlabama.org
Robert Blizzard
UpONE Insights Founder
Rebecca Sibilia
EdFund Executive Director
A+ Education Partnership is building an Alabama where every child has access to a world-class education, regardless of circumstance.
With one foot in the statehouse and one foot in the schoolhouse and communities, we partner with families, educators, state leaders, and our community to advocate on behalf of ALL Alabama public school students.
EveryChildAlabama.org
Seven-part virtual learning series
from 3-4 pm
Thursday, May 30
Thursday June 13
Thursday, June 27
Thursday, July 11
EveryChildAlabama.org
Today’s Objectives
Participants will:
Participants will understand political landscape of education reform and the growing momentum of moving to a student-weighted formula nationally and in Alabama.
EveryChildAlabama.org
Today’s Takeaways
EveryChildAlabama.org
Questions
This series is all about learning.
Please submit any questions that come up as we go!
EveryChildAlabama.org
Passing School Funding Reform
Mark Dixon
A+ President
EveryChildAlabama.org
Who are the players in education policy?
What is the Legislative process?
What progress has been made?
STATE OF ALABAMA �EDUCATION SYSTEM
THE PEOPLE OF ALABAMA
House Ways & Means Education Committee
$
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION�Governor serves as President
8 Board Members Elected by District Every 4 Years
GOVERNOR
Kay Ivey �Elected Every 4 Years
ALABAMA LEGISLATURE
Elected Every 4 Years�
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
105 Members
SENATE
35 Members
AL STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Led by the State Superintendent
House Education Policy Committee
Finance & Taxation – Education Committee
$
Senate Education Committee
STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION, Dr. Eric Mackey
Appointed by the State Board
139 LOCAL BOARDS OF EDUCATION
67 County School Systems (All Elected), 72 City School Systems (Some Appointed)
EVERY ALABAMA CITIZEN VOTES FOR:
Legislative Process
Ways & Means Education Committee
Bill
Introduced
1st Reading
Alabama House of Representatives
105 Members
Governor
Kay Ivey
Alabama Senate
35 Members
Bill
Passed by full House
Finance & Taxation Education Committee
Bill
Gets Senate 1st Reading
Bill
Passed by full Senate
Bill
Signed or Vetoed
Rep. Danny Garrett Chair
Senator Arthur Orr Chair
Kay Ivey
Governor
13 | EveryChildAlabama.org
High-Impact Education Legislation
Progress in the 2024 Legislative Session
$241.6 million appropriated in the FY 2025 Education budget to implement Literacy, Numeracy, and Principal legislation.
Funding is the one thing that impacts everything.
If we don’t address school funding, we are treating symptoms and not the root cause.
Legislature to Study School Funding
Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 61 was passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Ivey during the 2024 Legislative Session.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA, BOTH HOUSES THEREOF CONCURRING, That the Legislature of Alabama shall conduct a study on modernizing the current K-12 school funding model into a student-based funding model, including any additional costs associated with the transition, as well as any necessary changes in law that may be required to implement a new statutory framework that supports meaningful education to Alabama's K-12 students.
Findings and any proposed legislation shall be delivered to Legislative Leadership and the Governor by February 1, 2025.
Alabama Polling Update
Mark Dixon
A+ President
EveryChildAlabama.org
Robert Blizzard
UpONE Insights Founder
A Conversation on Momentum
EveryChildAlabama.org
Rebecca Sibilia
EdFund Executive Director
Mark Dixon
A+ President
Final Takeaways
EveryChildAlabama.org
20 | EveryChildAlabama.org
Please take the survey and let us know what you think!
Seven part virtual learning series from 3-4 pm
Thursday, May 30
Thursday, June 13
Thursday, June 27
Thursday, July 11
21 | EveryChildAlabama.org