Legislators discuss education issues at PTO forum

Legislators representing Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills gathered together at Vestavia Hills City Hall on Nov. 15 to discuss issues related to education.

The 18th annual PTO Legislative Forum, facilitated by the PTOs of both Mountain Brook City Schools and Vestavia Hills City Schools, included state Sen. Dan Roberts, state Rep. Jim Carns, state Rep. David Faulkner and state. Rep-elect Mike Shaw, who will represent House District 47 in Montgomery beginning in January. Longtime state Sen. Jabo Waggoner could not attend.

PTO representatives took turns asking the legislators present different questions about education.

Teacher shortages have been a problem all over the country, and legislators were asked how they would ensure both school systems can recruit and retain the best teachers.

Faulkner mentioned the 2021 law that created TEAMS, which offers STEM teachers up to $20,000 more each year and creates a different salary schedule. Faulkner said he wants to focus on teachers obtaining higher certifications and then making more money. He also brought up the possibility of apprenticeship programs to get high school students involved earlier in the education process.

Carns said there is not a one-size-fits-all solution, which was echoed by Roberts.

Mountain Brook Superintendent Dicky Barlow cautioned against relying too heavily on money.

“There is a point where it’s not about the money; it’s about the culture,” Barlow said.

Teachers and administrators are “worn out,” he said, and are being asked to do much more than they were 20 years ago.

Charter Schools

The issue of whether to fund charter schools with local tax dollars also came up. Charter schools currently only receive state funding.

Roberts argued that while charter schools may not be needed here, there are parents in other parts of the state where traditional public schools are underperforming that would like the option of a charter school.

“I think we need competition in the education system,” Roberts said.

Carns said he would not want to divert local funds away from traditional public schools.

Faulkner said charter schools are public schools and that if parents choose to send their child to a charter school, their tax dollars should be allowed to go to that school.

“Should your money follow your kid or the school?” Faulkner said.

Shaw said there have to be “creative solutions,” but said he is hesitant to take any funding away from local schools. The concern in the Vestavia Hills and Mountain Brook area would be charter schools opening for different philosophical or political reasons, as opposed to academic needs, given the strength of the over-the-mountain school districts. 

Barlow took the side of taking care of “the least of these” by funding and improving underperforming school districts.

Alabama Literacy and Numeracy Acts

With the Alabama Literacy and Numeracy acts becoming law, PTO representatives asked about ensuring that both literacy and math coaches in schools were fully funded to help achieve the state’s goals in those areas.

The Literacy Act funded one reading interventionist for each school, but does not cover the full cost of salary and benefits, while the Numeracy Act covered the cost of a math coach, but only for some schools, a PTO representative said.

Faulkner said the state has, and should continue to, fund whatever is asked of them when it comes to education.

Carns said he supports the laws, while Roberts said strengthening education in the state is critical for ensuring a positive future for children.

Both Mountain Brook and Vestavia are known for their strong school systems. So how do the school systems and the state raise the bar for future generations?

“It’s local government, parental involvement and the community working together,” Roberts said. “This is the gem of the state, education-wise.”

Roberts also said it is important to protect the schools from the “woke” environment and ideology.

Faulkner compared Barlow and Vestavia Hills City Schools Superintendent Todd Freeman to University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban and said getting to the top isn’t nearly as hard as staying there.

“Keep hiring great teachers,” Faulkner said. “Focus on things making a tangible difference.”

Faulkner said the state is seeing great results from the Literacy Act and touted the Computer Science Act and other state initiatives training and developing teachers.

Shaw supported making vocational education a priority and called it a different path to college. It is a way, he said, to engage more students.

Carns said preparing children for the future must begin in the home.

School Safety and Health

With several high-profile school shootings and the revived emphasis on student health in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, PTO representatives asked legislators if they supported creating a line item in the state’s budget to fund school resource officers as opposed to just funding them locally, as well as the idea of fully funding one nurse for each school.

Roberts said last year saw a record budget, with nearly $10 billion in state coffers, but that there will be a decrease in available money at some point, as federal dollars increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. So, with the surplus the state has now, it will likely be spent on one-time purchases as opposed to longer, continuous issues such as the state funding of SROs.

“It’s a complicated mix,” Roberts said.

Roberts said he would need to see the fiscal note and know more about any proposal before deciding one way or the other, but added he supported the concept. He later added he believes it would cost between $50 to $85 million to fully fund an SRO in each Alabama school from the state budget.

Shaw said having an SRO in each school is great, but schools must also have a plan in place to keep students safe. He cautioned against a “one-size-fits-all” approach toward school safety.

On the issue of nurses, Roberts said the group is for school nurses and said there was a $9 million increase this fiscal year for nurses, a 22% increase from fiscal 2022.

Faulkner said he is confident the funding for nurses will continue to increase.