Across the Board March: Key Takeaways from the ALBOE Meeting

Recapping important State Board of Education policy decisions for you

Here are our key takeaways from the March 12th State Board of Education board meeting and work session. Governor Ivey was present, and all members of the board attended the meeting and work session. Click here to see the agenda for the full meeting and work session.

Top 4 Takeaways

1.K-12 Social Studies Textbook Recommendations Adopted

During the meeting, the board voted 5-to-4 to approve the social studies textbook recommendations for K-12. Governor Ivey, Tracie West, Yvette Richardson, Tonya Chestnut, and Marie Manning voted to approve the recommendations. Wayne Reynolds, Allen Long, Kelly Mooney, and Jackie Zeigler voted against the recommendations. This vote comes after ample discussion over many months. In December 2024, the board unanimously approved the Social Studies Course of Study. In April 2025, the Social Studies Textbook Committee was approved and established, and in October 2025 the board received their recommendations. 

The vote came after a public hearing and ample discussion. During the public hearing, two speakers urged the board to approve the resolution, and two speakers disagreed. Proponents emphasized the merits of the textbook committee process, unanimous board approval of the Social Studies Course of Study, needs of teachers to have quality resources, and opportunities new textbooks provide digitally to support students with learning challenges. Opponents emphasized specific passages they disagreed with in some of the textbooks, contesting the framing of subjects like climate change, social justice, religion, and politics. Board members Jackie Zeigler and Wayne Reynolds voiced their opposition, while Superintendent Mackey and Marie Manning spoke in support. 

Ultimately, the textbook recommendations are only recommendations. Local boards of education have control over the textbooks that are chosen, though state funds can only be used on recommended materials. The Social Studies Textbook Committee followed the mandated process for evaluating the textbook options based on the rubric they were given and the board-approved standards. Now, school districts can use those recommendations to make decisions for their local students and utilize their textbook funds to teach the new Course of Study in the 2026-2027 school year.

2. Superintendent Mackey’s Legislative Updates

During the work session, Superintendent Mackey shared some legislative updates with the board. Mackey highlighted the education budget, two specific priority line items for the SBOE, teacher pay raises, and the accountability bills moving through the legislature.

The budget package, made up of the Education Trust Fund, FY26 Supplemental, the Advancement and Technology Fund, and the Education Opportunities Reserve Fund, passed out of the House Ways and Means Education Committee on March 11, and the full House voted to approve the package on March 12. Mackey stated that the majority of the ALSDE’s requests were fulfilled, and he thanked Chairman Garrett for the inclusion of their Transportation Operations and Fleet Renewal line items. Mackey noted that the proposed increase for PEEHIP of $180 million is manageable, and that up to 10% of the Retirement Trust Fund can be accessed to cover any gap in the cost of PEEHIP for next year. Mackey also shared that the teacher pay raise of 2% is moving through the legislature with the budget.

Mackey identified two line items that the ALSDE requested, but were not represented in the budget. The Struggling Readers Beyond Grade 3 is funded at $10 million in the FY26 Supplemental, and the board had requested $50 million for this priority. The ALSDE had also requested $7 million to develop a social studies textbook of Alabama history aligned to the Elementary standards, which was removed from the budget. Mackey shared that he would be connecting with Chairman Orr to discuss these priorities before the budget package moves through the Senate.

Finally, Mackey talked to the board about HB604, a bill being considered by the legislature to create an Accountability Council to make recommendations on the state’s A-F Report Card accountability system. The bill would also charge the Department of Workforce, in partnership with the Department of Education and the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, to develop a return-on-investment study to measure the outcomes associated with college and career indicators. 

To read more about the FY27 education budget package, check out our Budget Watch and subscribe to The Gist for weekly updates. 

3. Updating Teacher Certification and Professional Services Requirements

During the work session, the board heard from Dr. Kelly Stanton, Educator Certification Section Administrator, and Mrs. Shavon Harris, Director of the Office of Teaching and Leading, on the upcoming changes to the Alabama Administrative Code Chapter 290-3-2. The board will be announcing their intent to adopt at the April board meeting, and will likely vote during the June board meeting. Changes to the Code include the following:

• Currently, teacher certifications must be renewed every five years. These updates would create a Lifetime Certificate for retired teachers who have completed 25 years of teaching in Alabama schools.
• Currently, the Provisional and Alternative Teaching Certificates require candidates to have a 2.5 GPA. For those with a GPA between 2.0 and 2.5, a 5% increase in their PRAXIS score waives the GPA requirement. These updates would provide an additional path to waiving the GPA requirement, requiring applicants to complete six hours of advanced coursework in the subject area of their desired certificate to qualify.  
• Currently, school counselors must complete the National Counsel Examination (NCE) as well as the PRAXIS for certification. These updates would remove the NCE exam for those graduating from an accredited school counseling program.
• Currently, only certified teachers can apply for the Dyslexia Therapist Endorsement. These updates would allow speech and language pathologists the opportunity to apply for the endorsement as well.
• Finally, the new changes would remove outdated and repetitive information, and align the Code with recent legislation and executive orders.

4. K-12 Arts Education Textbook Recommendations Approved

During the meeting, the board approved the K-12 Arts Education textbook recommendations. The Arts Education Course of Study was approved by the board in December 2024. The textbook committee was approved and began their work in April 2025, and the recommended textbook list was provided to the board in the October 2025 work session. Now that the textbooks have been approved, local boards can use state funds to purchase recommended textbooks.

The next Board meeting will be on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 10 am at the Auditorium in the Gordon Persons Building in Montgomery, Alabama. The work session will follow at 11 am. 

The Alabama State Board of Education usually meets on the second Thursday of each month, with the exception of the July meeting, to discuss important policies, procedures, and changes for Alabama’s K-12 public schools. The Board takes official action during their monthly meeting and then follows up with a Work Session to get updates and discuss future action that will be voted on at the next board meeting. You can watch them live and see old meetings here.