Across the Board April: Key Takeaways from the ALBOE Meeting

Recapping important State Board of Education policy decisions for you

Here are our key takeaways from the April 9th State Board of Education board meeting and work session. Governor Ivey and board member Tonya Chestnut were not present at the meeting or work session, but all other members were present. Click here to see the agenda for the full meeting and work session.

Top 4 Takeaways

1. Updating Teacher Certification and Professional Services Requirements

During the meeting, the board announced their intent to repeal and replace the section of the Alabama Administrative Code Chapter 290-3-2, which provides regulations for teacher certifications. The changes can be found here, and 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• Finally, the new changes would remove outdated and repetitive information, and align the Code with recent legislation and executive orders.

Next, this change will be open for public comment for 45 days. After reviewing the feedback, the board will likely revisit these changes during the June board meeting.

2. Superintendent Mackey’s Legislative Updates

During the board meeting and work session, Dr. Mackey shared updates on the 2026 Legislative Session, which ends today, April 9, 2026. Mackey said that there will be fewer rule changes after this session ends than we have seen in recent years, because fewer bills were passed that impact Alabama’s education systems. Mackey highlighted the following pieces of legislation in the meeting and work session:

• Military Veteran Teacher Certification (SB149): This law, sponsored by Senator Woods, has already been signed by Governor Ivey. This law requires the ALSDE to create a new teacher certification pathway for Alabama’s military veterans. These changes have been incorporated into the Alabama Administrative Code changes outlined above, and will be open for public comment for the next 45 days.
• Screentime Limits for children ages 0-5 (HB78): This law, sponsored by Representative Ross, has already been signed by Governor Ivey. It requires that the Department of Education work with the Department of Early Childhood Education and the Department of Human Resources to develop regulations limiting the amount of screentime children may experience in daycares and preschools. A similar bill by Representative Ross, HB584, would have expanded screentime limits through K-12. That bill did not pass. Regardless of the legislation, Dr. Mackey shared that the board could think about a K-12 screentime task force in the coming months.
• The TRAIN Act (HB517): This bill, sponsored by Representative Lomax, allows businesses to partner with schools and “loan” qualified employees in CTE fields to serve as CTE teachers. This bill has been sent to Governor Ivey for her signature.
• CTE Teaching Certification Pathway (HB520): This bill, sponsored by Representative Paramore, requires the Department of Education to create an expedited teaching certification pathway for CTE teachers who are certified in other states. This bill still needs to be approved by the House and sent to the Governor for her signature.
• Updating the Accountability System: Representative Collins sponsored a bill that would have updated the State Report Card’s underlying formula to improve Alabama’s school accountability system. When that bill did not pass, Collins sponsored a separate but related bill and joint resolution. Those would have only established an Accountability Council to analyze the state’s current system and provide feedback, as well as develop a Return on Investment study to see how College and Career Readiness Indicators are serving students post-graduation. These bills also did not pass, and Mackey stated that they would revisit the idea of a task force or accountability council in the future.

Over the next two weeks, we will provide an overview of the new legislation that impacts Alabama students. 

3. Superintendent Mackey’s Education Budget Updates

During the work session, Dr. Mackey shared information about some of the items in the FY 2026-2027 Education Budget Package with the board. Mackey highlighted an increase in RAISE Funding, CHOOSE Funding, Career and Technical Education Funds, and the 2% Teacher Pay Raise. He was particularly grateful for the PEEHIP funding, which almost fully covers the anticipated shortfall, and the funds for Transportation Operations and Fleet Renewal.

The board also discussed what might happen in future years if revenues for the education trust fund are not as high as recent years. Dr. Mackey shared that while he cannot fully project what revenues will look like, if they decrease then the main budget will likely continue to function as expected because growth is capped by law. There may be decreased funding in the Supplemental, Advancement and Technology, or the Education Opportunities Reserve Fund, but we will not know until next year. Based on the way we fund education, this year’s FY27 budget funds the 2026-2027 school year. Next year’s budget would fund the 2027-2028 school year. Any decreases in revenue would have an impact two school years from now.

For more information on the education budget, check out our Budget Watch. We will be posting an update with the line item totals for education programs in the coming days.

4. K-12 Arts Education Textbook Recommendations Approved

During the meeting, Dr. Mackey told the board that code.org has recognized Alabama as the first state in the nation to fully integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their state computer science standards. Alabama is the first and only state fulfilling that goal right now. Next month, the board will begin the process of identifying a textbook committee for the newly adopted Digital Literacy and Computer Science Course of Study. 

The board recognized Alabama’s Physical Education Teachers of the Year, Shelley Grimes of Brookwood Elementary School, Rodney Dorsey of Jackson-Olin High School, and Andrew Hamiter of Chapman Middle School. The board also recognized Jovanka Ward of Ramsey High School as the Alabama Health Educator of the Year, Christian Stanley of Goshen High School as a recipient of the National Milken Educator Award, and Nikkesha Hooks as the Barbara Fannin Memorial Employee of the Quarter. 

The board also recognized Pell City High School as the 2025 ACT American College Application Campaign School of Excellence. This national award recognizes efforts to increase the number of first-generation college students and students from under-resourced communities pursuing a college degree or other higher education credential. Mackey shared that these schools have gone “above and beyond in making sure students are prepared for college.”

Finally, the board celebrated Alabama’s 2026 Purple Star Schools. Purple Star Schools are K-12 public or charter schools recognized for their commitment to being military-family-friendly. They provide dedicated resources for students of military families, specialized professional development, and provide transition support, amongst other things. A full list of schools can be found here.

The next Board meeting will be on Thursday, May 14, 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.