Latest news with #EricMackey
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Alabama sees 15% spike in teacher retirements. Are classrooms ready for school year?
Alabama is experiencing a 15% increase in teacher retirements this year, raising concerns about school staffing, classroom stability and student support across the state. According to State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey, approximately 3,500 teachers are expected to retire in 2025. This number is up from 3,094 in 2024 and 2,810 in 2023, according to reports. Most of Alabama's recent teacher retirements are coming from educators who have delayed leaving the profession in order to take advantage of better retirement income opportunities. A 2022 law passed by state lawmakers offered significant pay raises for experienced teachers. Some saw up to a 20% increase. The increase prompted many educators to delay their retirement and reset their pensions. In Alabama, monthly retirement benefits for educators are calculated using their highest three to five years of salary, depending on when they were hired. That means recent pay raises, especially the 2022 increase, can have a significant impact on retirement income. For many longtime educators, staying in the profession a little longer meant a better pension and more financial security in retirement. Those retiring this year do have the option to return on a part-time basis through agreements with their local school districts. Still, educators say the pay bump hasn't solved deeper issues. Many are dealing with high stress, worsening student behavior and growing demands, often without enough compensation to match the pressure. The COVID-19 pandemic only added fuel to the fire, intensifying burnout and pushing more teachers to consider stepping away. Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at jlindahl@ This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Why is Alabama seeing a surge in teacher retirements this year?
Mint
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Trump's $7 billion education funding freeze blindsides schools
On Monday, state education leaders across the country got a brief but startling email from the Education Department. Nearly $7 billion in education funding—which Congress had approved and President Trump signed into law in March—wouldn't be released as expected the following day. The email didn't elaborate on why, mentioning a review. With the new school year not far off, the funding freeze has sent superintendents from California to Rhode Island scrambling to figure out how to handle a shortfall. The money had been earmarked for a range of activities, including after-school programs, teacher training, adult education and support for students learning English. 'It's too late to be making this kind of a decision," said Eric Mackey, the Alabama state superintendent, who describes himself as an 'old-fashioned fiscal conservative." On Tuesday, the association of state education chiefs convened an emergency meeting, as their members tried to advise confused district leaders. Advocacy groups attacked the decision as illegal, and educators began contemplating how to plan for the coming school year. Cheryl Jordan, the superintendent of a diverse, midsize district near San Jose, Calif., said she had planned to use some of the funds for teachers of students learning English and for an onboarding program for new teachers. If the money isn't released, it would leave a roughly $1.5 million hole in the district's budget. It's too late to make cuts for this school year, Jordan said, so the district would then accumulate a deficit and have to make deeper cuts the following school year. 'It will definitely greatly impact us," she said. Armen Tooloee, a spokesman for the White House Office of Management and Budget, said the move reflected an 'ongoing programmatic review" and that 'no decisions have been made yet." He added that 'initial findings" from the review show that grants had gone to 'subsidize a radical leftwing agenda." Tooloee said that in one instance a grant had 'promote[d] illegal immigrant advocacy organizations." He didn't say what share of the funding has gone to uses that OMB deems inappropriate. The administration has made similar arguments for withholding funds for other federal initiatives, including for NPR and USAID. Mackey of Alabama said he wasn't aware of instances of such uses of funds in his state, and would want them brought to his attention if the administration were aware of any. The billions of dollars in question amount to less than 1% of total money spent on public schools. But the grants are spread widely across thousands of school districts and every state in the country. Chase Christensen, the superintendent and school principal of an 83-student district in northern Wyoming, said he had planned to use the funds to help train teachers on a new math curriculum and to continue a self-defense program. Without that money, he can probably preserve the teacher training but he isn't sure about the self-defense course, which Christensen says has boosted students' self-confidence. In Durham County, N.C., Superintendent Anthony Lewis is concerned about a dozen or so federally funded instructional coaches who mentor and support new teachers. Lewis doesn't know whether the money will ultimately come through or whether he should try to find another funding source. 'It's impacting our ability to plan effectively for this coming year," he said. The Trump administration has several possible next moves. It could ask Congress to approve the cancellation of these funds. It previously sought congressional approval for other withheld federal dollars. In a recent Senate hearing, OMB Director Russell Vought said further requests are 'certainly an option." The administration could on its own not distribute the funds—which would set up a challenge to a federal law that bars the executive from unilaterally withholding congressionally approved dollars. The administration could ultimately restore the grants, or some of them, after its review. Thomas Beck, an attorney who was on the Trump transition team where he wrote memos about withholding federal funds, said the administration might argue that states and schools have failed to adhere to the terms of the education grants. Lawmakers from both parties have raised objections. 'This funding was appropriated by Congress and is critical to Maine public school programs," Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine) said. Sen. Patty Murray (D., Wash.) also criticized the move. This is the Trump administration's latest effort to cut federal dollars for local schools and shrink the Education Department's budget. Officials have argued that the department and some of its programs have proven ineffective. In March, Education Secretary Linda McMahon revoked a previously approved extension for spending Covid-relief money. A federal judge recently blocked this move, and schools have been able to tap in to this funding again. The administration has appealed. Angélica Infante-Green, the commissioner of education in Rhode Island, said she was particularly worried about withheld funding that has been used to train teachers in science-based reading instruction. 'It's just been so very chaotic for the last six months," she said. 'This is just another layer of that chaos." Write to Matt Barnum at
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Alabama third grade reading scores show growth
Tracie West, the Alabama State Board of Education District 2 representative, looks at a bar graph as State Superintendent Eric Mackey presents the 2024 Alabama Comprehensive Assessment of Progress reading scores at the board's June work session in the Gordon Persons Building in Montgomery, Alabama on June 12, 2025. The scores revealed that Alabama's third graders have improved since the 2023-2024 school year. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) Alabama third grade students appeared to improve on a test of reading comprehension last year despite a slight increase in testing standards, according to numbers released by the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) on Thursday. According to the department, a smaller percentage of students who took the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment of Progress (ACAP) fell below the score considered 'sufficient' for grade-level reading. The ALSDE said 13.7% of third graders fell below the mark, known as the cut-off score, in the 2024-25 school year. That was an improvement over the 2023-24 year, when 20.8% of third graders tested fell below the cut score. The state increased the cut score from 435 to 444 in October. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX According to a Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) report, a student can score between 270 and 740 on the exam. 473 is the grade level score, but the lowered cut score allows for more statistical confidence that the correct students will be retained. According to the data, 6,470 third-graders scored below 444 out of the 55,930 that were tested (11.57%). 'If we take the current cut score and then apply it to last year's data and the data before, you see that we would have seen growth,' Alabama State Schools Superintendent Eric Mackey said during a meeting of the Alabama State Board of Education on Thursday. 'So that tells me that not only do we have 11.6% below grade level, but we are seeing growth across the board.' The 2019 Alabama Literacy Act requires students reading on grade level by the end of third grade. Students who fall short on the test and don't meet an alternative requirement can be held back. The cut score will increase to 454 for the 2026-27 school year. The data also showed that 44 schools around the state had no students score below the 444 cut off on the test. Mackey said only two school systems had no students score below a 444. 'So we're excited to see that,' he said. 'A lot of them tested around the mid 90s, but we do have some districts that are around 70% still, and so we're working on that.' One of those systems was Orange Beach City Schools in Baldwin County. Randy Wilkes, the superintendent of the system, said in a statement the score reflects the dedication of the system's teachers and leadership. This is the second year in a row the system had 100% of students scoring above the cut off, even with the increased cut score. 'It's a signal that every child in our district is being prepared for long-term academic success,' Wilkes said. 'We believe that strong readers become strong learners. Our goal is not only to meet the standard but to set it.' Satsuma City Schools in Mobile County was the other system to record all students reading at a sufficient level or higher. A message seeking comment from Superintendent Dana Price was left Thursday afternoon. Although the number of students scoring above 'sufficient' reading improved, Mackey said that the students between the cut score and grade-level scores are not necessarily proficient in reading. 'They're reading on grade level statistically, but they are so close that they could easily slip below grade level the next year. So we want parents to know that,' Mackey said. 'We don't want them to think that because their students were promoted to the fourth grade, that they're in the clear.' Montgomery County's Chisholm Elementary School had the highest percentage of third grade students scoring below a 444 at 47.25%. The school reported testing 91 students, so 43 of those scored below the cut score. Huntsville City's McDonnell Elementary School is the second lowest, with only 75 students tested, at 41.33% of students scoring below a 444. Bessemer City's Charles F Hard Elementary School tested 55 students with 22 scoring below a 444, the third lowest percentage. Bessemer City Schools has been under state intervention for almost a year.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama State Board of Education to adopt policy for paid parental leave at June meeting
State Superintendent Eric Mackey speaking to board members at the May 8 work session in the Gordon Pearsons Building in Montgomery, Alabama. Mackey and the board discussed rules for a paid parental leave policy, which passed the Alabama Legislature in April.(Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) The Alabama State Board of Education will adopt temporary rules for paid parental leave for public education employees at its June meeting, State Superintendent Eric Mackey said Thursday. The move comes a few weeks after Gov. Kay Ivey signed a law extending the benefit to the workers. SB 199, sponsored by Sen. Vivian Figures, D-Mobile, goes into effect on July 1. Mackey said the board will have to adopt an emergency rule in order to approve temporary rules on the paid leave because of the turnaround for the effective date of the benefit. Once the board adopts temporary rules, there will be a 35-day public comment period before the permanent rules are adopted in July. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'All that's to say there could be changes between the two, so during the public comment period, obviously,' Mackey said Thursday during the board's work session. The law allows women who give birth; have a stillbirth or experience a miscarriage after 12 weeks to receive eight weeks of paid leave. It also allows the father to take two weeks of paid leave under those circumstances. If a couple adopts a child under three years old, either parent may have eight weeks of leave if they are both eligible employees. The benefit can be taken within a year of the event. Mackey said, though, that a parent that gives birth or any other related event on June 30 will not be eligible for the benefit. Also, employees must be employed for one year before they are eligible for paid leave. 'Let's say somebody has a baby July 1 this year. They qualify if they have been employed the last year,' he said. Mackey also said that the benefit can only apply once every 12 months. However, the benefit can be taken at any time within those 12 months after the event. A teacher who gives birth during the summer while she is not working can take eight weeks off when school starts in August, Mackey said. 'They could say, start their leave (when) their first day back to school is August 8. They can wait and start their leave on August 8 and then take their leave, you know, for eight weeks,' he said. The program did not receive supplemental funding for fiscal year 2025, so Mackey said the individual school districts would have to pay employees that take the leave between July 1 and Sept. 30. Once the FY 2026 Education Trust Fund budget takes effect on Oct. 1, the state will reimburse the districts at $120 per day. He said the Legislature likely underestimated the number of related events that happen in a year. The line item for the benefit received $9.6 million, but Mackey said it is likely closer to a $12 million expense. 'So $9.6 (million) covered what was originally written, but it got changed, when they put in the father's leave for fathers' two weeks, which was not in the calculation,' Mackey said.. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alabama state superintendent concerned about USDA cuts
State Superintendent Eric Mackey speaking to members of the Alabama State Board of Education at the board's monthly work session. Mackey told board members that the state department would be OK if the U.S. government shuts down or if the U.S. Department of Education is dismantled. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) Alabama State Superintendent Eric Mackey said Thursday that 'we don't need teachers panicking, we don't need parents panicking' amid widespread cuts to the federal workforce, including the U.S. Department of Education. 'They just need to focus on getting the work done, and we'll get it done,' he said. The U.S. Department of Education announced workforce cuts on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Mackey said the state department was unable to access nearly $9 million of its federal funding. 'When our folks went in, the portal simply didn't work. It was completely shut down,' Mackey said Thursday after the State Board of Education meeting around 10:45 a.m. 'And then there was a message that said that due to the reduction in federal labor force, there would be a very long wait at the help desk.' Mackey said around 12:30 p.m. Thursday that the state was able to get that money back. 'It's just like your online banking account. Just because you do a transaction, you don't do a remote deposit on the check,' Mackey said. The superintendent did voice concerns about cuts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees funding for free-and-reduced lunches. The agency also supports farm-to-table initiatives for Alabama school lunch programs, which is largely supported by the Central Alabama Food Bank. 'The federal funding they get, all flows through us, the Department of Agriculture to us, and us out there too,' he said. The Department of Agriculture also supports bringing fresh produce to schools, like apples and satsuma oranges, Mackey said. He said there is an apple orchard in Madison County and a satsuma farm in Mobile County that provides these fresh fruits to schools. 'We go buy from a neighborhood farmer. It actually usually costs a little more, but we think that's worth it,' he said. Mackey said with the cut in workforce, students will not get the fresh produce. The state department received a $16 million federal grant that allowed the farm-to-school program. 'They're going to get plenty of food, all the cafeterias, but it might not be farm-to-school,' he said. 'I'm in hopes that we can find a way to maybe work with the Ag Commissioner to kind of keep that going, but we won't have any federal money to pay for it.' Mackey said it is highly unlikely for the U.S. Department of Education to be dismantled. That would require congressional action, including 60 votes in the Senate which Republicans narrowly control. 'It was established by Congress. It would take an act of Congress to abolish it,' he said. 'It is, by the way, the smallest federal cabinet level agency already.' The U.S. Department of Education administers Title I programs, which provide funding for academics at high-poverty schools, and help fund special education programs and education programs for children with disabilities. About one-third of Alabama schools are high-poverty, according to Board members asked Mackey what they should tell parents when they are worried about their students, especially those who need special education. Vice President Tonya Chestnut said a parent called her worried about how a looming government shutdown will affect their child's special education. 'Special education federal funds are continuing to flow, and those children have protected rights under federal law, and it would take an act of Congress, truly, to change that,' Mackey said. Mackey also said that even if the federal government shuts down, the state funds more special education than the federal government, which funds less than 20% of special education in the state. The superintendent also said that even though a government shutdown would impact the state, students should not notice a difference if the U.S. Senate fails to pass a continuing resolution to fund the government through September. 'It would definitely have an impact. But again, on the day-to-day, children going to schools shouldn't see any change in the classroom,' Mackey said.
