Governor Bentley Signs Accountability Act Providing New Flexibility for Public Schools, Children and Parents
By: Blake Deshazo
Updated: March 14, 2013
MONTGOMERY - Governor Robert Bentley on Thursday signed the Alabama Accountability Act of 2013, which will provide flexibility to help public
schools improve while also helping more children have access to a high-quality education.
"For
the first time ever, we're giving all public schools the flexibility
they need to better serve their students," Governor Bentley said.
"Every school can now develop new ideas that come from their local
teachers and their local principals and then put those ideas into
practice. Local educators deserve the freedom and opportunity to make
their schools better. That's what this legislation provides."
"This also gives flexibility to children and parents by providing new options for students who are stuck in
persistently low-performing
schools," Governor Bentley added. "All children deserve access to a
quality education, no matter where they live. This provides a new
option to help children receive the best education possible."
"As
promised, this bill gives flexibility without infringing on the rights
and responsibilities of our classroom teachers," Governor Bentley
said. "This bill shows that we trust our teachers to innovate and to
develop new programs to reach our children. And this bill shows
families that we're committed to making sure their children have access
to a quality education."
"Some
concerns have been raised regarding the impact of this legislation,"
Governor Bentley said. "The Department of Revenue and the State
Department of Education are reviewing this bill and can develop
responsible rules and regulations to address various concerns. The most
important thing right now is to make sure our schools, our families and
our children have the tools they need. This bill
gives them that flexibility."
