The Alabama Legislature adjourned sine die Thursday, April 7, at 11:59 p.m. As always, AEA remained steadfast in ensuring Alabama educators were well represented and was present in the Statehouse for every minute of the legislative session.

 Increases for ALL Pre-K through 14 educators and retiree bonus checks! All educators – active, ESP, and postsecondary – will receive a 4% pay increase beginning October 1, 2022. Education retirees will also receive a substantial bonus check which is scheduled to go out later this month. Substitute teachers will also receive a pay increase from $90 to $120 per day.

 Salary Matrix Restructured for Teachers! The House of Representatives concurred with Senate changes to the Education Trust Fund (ETF) budget which included adding eight additional steps to the teacher salary matrix, yearly 1% step increases, and dictating a higher percentage raise for teachers with 9+ years of service.  AEA Executive Director Amy Marlowe stated, “We’ve had so many educators who were considering retirement but have now said they are actually going to stay in the classroom. I think it will go a long way toward the intent of the Legislature which was retaining teachers.” When signed by the governor, the pay increases will go into effect on October 1, 2022. To find the adjusted salary matrix, click here.

 HB135, The Education Trust Fund Budget, was concurred by the House of Representatives, sending the $8.26 billion education budget to Governor Ivey’s desk for signature. The FY23 budget allocated $550 million more than the current year’s budget, will provide funding for a technology coordinator in every school district, increase instructional supply money from $700 to $900 per classroom, place 150 auxiliary teachers in high-needs areas, increase funding for reading and math coaches, and millions of dollars for underperforming elementary schools. This bill was delivered to the Governor on Wednesday, April 6.

 SB171, The Alabama Numeracy Act by Sen. Arthur Orr, became law as Governor Ivey signed the legislation on Tuesday, April 5. The Numeracy Act implements steps to improve the mathematics proficiency of public-school kindergarten to fifth-grade students. There is no retention language in this bill. At AEA’s request, the bill was amended to expedite reporting for educators to ensure that no undue burdens are inflicted on educators. AEA also has two appointments to the Elementary Task Force under the Numeracy Act.

 HB322, The Bathroom Bill by Rep. Scott Stadthagen, requires public K-12 schools to designate bathrooms upon the basis of biological sex. The bill passed the Senate with an amendment to prohibit inappropriate classroom instruction regarding sexual orientation and gender identity in grades K-5 – and was later concurred by the House. HB322 has received an abundant amount of media attention but is not a version of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. AEA’s legal team and State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey agree the amendment does not affect educators because those topics are not part of Alabama’s curriculum and are not taught and discussed in Alabama schools. Governor Ivey signed the bill into law on Friday, April 8.

 During the 2022 Regular Legislative Session, 873 bills were introduced by the Legislature. AEA staff read each bill and monitored them daily to ensure they would positively affect public education.

Bills Sent to the Governor for Signature

 SB170, ELL exemptions on state report cards by Sen. Arthur Orr, exempts the academic performance of certain English language learner students from consideration in the assigning of an academic achievement grade to a school or school system. This bill was delivered to the Governor on Wednesday, April 6.

 SB200, the Literacy Act retention delay by Sen. Rodger Smitherman, postpones the implementation of the third-grade retention requirement until the 2023-2024 school year. Currently, the law states that commencing with the 2021-2022 school year, students who do not demonstrate specific sufficient reading skills before the end of third grade will not be promoted to fourth grade. This bill was delivered to the Governor on Wednesday, April 6.

 HB134, 30-year retirement for Tier II by Rep. Alan Baker, modifies the retirement benefits for Tier II members of the Teachers' Retirement System by providing for 30-year service retirement and sick leave conversion. This bill was delivered to the Governor on Thursday, March 31.

 HB123, Mental Health Service Coordinators by Rep. Nathaniel Ledbetter, will require each local board of education in the state, subject to appropriations by the Legislature, to employ a mental health service coordinator to serve the schools under the jurisdiction of the board. This bill has gone to the Governor. 

Look for your final issue of The Pulse next week with a full overview and wrap up of the 2022 Regular Legislative Session. Once again, your voice at home brought victory in Montgomery. Our members are what makes AEA the strongest voice for education in Alabama. Although the legislative session is over, we encourage you to continue building relationships with your legislators back home. #WeAreAEA

If you have any questions about legislative activity, contact your local AEA UniServ Director. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates. 

 
To find your legislator's contact information, click here.

Remember, while you're busy serving our state's students, we've got your back in the Alabama Legislature!