Latest news with #LiteracyAct
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alabama House passes grocery tax cut bill
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — A slate of tax cut bills passed in the Alabama House on Tuesday, and Republicans and Democrats are supporting it. A trip down the aisle at your local grocery store could become less expensive. One bill would slash the grocery tax from 3% to 2%. State Rep. Danny Garrett (R-Trussville) said it won't jeopardize funding for education, which is where the tax goes. 'We're trying to do some things we can do and at the same time, be responsible in our budgeting because we've been on a sugar high with revenue,' Garrett said. 'Revenue's kind of flattened, but we've budgeted for that.' Garrett said most states don't tax groceries, and that is a good step in the right direction. 'We're making investments in public education: Numeracy Act, Literacy Act,' Garrett said. 'We were the only state to show improvement in the last nation's scorecard. So I think all of these things work hand in hand, and we believe this is a sustainable tax cut.' Democrats agreed. State Rep. Mary Moore (D-Birmingham) said it will help curb prices in the middle of President Donald Trump's trade war. 'Foods that come from other countries, like Mexico. Food that's coming from Canada and other place that we rely on,' Moore said. 'So this will be some relief.' 6-month-old baby dies following dog attack in Alabaster Another bill increases the amount of retirement income that can be tax-exempt. It doubles that amount from $6,000 to $12,000. State Rep. Curtis Travis (D-Tuscaloosa) said these bills don't go far enough. 'You know, let's help 'em out,' Travis said. 'Let's keep giving relief to the working people in the state of Alabama. So this grocery tax is fine, the individual income tax — that's good. But again, just what can we continue to do?' State Rep. Jamie Kiel (R-Russellville) said he's for these bills. 'I think that anytime you tax people on things that are essential for them to live, anytime you can give that money back to the people, I think it's important that we do that,' Kiel said. The bill heads to the Alabama Senate for a committee vote. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill to prohibit three-cueing reading method passes committee
Rep. Leigh Hulsey, R-Helena, stands on the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives on April 16, 2024 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. Hulsey carried the three-cueing system ban for two years. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) A bill prohibiting the use of an education strategy known as the three-cueing system received a favorable report from the House Education Policy Committee on Wednesday. The three-cueing system is a method of teaching reading that uses meaning, structure/syntax, and visual cues. Rep. Leigh Hulsey, R-Helena, the sponsor of the bill, said the system allows children to guess a word based on pictures surrounding it. 'Three cueing does not emphasize phonic based learning and causes students to be overly dependent on visual clues, which leads to guessing or seeking to memorize cues,' Hulsey said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Three-cueing is a teaching strategy that is affiliated with 'balanced literacy,' a compromise between whole language and phonics-based instruction that became prominent in the 1990s, according to the Hechinger Report. Hulsey said the bill is aimed at strengthening the implementation of the Literacy Act. The State Department of Education banned the teaching method at its May board meeting. Chairwoman Terri Collins, R-Decatur, said the system does not teach children what letters mean in the context of words. 'It is very dangerous as far as interfering with how children learn to read,' Collins said. Hulsey carried the bill last year, but it was not voted on in the Senate. An amendment from Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, updated the effective date in the bill from the 2024-2025 school year to 2025-2026. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama leads growth in reading and math scores, according to Nation's Report Card
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — Data released Wednesday shows Alabama is one of few states to grow in reading and math scores nationally since the pandemic. The National Assessment of Educational Progress is based on test scores in reading and math from fourth, eighth and 12th graders across the U.S. The test is given every two years. Alabama State Superintendent of Education Eric Mackey said he is pleased with elementary math scores but mentioned there's still more work to do. 'You may read in the national news that nationally, reading went down,' Mackey said. 'There were only two states that have recovered to pre-pandemic levels and seen growth, and that's Alabama and Louisiana.' Since 2019, Alabama has jumped from 49th to 34th in the nation for fourth-grade reading. When it comes to fourth-grade math, Alabama moved from 52nd to 32nd in the nation in that time. Mackey said he wants to continue building on that growth. 'So we feel like what we're doing in the classroom is working, but it's going to be summer school. It's going to be after-school care. It's going to be intercessions,' Mackey said. 'What happens outside the classroom is almost as important as what happens in the classroom.' Nation's Report Card: Alabama scores still below national average despite growth in 2024 Gov. Kay Ivey said Alabama is on the right path to continuing improvement. 'We're number two in the nation for the largest gains in reading,' Ivey said. 'So this is good news for Alabama, and we are grateful to the students, teachers and their parents.' Alabama Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter said the legislature is ready to support those gains in education this year. 'This is the biggest move we've ever made since I've been here,' Ledbetter said. 'So we can be proud that we are more along the national average now instead of being at the bottom, so job well done.' Corey Clements, Chilton County Schools superintendent, said the Literacy Act and improving attendance has been a key to success. 'We'll be starting the Numeracy Act coming up soon, and [we] hope to see as those students progress through the grades, we hope to continue to see our NAEP scores improve like this,' Clements said. Mackey said the Alabama Department of Education will be submitting a record budget request to the legislature in 2025 aimed at helping students improve. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
