Latest news with #SB166
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Should the 10 Commandments be required in Alabama schools? Community members weigh in
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Two controversial companion bills requiring Alabama public schools to display the Ten Commandments are one step closer to being passed. SB166 and HB178 have moved out of the Senate and House committees and are now in a position to receive a vote on each floor. Dropping a needle on the record-collecting community in Huntsville These bills would require each board of education to display a copy of the Ten Commandments in a common area of each school. On Sunday, several community members in Huntsville said they support the bill. 'To me, the Ten Commandments, God itself displays love,' Tarana Hudson said. 'If we could put love back into the schools to me that's what the Ten Commandments does.' Gerald Lane, another community member who said he supports the bill, believes the Ten Commandments could help with behavior. 📲 to stay updated on the go. 📧 to have news sent to your inbox. 'Anytime that you are taking God out then we are at a big disadvantage for our kids especially when we see what's going on in today's society,' Lane said. 'The only way that we can get our kids back and save our kids is to teach them about God.' Others said that Alabama lawmakers should see that God is engrained into our society and that the Ten Commandments should be no different. 'On the back of every single note that we have with our money, it says 'In God we trust' so how much do you really believe that?' Ashley Hayes said. Despite some support for the bill, not everyone is fully on board with the legislation. Ashanti Ortega lives in Huntsville and said she would be okay with the Ten Commandments in schools if other religious documents were also displayed. 'It could be maybe like Buddhism or Hinduism documents,' Ortega said. 'Any kind of representation just so everyone at a school can feel like they can represent who they are and like they do belong to be there instead of this certain demographic of people.' 'I think that I can only support it to some degree, not 100% again it needs to be more inclusive to everyone,' Ortega said. Under the proposed law, the Ten Commandments would have to be displayed on an 11X14 poster in large, easily readable font. Some faith leaders also oppose the bills. Reverend Julie Conrady, president of the Interfaith Alliance of Central Alabama, said the bill violates the First Amendment. Rev. Conrady believes it would put teachers and school staff members in an awkward position. 'To put it on a poster specifically, as a religious scholar myself, they are putting up a poster without context, without explanation, without any understanding of why this is here,' Rev. Conrady said. 'In doing so are putting teachers and administrators in the position of then explaining and interpreting a religious text for students.' Louisiana passed similar legislation in 2024, but it has since been blocked by a federal judge. Rev. Conrady believes if Alabama passes these bills, it would end in a similar result. 'We will continue to push against it until we have a resolution that protects the religious freedoms of all Alabama families,' Rev. Conrady said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bills requiring Ten Commandments displays in Alabama schools moving forward with lawmakers
DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN) — Two controversial companion bills requiring public schools around the state to display the ten commandments are making their way through the Alabama legislation. These bills would require each board of education to display a copy of the Ten Commandments in a common area of each school, like a library, in its jurisdiction. The Ten Commandments would have to be displayed in a 11 by 14 poster in 'large, easily readable font.' SB166 and HB178 moved out of the Senate and House committees, and are waiting to be put on the calendar for floor debates. The approved texts could also be displayed with the Mayflower Compact of 1620, the Declaration of Independence, and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. According to the bills, Alabama boards of education would not have to pay for the display themselves, and instead accept donated funds or donated displays. They also dictates that the Alabama Commission on Higher Education should adopt rules to implement the bill. If the bills are signed into law, school systems must comply by January 1, 2026. A nearly identical bill was signed into law in Louisiana in 2024. However, this bill required the Ten Commandments to be displayed in each classroom around the state. New alert system could save lives of Alabama abuse victims Similar to Louisiana's law, SB166 has drawn criticism. The ACLU of Alabama says the bill is 'unconstitutional – plain and simple.' 'The First Amendment guarantees that students and their families —not politicians or the government—get to decide which religious beliefs, if any, they adopt and what role those beliefs will play in their lives. Displaying the Ten Commandments in public-school classrooms blatantly violates this promise. Students can't focus on learning if they don't feel safe and welcome in their schools,' the ACLU of Alabama wrote on its website. The organization took the same stance on Louisiana's law, stating it violated the separation of church and state. In November, a federal judge blocked the pelican state's law, stating it was 'overtly religious.' WDHN's Montgomery Bureau Reporter, Ryan Hall, contributed to this article. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama House, Senate bills mandating Ten Commandments school displays pass committees
Rep. Mark Gidley, R-Hokes Bluff, listens to a presentation in the Alabama House of Representatives on April 3, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. Gidley's bill that would require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public K-12 schools passed the House Education Policy Committee unanimously on April 9, 2025. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) Two bills that would require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools moved through their respective chambers' committees on Wednesday. SB 166, sponsored by Sen. Keith Kelley, R-Anniston, and HB 178, sponsored by Rep. Mark Gidley, R-Hokes Bluff, both passed with substitutes that exclude higher education from the mandate. 'The display would still be in a common area there inside the public schools, and the display would be among other historical documents,' Kelley told members of the Senate Education Policy Committee. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Under the legislation, public K-12 schools will be required to display an 11-inch-by-14-inch poster of the Ten Commandments. Alabama voters in 2018 approved a constitutional amendment allowing the Ten Commandments to be displayed on public property but not mandating such displays. Local school boards do not have to use their state-allocated funds to purchase a poster to display, Gidley said. The legislation does not list any sanctions for schools that do not comply. 'The substitute does not require the LEAs to post the display unless the State Superintendent certifies that donations are available,' Gidley told members of the House Education Policy Committee. The Senate version of the bill heard from critics and supporters in March. Most of the critics said the translation of the Ten Commandments in the bill is not an accurate historical account of the Hebrew-derived text. Supporters said the text is the foundation of Western civilization. Both bills were approved unanimously by their respective committees and will now be considered by each chamber. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida Senate softens high school math and reading graduation requirements
Senators convene in the Senate chamber on March 4, 2025. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix) Florida high schoolers would not need to pass algebra or English final exams to graduate under a bill the Florida Senate unanimously passed Thursday. That proposal is part of SB 166, which its sponsor, Sen. Cory Simon, a Republican representing 13 counties in the Panhandle and Big Bend, called public school 'deregulation.' The bill would remove a state requirement that students pass the Algebra I and 10th grade English finals. Students would still have to pass the classes notwithstanding a failing test score. (The test would count toward 30% of the course grade.) 'As we focus on providing parents with the choice in education, school districts must be given the chance to compete,' Simon said on the Senate floor Thursday. Last year, under Speaker Paul Renner, the House rejected removing the testing requirements. ExcelinEd, former Gov. Jeb Bush's education think tank, opposed the idea then and now. In office, Bush established the A+ Plan for education, which put in place school grades based on student test scores and the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Several school districts lobbied in support of the bill. The bill would expand eligibility for teachers' professional certificates, looks to enhance teacher recruitment, and would remove requirements for schools to have internal auditors. Third-graders who score a 1 out of 5 on their third and final reading progress monitoring tests could advance to fourth grade if they scored a 2 on the first two progress-monitoring tests. A score of 3 is considered 'on grade level.' Federal assessments show reading and math performance drop in Florida, nation Reading scores among Florida's fourth graders on the 2024 National Assessment of Education Progress dropped to the lowest mark since 2003, the Phoenix reported in February. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Simon said adding progress monitoring has allowed teachers to understand in real time how to shape instruction. In 2024, 55% of third graders could read at grade level. In 2023, that level was 50%. 'A few years ago, when we passed the universal school choice bill, we made an obligation to parents that we were going to fund students and we were going to fund their choice to choose the school that is best suited for them. Well, 75-to-80% of our parents are choosing our public schools, and it is part of the choice. It's not the default,' Simon said. Focusing on test scores only can turn students into 'robots,' Simon said. 'We all learn differently, but we take a test that doesn't focus on all of our strengths, and so it's important for us to continue to do this work, making sure that our kids leave our schools, and they're not defeated, they're encouraged. They're emboldened to take on their future,' Simon said. The bill looks to 'level the playing field amid other school choice options,' Senate President Ben Albritton said in a news release. 'None of this bill decreases the rigor of what our schools are doing. What we're saying is, what they've done all should add up to something,' Simon told reporters following the vote. The bill does not have a companion in the House, which will have to pass it before the governor could sign it into law. 'Thank you for your leadership and continued work on education and helping our public schools to have an environment where those that are running and trying to create policy to manage the district gets a little relief from all of the things that we mandate on them on the state level, as well as being focused on our children and helping them to learn and grow without overburdening them,' Sen. Rosalind Osgood, a Democrat representing part of Broward County said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida Bill SB 166 proposes easing testing requirements for students
The Brief Florida's SB 166 bill proposes eliminating certain testing requirements for high school graduation and easing third-grade assessments. Supporters argue it levels the playing field, while critics worry it lowers academic standards. The bill, if passed, will take effect on July 1st. ORLANDO, Fla. - A bill in the Florida Legislature proposes eliminating certain testing requirements for high school graduation and easing third-grade assessments. What we know A new bill, SB 166, working through Florida's legislature, proposes to eliminate the requirement for students to pass math and language arts exams to graduate high school. The bill also intends to ease the standards for third-grade assessments, allowing students to graduate even if they fail certain tests. The Orange County Public School District supports the bill, believing it ensures equal accountability across public and private institutions receiving state funding. What we don't know It's unclear how the bill will affect overall student performance and whether it will lower academic standards in Florida schools. The long-term impact on student readiness for post-graduation challenges is also something that is unknown, as some worry about the message it sends regarding educational expectations. The backstory Florida has long had strict testing requirements, where students must pass a 10th-grade reading and writing exam, and an 8th-grade level math exam, to graduate. The new bill would still require these tests but would allow students to graduate even if they fail them, as long as the tests account for only 30% of the final grade. Critics argue that this represents a shift toward lower expectations in education. What they're saying Marquise McMiller, Senior Director of Government Relations for Orange County Public School District, said in the bill's support, "The district supports the bill because of the belief public schools should be treated the same as any school that accepts public dollars." "I don't want her to feel like she's only a test," said Theresa Cruz, a parent advocating for SB 166, on her daughter's test anxiety. Nathan Hoffman, Director of Government Relations for the Foundation for Excellence, s[oke against the bill. "These are very basic requirements that we should expect. Florida has consistently been a leader and been uncompromising about what we expect of students." "Tests are important – but they shouldn't be make or break," added Sharyn Battey, president of the Sterling Park Elementary PTA, on the importance of testing. Big picture view The debate over SB 166 highlights a broader discussion about educational standards and the role of standardized testing in student success. While proponents argue it reduces unnecessary stress and ensures more equitable educational practices, critics fear it could signal a relaxation of academic standards, undermining the preparedness of students for future challenges. Timeline If passed, SB 166 will go into effect July 1. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared by the Florida Senate, the Government Relations for the Foundation for Excellence, the Orange County Public School District, and Sharyn Battey, president of the Sterling Park Elementary PTA.
