Latest news with #SenateEducationPolicyCommittee
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama Senate committee approves religious instruction policy mandate
Sen. Shay Shelnutt, R-Trussville, laughing on April 16, 2025, in the Senate Education Policy Committee meeting in the Alabama State House in Montgomery, Alabama. Shelnutt's bill that requires local school boards to adopt a policy on released time religious instruction (RTRI) passed the committee 8-1 on Wednesday. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) An Alabama Senate committee Wednesday approved a bill that would require school boards to adopt policies on whether to allow students to leave school for religious study and give them academic credit for it. SB 278, sponsored by Sen. Shay Shelnutt, R-Trussville, mirrors HB 342, sponsored by Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, which was rejected by the House Education Committee on April 2. The state already has a law that allows school boards to adopt such policies, known as Released Time Religious Instruction (RTRI). The bill would mandate the development of those policies. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The committee heard from critics and supporters of the legislation last week. 'The bill is designed to provide local control and flexibility, ensuring a district can implement policies that best suit their needs, while respecting the constitutional rights of students and parents,' Shelnutt said Wednesday. The senator said the policy could forbid RTRI. 'Yes, local boards have the ability to adopt their own policies,' he said. 'If the policy they implement is super narrow because this does not work in their district in any way, then so be it.' Sen. Kirk Hatcher, D-Montgomery, echoed a concern raised by Dale County Superintendent Ben Baker last week that there is not enough time in the school day for students to leave campus for RTRI. He said religious instruction should happen at home. 'This is kind of boilerplate legislation, in my view. At some point we have to give parents the responsibility we say parents should have in terms of how they go about the process of sharing moral values with their kids,' Hatcher said. 'In fact, I know that it should begin at home.' Hatcher also questioned the intent of the bill. Although the legislation says that any religious group can participate, Hatcher was concerned about what that would look like and if it would happen. 'I do know that there's a slippery slope to this kind of legislation,' he said. 'I do know that a part of the intent of legislation like this has a great deal to do with this notion of Christian nationalism.' Sen. Roger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, raised concerns over liability. He said that students could sign up for the program, leave the school and not attend the program. 'We don't have control over them but they're still under us, but we don't have control. That's an hour that is returned outside during the hours of eight to three,' Smitherman said. Shelnutt said the groups that host RTRI, like LifeWise Ministry, will assume all liability. According to LifeWise's sample curriculum, it teaches the Christian belief that 'God created all things good' to a list of virtues that the nonprofit describes as 'LifeWise qualities.' At least 30 school board representatives from across the state attended Wednesday's meeting. Sally Smith, executive director of the Alabama Association of School Boards, said she is disappointed the legislation passed, but would continue to have conversations with lawmakers. Smith has consistently expressed concern and opposition to the bill. 'We think that we just have to have continued conversations with our senators due to local leaders' concerns with this bill,' Smith said in an interview. 'It is in the area of making policy that presents constitutional challenges to local boards of education. So it is not as clearly clean cut as some may think.' The bill was approved 8-1 with Hatcher as the only member that voted against the bill. Smitherman said he only voted for it to get it out of committee, but that it still needed significant work. Shelnutt said he would work with Smitherman on his concerns. 'I'm going to vote to get the bill out of committee, but I do think that before we move that bill on the floor, that these things have got to be tightened up,' Smitherman said. The bill moves to the full Senate. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama Senate committee hears support, opposition for religious instruction bill
Ben Baker, a superintendent in Dale County, speaking to the Senate Education Policy Committee against a bill that would require school boards to adopt a policy on religious instruction on April 9, 2025, in the Alabama State House in Montgomery, Alabama. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) The Alabama Senate Education Policy committee heard from critics and supporters of religious instruction in public schools on Wednesday. SB 278, sponsored by Sen. Shay Shelnutt, R-Trussville, mirrors HB 342, sponsored by Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, which was rejected by the House Education Committee on April 2. The legislation requires local school boards to adopt a policy regarding released time religious instruction (RTRI). Alabama law already allows school boards to adopt a policy, but this legislation would mandate it. 'I just want to stress again that this is completely optional for students and requires parental consent,' Shelnutt said. 'They keep saying it takes away local control. This bill does not take away control of the local board. They have the right to make a policy and they can decide if they want to not do anything.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Ben Baker, superintendent of Dale County Schools, criticized the legislation, saying it does take away local control from school boards. 'School systems do not need more mandates. Current law leaves the decision to local school boards who are best positioned to determine whether release time instruction aligns with the needs of their community,' he said. He said the lack of a definition for 'religious instruction' causes many issues and is a threat to his Christian values. 'When it says religious, am I now going to have to release students to go and sacrifice goats and worship goats or maybe some type of satanic thing? I can't live with that,' he said. 'Public schools are not run by out of touch bureaucrats. They're run by locally elected and appointed community members.' Jennifer Riggs, a mother from Huntsville, shared her experience with LifeWise Ministry, a nonprofit that does RTRI. 'As I read about Lifewise I quickly became intrigued and convinced that this program could be the answer to meeting that long felt desire for my children, and others like mine, to have the Bible taught during their school day,' Riggs said. Riggs said she became part of a steering committee for the ministry that, according to the sample curriculum, teaches the Christian belief that 'God created all things good' to a list of virtues that the nonprofit describes as 'LifeWise qualities.' She said her local school board denied her request to have RTRI. 'We then tried to present before our superintendent and we were told no he said there were too many mandates and requirements that we could not be accommodated,' she said. Marty Griffin, a staff member at the First Baptist Church in Gulf Shores, said the Gulf Shores Superintendents Matt Akin denied the church's request for a RTRI program. A message seeking comment from Akin was left Monday afternoon. 'We believe their decision was driven by fear. Fear of if we approve this, what if this unusual situation happens,' Griffin said. 'We believe that a bill like SB 278 would alleviate that pressure from them to make that decision.' Ryan Hollingsworth, the executive director of Alabama State Superintendents Association, said RTRI will take more time away from teachers. He said it should be the parent's responsibility to teach their children about religion on their own time. 'The State Board of Education put a lot of things in place that we have to teach during the school day. All we have in the school year is 1,080 hours,' he said. 'I think if you're a parent and that's a priority then you make sure in those hours that you have, those 7,680 hours that you have them, that you make that work.' The committee did not vote on the bill, but the chair of the committee, Sen. Donnie Chesteen, R-Geneva, said the committee will take up the legislation again soon. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama Senate committee approves bill requiring emergency buttons in public schools
Rep. Alan Baker, R-Brewton, clapping in the House Education Policy Committee on April 2, 2025, in the Alabama State House in Montgomery, Alabama. Baker's bill that would require public schools to install an emergency button and train its employees was unanimously approved by the Senate Education Policy Committee on April 9, 2025.(Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) An Alabama Senate committee unanimously approved a bill on Wednesday that would require school boards to install an 'emergency button' in order to enhance response times to school emergencies. HB 234, sponsored by Rep. Alan Baker, R-Brewton, passed the House of Representatives 58-30 in March. The legislation would require public school employees who are around students to be equipped with an emergency button. It also mandates regular training for employees with the technology. 'We've heard the expressions like every second counts time equals lives. These are expressions that are often heard in crisis and emergency incidents,' Baker said. 'With this mobile rapid response technology in place, if this bill passes, then teachers, administrators, office, staff, custodians, lunchroom workers, maintenance and other education employees become the eyes and ears, internally and externally across the school campus to activate an alert that immediately notifies school officials and law enforcement of the exact location for the most rapid response to the incident.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX An amendment that would extend the implementation time of the technology on the condition of additional funding specifically for school public safety starting in 2030 was adopted unanimously by the Senate Education Policy Committee. 'That actually sort of extends it possibly even beyond that, if there is not annual dedicated funding for school safety,' Baker said. Baker said the technology would improve response times with first responders receiving the exact location of the emergency. Baker said on the House floor in March that an emergency is not limited to a shooting threat, but could also be used for a medical emergency. Most of the concerns toward the bill in the House revolved around whether schools had the resources to install and maintain the technology. Sen. Larry Stutts, R-Tuscumbia, said he is concerned about the legislation not addressing the root of the issue of safety in schools. He said there is a lack of discipline in the home that leads to safety issues at schools. 'We continually address these issues of school safety, and I'm 100% for that, but my concern is that we never seem to really address the reasons that we have these issues,' Stutts said. The bill will now be considered by the full Senate. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
School cellphone ban approved by Alabama House of Representatives
The Alabama House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bell-to-bell cellphone ban for students in public schools. HB 166, sponsored by Rep. Leigh Hulsey, R-Helena, passed the chamber 79-15. It requires local school boards to adopt a policy to store student cellphones during class hours. Hulsey said during a floor debate on Thursday that the devices could be stored in a device like a Yondr Pouch or a shoe organizer. 'The majority of the schools already participating in this are storing the cellphones in the classroom in various ways,' Hulsey said. Yondr Pouches are an expensive option compared to a $10 plastic over-the-door shoe organizer. Pike Road Junior High School Principal Christy Wright showed the Senate Education Policy Committee how the school implements a ban in February. The $30 Yondr Pouches at Pike Road were purchased with a grant. According to the bill, cell phones can be stored in a locker, car or other storage device so long as the device is not on the student's person. According to the Pew Research Center, 72% of U.S. high school teachers say that cellphone distraction is a major issue in their classrooms. Democratic representatives were concerned about how a student would access their phones in an emergency. Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, said that with school shootings a constant threat, a child should be able to contact their parents. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, there were 332 school shootings in 2024. There have been 52 in 2025 so far. 'We as a body need to protect our kids since we will not pass a bill to keep guns away from our school children,' Drummond said. Drummond has sponsored bills over the last several years that would effectively require parents to safely store firearms at home. The bills would also have allowed parents to be charged with misdemeanors if a child brought an unsecured weapon to school. But the legislation has not moved. A House committee killed Drummond's latest version of the bill in February. More: Alabama Senate passes bill expanding religious exemptions from vaccines Rep. Napoleon Bracy, D-Prichard, brought up another potential event that could develop at school where a child may need to contact their parents. He said a student could need a change of clothes in the middle of the day. 'It's not a situation where it's life or death, it's not like somebody is coming in for a school shooting,' he said. 'I just think it's overreaching.' According to the bill, a student can have access to their phones under three exceptions: if they study under an Individualized Education Plan that allows it; for teacher-approved instruction and for medical purposes. Hulsey claimed that there is data that shows that cell phone bans cause improved test scores, retained information and students' mental health. Rep. Mary Moore, D-Birmingham, said she would like to see that data. 'I've just not seen the preponderance of students playing games while the teacher is trying to teach, the room being disrupted and out of order,' she said. 'I would just like to see that data at some point.' Alabama Department of Mental Health Commissioner Kimberly Boswell said in February the mental health of students would improve under the ban. Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, echoed that and supported the legislation on the House floor Thursday. 'It's going to make a difference,' Collins said. The House approved an amendment that removed punishments on schools that do not comply. Hulsey said she wished that was still in the bill but would bring a bill in a few years after seeing compliance. There is a survey required in the legislation to monitor compliance. 'I haven't passed a bill yet that I've loved every single thing about it,' Hulsey said. 'All of it takes compromise to move the needle a little bit.' Rep. Pebblin Warren, D-Tuskegee, said that enforcement could be difficult without sanctions. 'We need to put some teeth into this bill,' Warren said. 'If we don't we're going to be in the same position next year as we are this year.' The legislation moves to the Senate. Sen. Donnie Chesteen, R-Geneva, has filed a companion bill in that chamber. This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Will Alabama ban students' cellphones in public schools?
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama Senate bill requiring display of Ten Commandments draws support, opposition
Rabbi Steve Silverman speaks to members of the Senate Education Policy Committee in opposition of a bill mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools at the Alabama State House on March 5, 2025. Silverman said he opposed the legislation because it does not accurately represent the Hebrew-derived text. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) A bill that would require Alabama's public schools — including colleges and universities — to display the Ten Commandments drew supporters and opponents to the Senate Education Policy Committee on Wednesday. SB 166, sponsored by Sen. Keith Kelley, R-Anniston, would require a text of the Ten Commandments to be displayed in a common area of the school. The legislation does not list any sanctions for schools that do not comply. The senator said the bill was 'not promoting any religion.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'I understand those that are opposed are trying to make it a religious issue,' Kelley said in an interview. 'It's not. It's a historical issue. It's affected our civilization.' Critics said the version of the Ten Commandments in the bill combines multiple versions of the text and is not historical. Rev. Julie Conrady, a minister with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Birmingham, said there are three distinct versions of the Ten Commandments and combining them degrades the value and misrepresents the history of the Hebrew words. 'This bill is a violation of the First Amendment and imposes a certain religious understanding of a certain text that has been hodged-podged together and linguistically abused and has no place in our public schools,' Conrady said. Kelley also said he did not know who would not want their children to learn 'thou shall not murder.' 'It's just some of the comments that were made were basically saying these principles are not really applicable in the school,' Kelley said. 'But especially in the day and time we have school shootings and everything that we have, it's applicable.' Supporters of Kelley's bill said the text is the foundation of Western civilization and the framework of the United States' laws. 'The commandments are the cornerstone of Western civilization and American law,' said Becky Gerritson, executive director of Eagle Forum, a conservative organization. 'These fundamental principles benefit society by reminding us of basic moral values such as respecting life property and truthfulness, which are essential for a well functioning community and regardless of your religious affiliation.' Jim Lowe, a Baptist minister from Birmingham, said the Ten Commandments would serve as a 'timeless' moral compass in classrooms. 'Let's be clear, display and Ten Commandments in public schools is not about promoting a specific religion, but about reinforcing the fundamental universal values that were a part of our nation's greatness,' Lowe said. Steve Silverman, a rabbi from Mobile, said teachers are not equipped to answer questions students may have about the Hebrew-derived text. 'Displaying the 10 Jewish words unfairly sidelines Alabamians who may have diverse views of religious traditions,' he said. 'Members of county boards of education, local principals and teachers across our state are not necessarily well trained to explain this program. Louisiana passed similar legislation in 2024, but a Louisiana federal district court ruled it unconstitutional in November, citing the separation of church and state. Louisiana's law, unlike Kelley's proposal, required the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every classroom. The committee did not vote on the legislation on Wednesday. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
