Alabama executive orders addressing teacher shortage and improving student success

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WPMI) — Alabama's teacher shortage and the low test scores in the classroom are being noticed by former teacher and current Governor, Kay Ivey. Now, she's trying to fix the problems by signing four executive orders.

Despite historic pay raises for teachers. since 2003, the number of graduates from Alabama's Educator Preparation programs has declined almost 20%. Those are exact words from one Ivey's executive orders. She said the decline in interest in the education field must be reversed and the state superintendent of education is on board, saying he's really excited about the apprenticeship program for teachers.

"In the apprenticeship model of what we're having is a person who has already had two years of college under their belt, or they might already have a full college degree but not a teacher's degree. At least two years under their belt," Mackey said. "Working in a school maybe an instructional assistant, they can become a co-teacher with a master teacher in their third year of college."

They will get a partial salary during that time and even more money their senior year along with some independence, like their own classroom. The governor is also concerned about what she calls "unacceptably low test scores," despite the number of things the state has done to try and improve them. Ivey signed another executive order demanding a report on progress from Mackey no later than June this year, laying out how those test scores are going to improve to national levels.

"That executive order just really takes the work we're already doing and what the governor says, let's just do a report that pulls together all the great things that we have done, plus kind of a path forward, what are the next several steps we're going to make in literacy and in numeracy and in career readiness," Mackey said.

Another executive order has dedicated a commission that is tasked with enhancing the quality of elementary and secondary education in the state. The commission's focus is on improving teacher quality and quantity, while ensuring that students grow academically in the classroom. The governor is also demanding a final report on the commission's progress by December of this year.