Ala. Legislature Passes Ed Budget, Teacher Pay Raise

| April 21, 2016 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2016/04/AlbyHeadrick-Flickr.png
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:638;s:6:"height";i:438;s:4:"file";s:31:"2016/04/AlbyHeadrick-Flickr.png";s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:31:"AlbyHeadrick-Flickr-336x231.png";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:231;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:31:"AlbyHeadrick-Flickr-140x140.png";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"AlbyHeadrick-Flickr-80x80.png";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:31:"AlbyHeadrick-Flickr-600x338.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:31:"AlbyHeadrick-Flickr-600x438.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:438;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:31:"AlbyHeadrick-Flickr-453x311.png";s:5:"width";i:453;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:31:"AlbyHeadrick-Flickr-386x265.png";s:5:"width";i:386;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:31:"AlbyHeadrick-Flickr-600x400.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:31:"AlbyHeadrick-Flickr-600x438.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:438;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:31:"AlbyHeadrick-Flickr-125x125.png";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Alby Headrick
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] =>  Flickr
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:915361;s:14:"optimized_size";i:373328;s:7:"percent";d:59.219999999999999;}s:5:"sizes";a:8:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:59:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/04/AlbyHeadrick-Flickr.png";s:13:"original_size";i:183087;s:14:"optimized_size";i:96632;s:7:"percent";d:47.219999999999999;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:67:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/04/AlbyHeadrick-Flickr-140x140.png";s:13:"original_size";i:28658;s:14:"optimized_size";i:11438;s:7:"percent";d:60.090000000000003;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:67:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/04/AlbyHeadrick-Flickr-336x231.png";s:13:"original_size";i:96205;s:14:"optimized_size";i:36951;s:7:"percent";d:61.590000000000003;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:67:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/04/AlbyHeadrick-Flickr-492x338.png";s:13:"original_size";i:187558;s:14:"optimized_size";i:70525;s:7:"percent";d:62.399999999999999;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:67:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/04/AlbyHeadrick-Flickr-300x300.png";s:13:"original_size";i:111959;s:14:"optimized_size";i:41316;s:7:"percent";d:63.100000000000001;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:67:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/04/AlbyHeadrick-Flickr-453x311.png";s:13:"original_size";i:160962;s:14:"optimized_size";i:60139;s:7:"percent";d:62.640000000000001;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:67:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/04/AlbyHeadrick-Flickr-386x265.png";s:13:"original_size";i:123780;s:14:"optimized_size";i:46854;s:7:"percent";d:62.149999999999999;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:67:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/04/AlbyHeadrick-Flickr-125x125.png";s:13:"original_size";i:23152;s:14:"optimized_size";i:9473;s:7:"percent";d:59.079999999999998;}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1619381990 
1461257028

The Alabama state legislature today approved an education budget and a teacher pay raise. Conference committees approved the measures Thursday afternoon and Governor Robert Bentley has indicated his support. Assuming he signs the legislation, teachers and other educators making less than $75,000 per year, plus all principals and assistant principals, will get a four percent raise in fiscal 2017. Teachers and other educators making more than $75,000 will get a two percent bump.

The $6.3 billion education budget is Alabama’s largest since 2008. Bentley released a statement praising that fact and more.

Some context: Alabama’s school spending per student has dropped more than most other states’ since the recession. Legislators also cut a small bonus for retired educators from the new budget.

54% of support comes from members

 

Birmingham is 3rd worst in the Southeast for ozone pollution, new report says

The American Lung Association's "State of the Air" report shows some metro areas in the Gulf States continue to have poor air quality.

Why haven’t Kansas and Alabama — among other holdouts — expanded access to Medicaid?

Only 10 states have not joined the federal program that expands Medicaid to people who are still in the "coverage gap" for health care

Once praised, settlement to help sickened BP oil spill workers leaves most with nearly nothing

Thousands of ordinary people who helped clean up after the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico say they got sick. A court settlement was supposed to help compensate them, but it hasn’t turned out as expected.

Q&A: How harm reduction can help mitigate the opioid crisis

Maia Szalavitz discusses harm reduction's effectiveness against drug addiction, how punitive policies can hurt people who need pain medication and more.

The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring a Community Engagement Producer

The Gulf States Newsroom is seeking a curious, creative and collaborative professional to work with our regional team to build up engaged journalism efforts.

Gambling bills face uncertain future in the Alabama legislature

This year looked to be different for lottery and gambling legislation, which has fallen short for years in the Alabama legislature. But this week, with only a handful of meeting days left, competing House and Senate proposals were sent to a conference committee to work out differences.

More Education Coverage