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This article originally appeared in the Montgomery Advertiser on January 20, 2003.

Governor Riley Can Elevate Hopes
A+ offers our recommendations for Governor Riley as he prepares to lead the state.
by Caroline Novak and Cathy Gassenheimer
A+ Education Partnership

Dear Governor Riley,

Congratulations on your inauguration. A+ believes that 2003 holds great promise for Alabama's public schools, as business leaders, educators, and policymakers in the state recognize that something must be done to build on the improvements we have already made and to spur greater changes in public education.

During your campaign, you mentioned the education improvements made in Texas and North Carolina. We, too, are very impressed with the progress made in these two southern states with demographics very similar to Alabama. We will release a report detailing the successes of North Carolina and Texas next week and hope it will become a framework for improving education in Alabama.

We hope you will use your term as Governor to guide policies that provide measurable results for improving teaching and learning in Alabama and that guarantee current and future funds are spent effectively. Our recommendations include:

Invest in current educators' knowledge and skills by providing content-specific professional development.
The most effective way to improve student achievement is to provide support and training to current educators. Based on the latest research on effective reading strategies, the Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) is an outstanding model for professional development, as it provides both initial training and ongoing technical assistance to teachers. When implemented properly, the ARI can result in the type of whole-school reform that improves teaching and learning dramatically. We recommend full funding for the ARI so that existing sites can excel and other Alabama schools can participate.

Increase the chance of having every Alabama student succeed in school by funding the Alabama Success Initiative.
To begin closing the gap in student success, the Legislature should fund the Alabama Success Initiative, a comprehensive plan designed to eliminate social promotion and retention over time. This plan includes:

• Training for K-3 teachers on effective reading strategies
• A similar type of effective professional development in mathematics
• Pre-school education for our most at-risk three- and four-year-olds
• Proven intervention efforts for students who are falling behind

Make principal recruitment and training a top priority.
Successful principals are both effective school managers and instructional leaders. Incentives should be provided for teachers and mid-career individuals to pursue the additional training required to become a principal. Higher education community should be expected to upgrade its principal preparation programs.

Recruit the best and brightest into the teaching profession.
Not enough talented high school students in Alabama are pursuing teaching as a profession. The state should provide four-year tuition scholarships to high-achieving high school students in return for a commitment to teach in the state for four years.

Help new teachers succeed by developing a two-year "induction" program.
Research shows that a large number of new teachers in Alabama are leaving teaching during their first three years. Alabama should invest in providing a mentor and additional professional development to new teachers to help them succeed in their first years.

Begin planning now to meet the teacher quality standards of No Child Left Behind.
The Bush Administration's No Child Left Behind legislation specifies that every public school teacher must be highly qualified by 2006. Alabama should move quickly to develop and administer subject-specific tests for teachers to ensure that they are qualified to teach in their subject(s). The state should revise its teacher evaluation method (PEPE) to include content-specific indicators that specify a teacher's goals, intentions, plans and impact on student learning. The state should incorporate effective professional development into the evaluation process to guarantee that teachers possess the knowledge and skills needed.

Compensate teachers and principals as professionals.
Currently, Alabama's teachers are paid according to a clearly defined salary schedule that neither focuses on results nor rewards excellence. Alabama should pay teachers and principals on par with other professionals but also in the same manner, by compensating them for extra responsibilities and for demonstrated knowledge and skills. The state should consider financial incentives for teachers who agree to teach in high-poverty areas.

Provide tools for teachers.
There are many schools in Alabama with inadequate resources. Students must share textbooks. The shelves of the libraries are bare. The technology available is outdated. Alabama must increase funding for textbooks, technology and libraries if our students are going to succeed and be prepared for the 21st century.

Alabamians suffer from high cynicism and low expectations, believing that there will never be excellence in education. Governor Riley, you can dispel this cynicism by keeping a laser-like focus on improved accountability. Further, you can raise our expectations of public education by adopting policies and programs that directly improve student achievement. By becoming a vocal advocate of education improvements, you can invigorate Alabama and ensure a brighter future for all Alabama's schoolchildren.

A+ is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works to improve the quality of education for all children in Alabama.