Robert Bentley on Education

First Class Pre-K good, but only enrolls 12% of kids

Bentley said he will ask the Legislature for another $10 million increase next year. He said the state should gradually expand it be available to all 4-year-olds statewide. "Every child would have a foundation upon which they could build," Bentley said.

The governor said statistics show the value of First Class. All of its children, for example, have gone on to become grade-level readers in third grade. Moreover, pre-K narrows the achievement gap: Low-income children who experience pre-k are less likely to struggle later.

First Class program: voluntary Pre-K education

Alabama's First Class program is nationally-recognized for its quality. Alabama is currently 1 of only 4 states in the country to meet all 10 quality benchmarks established by the National Institute for Early Education Research. The benchmarks include teacher training, staff-child ratios, support services and more. However, only 6% of Alabama's 4-year-olds are currently enrolled in the First Class program. The state also ranks a disappointing 33rd in access among the 40 states that offer pre-K programs. In order to expand access, Governor Bentley proposed additional funding for voluntary pre-kindergarten in the fiscal year 2014 Education Trust Fund.

Improving schools with a federal/state/private partnership

Though benefits will be cut, no teaching jobs will be lost

Give more power to school boards to make decisions

Only 10 charter schools; let local boards reject them

My first amendment limited the initial number of initial charter schools to ten, five for technical schools and five for local community schools. This initial limit would allow the state to test and evaluate the effectiveness o charter schools before implementing it statewide.

My second amendment gave local school boards sole authority on whether to establish charter schools in their communities, instead of the State Board of Education. I support maximizing local authority an providing increased flexibility to local school boards, and believe local communities can better assess their own needs than the State Board of Education.

I am not willing to fund an untested program in order to get "Race to the Top" money.

Supports moment-of-silence and teacher spanking law

Bentley indicates he supports the following principles concerning education:
• Support sex education programs which stress abstinence.
• Endorse a mandatory "moment of silence" after the pledge of allegiance in public schools.
• Support state-funded merit scholarships for Alabama students to attend college in Alabama.
• Q: Do you support the current law that allows teachers to spank a child as long as the teacher follows local school board policies?
  A: Yes.