|
Alabama
Wire
AEA
vows legal fight not over on
Alabama Accountability Act
By Kim Chandler
March 14, 2013
MONTGOMERY,
Alabama --- Gov. Robert
Bentley has signed into law a controversial school choice bill that
gives
families zoned for "failing" schools
tax credits to pay tuition at a private
school or better public school.
“It’s
a great day for the parents and
children of the state of Alabama who are living in failed systems,”
said Senate
President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, who helped push the measure
through
the Alabama Legislature.
Bentley
signed the bill, known as
the Alabama Accountability Act, this morning after the Alabama Supreme
Court on
Wednesday lifted a temporary restraining order that had blocked the
legislation
from being sent to him for more than a week.
“Our
goal is not to support private
education. That is not our goal. Our goal is to make every school in
this state
a non-failing school,” Bentley said.
Republicans
heralded the signing of
the bill as a historic day for education. But they acknowledged there
will need
to be clarifications on some provisions through state regulations. The
legal
fight is also not over, as the Alabama Education Association vowed to
maintain
a legal challenge.
The
Alabama Legislature on Feb. 28,
in a rancorous night on the legislative floor, approved a bill that
would give
income tax credits -- estimated by the bill's sponsor at $3,500
annually -- to
families zoned for "failing" schools to pay for tuition at a private
school or a better public school.
The
credit could also be taken by
families, who are zoned for failing schools, but have already enrolled
their
child in private school.
It
also gives tax credits for
donations to scholarship programs to help lower income families bridge
the gap
between the $3,500 and private school tuition.
The
bill caused heated debate not
just as a matter of policy, but over how it was approved. A conference
committee added the tax credit program to a bill that originally dealt
with
letting schools get waivers from some state laws and policies...
Read
the rest of the article and
watch the video at Alabama Wire
|
