The Alabama Supreme Court just announced its decision to uphold the constitutionality of the Alabama Accountability Act (AAA). This is an overturning of Montgomery County Circuit Judge Gene Reese’s ruling in May, 2014 that the AAA was in violation of the Alabama constitutional due to legislative procedure.
State Republican leadership has heralded the Alabama Supreme Court ruling as a win for students, parents and school choice.
Alabama Republican Party Chairwoman Terry Lathan made the following statement following the court’s decision:
“The Alabama Republican Party has been supportive of school choice for families and is pleased to see the Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that the Alabama Accountability Act did not violate our state constitution or any of our state laws. Giving parents the choice to choose a good school for their children that are zoned in failing school districts was a historic and monumental move in the right direction for education in Alabama.
“As a former public elementary school teacher, I strongly support the classroom teachers and can identify with the daily challenges they face. As a parent, I also know that education decisions should start in the home with a student’s family. The partnership between the two can have wonderful outcomes, but in the end, a parent’s decision should go to the head of the class. I applaud the decision by the Alabama Supreme Court and we look forward to more innovative ideas from the Republican legislature and Governor Bentley on the topic of education.”