AL Superintendent of Education Dr. Eric Mackey Visits Rotary

RCB President Brenda Hackney and Rotarian Derek Conrad Brown with Dr. Mackey

This week the Rotary Club of Birmingham welcomed Dr. Eric Mackey, Alabama State Superintendent of Education, as its guest speaker.

Mackey discussed the tenets of Alabama Achieves, the state’s strategic plan for education. Under the theme “Every child. Every chance. Every day,” the plan focuses on academic growth & achievement; college, career & workforce readiness; safe & supportive learning environments; highly effective educators; and customer friendly services.

Dr. Mackey highlighted achievements such as bringing Alabama into the top ten states in the number of high school students completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is the first step toward applying for college.

“They see that they have the opportunity to get a college education,” Dr. Mackey said. “And that will lift our economic prospects and it will lift our educational prospects across the state. If we’re going to compete with everybody else, we have to get our students on the same playing field with everybody else.

“We’re going to change somebody’s life because we’ve introduced them to the prospect of going to college. That’s what good policy does and that’s what we’re supposed to work on each and every day.”

He applauded the state legislature for approving a new math fluency law as well as a 4% pay raise for teachers, the largest in the state’s history. The new matrix will provide incentives for advanced degrees and years of service to bring compensation in line with neighboring states. He also addressed the role of charter schools, the reality that critical race theory is not taught in K-12 classrooms, and the detrimental impact of social media on educators.

“I tell my team, there are three fundamental questions,” Dr. Mackey said. “Will it help our students become better readers? Will it help our students be better prepared for success in algebra? Will it help our students become better, more productive, responsible citizens when they graduate?”