SB397 Alabama 2019 Session

Updated Feb 24, 2026

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Del Marsh
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2019
Title: Public K-12 Education, State Board of Education renamed the Alabama Commission on Elementary and Secondary Education, members appointed by Governor, State Superintendent of Education renamed as the Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education, secretary appointed by commission, Governor to appoint team to advise commission on functions and duties of St. Dept. of Edu., const. amend.
Summary: SB 397 would rename the State Board of Education and its top administrator, change how leaders are chosen, and create a new advisory structure to guide Alabama’s public education department.
What This Bill Does
If enacted, the constitutional amendment would rename the State Board of Education to the Alabama Commission on Elementary and Secondary Education and the State Superintendent of Education to the Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education. The Governor would appoint nine commissioners (one from each congressional district, with additional at-large members as needed) subject to Senate confirmation, and the Secretary would be appointed by the commission and also subject to Senate confirmation, serving as a nonvoting member. The commission would oversee the Department of Education and adopt standards and programs for curriculum, teacher certification, professional development, assessments, and accountability, while coordinating with local boards. The Governor would appoint a diverse advisory team of current and former educators and officials to help the commission, and the terms of the current board would end upon ratification.

Who It Affects
Students and families in Alabama public K-12 schools, as changes to curriculum standards, certification, professional development, and accountability could affect what is taught and how schools are evaluated.
Governor, Senate, the new Alabama Commission on Elementary and Secondary Education, the Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education, local educators, and school districts, due to new appointment rules, leadership structure, and the creation of an advisory team.

Key Provisions
Rename the State Board of Education to the Alabama Commission on Elementary and Secondary Education and rename the State Superintendent of Education to the Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Commission members must be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate; the Secretary will be appointed by the commission and confirmed by the Senate; the Secretary serves as a nonvoting member and can be replaced by interim appointments if needed.
Nine commissioners will be appointed (one from each congressional district, plus at-large members as needed) with terms of six years and a limit of two full terms; appointments must reflect geographic, gender, and racial diversity; current board terms end upon ratification.
Governor to appoint a diverse advisory team of current/former educators and officials to regularly advise the commission on the Department of Education’s operations.
The commission will adopt course of study standards (in lieu of common core), a comprehensive educator certification program, professional development programs, a comprehensive assessment system, and a comprehensive accountability system.
The Department of Education will be governed by the commission and work in coordination with local boards of education.
The amendment requires statewide voter approval in the March 3, 2020 election; it repeals conflicting provisions and details how implementation should proceed.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Constitutional Amendments