Board briefed on new principal professional-learning standards and $30 million stipend program; public comment and phased rollout planned

Department staff and members of the School Leadership Act design team told the State Board of Education that they plan to announce intent to repeal and replace existing professional‑learning standards for school leaders, and that the changes are tied to a legislative stipend program for principals and assistant principals.

Anna Shepherd Jones, who helped lead the standards design work, said the design team is “a dynamic group made up of principals, assistant principals, teachers, superintendents, school board members, all across the state of Alabama” and described a multi‑stakeholder drafting process.

Why it matters: The legislature tied new professional‑learning requirements to a stipend program intended to increase principal pay and professional development. Staff said the budget contains $30 million for stipends beginning in the next fiscal year; staff also said $850,000 is currently available for administrative startup costs such as software, staffing and consultant support.

Key points presented - Staff explained the statutory requirement to align Alabama standards with current professional‑learning research and said the design team drew language from Learning Forward’s updated professional‑learning standards while adapting for Alabama’s administrative code. - Under the statute discussed in the session, principals may be eligible for up to a $10,000 stipend and assistant principals up to $5,000 if they meet specified professional‑development and mentoring criteria; staff said stipends are phased in over time and tied to completion of required activities, including mentoring for new principals. - Staff said the department will follow the administrative‑rule process: announce intent to repeal old standards and to adopt new ones in March, solicit public comment, return for final board action in May, and implement a phased schedule so stipends begin after funds are available in the new fiscal year.

Public outreach and concerns Board members and staff discussed confusion among retirees and other stakeholders about how the standards and the stipend program were developed. Staff said the draft standards will be public after the board’s announcement and that the public-comment period will allow the department to return suggested revisions to the design team.

Timing and fiscal details Staff said the $30 million appropriation appears in the budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1; they said the earliest districts could receive stipend payments is later that fiscal year and that the department expects an initial disbursement cycle in December after budget release and allocation to local education agencies. Staff said the department has $850,000 for initial program setup in the current year to hire staff, buy software and pay consultants.

Ending Staff asked board members to expect the standards to be posted for public review after the March meeting and to anticipate additional agenda items as the department moves to implement the new statutory requirements. No final adoption vote took place during the work session.