Editorial: Retaining Talent - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

Editorial: Retaining Talent

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By Collin R. Gaston - bio | email

  • Editorials

  • Tuesday, May 21 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-21 23:20:08 GMT
    The horrific tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma this week bring back all too familiar memories for Alabamians as memories of April 27, 2011 are still fresh in many minds. When Alabamians were in need
    The horrific tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma this week bring back all too familiar memories for Alabamians as memories of April 27, 2011 are still fresh in many minds. When Alabamians were in need

  • Thursday, May 16 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-16 23:20:04 GMT
    In my editorial on Tuesday I chided our legislators for being the last state to pass a no-brainer  bill legalizing home brewing.  Today I want to challenge them to be one of the first states to pass another no-brainer;
    In my editorial on Tuesday I chided our legislators for being the last state to pass a no-brainer  bill legalizing home brewing.  Today I want to challenge them to be one of the first states to pass another no-brainer;

  • Tuesday, May 14 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-14 23:20:07 GMT
    Kudos, or perhaps, cheers to the Alabama Legislature for passing HB9, the home brewing bill. Legalized home brewing may not be up there with education reform or prison funding, but it was overdue. 
    Kudos, or perhaps, cheers to the Alabama Legislature for passing HB9, the home brewing bill. Legalized home brewing may not be up there with education reform or prison funding, but it was overdue. 
    •   
MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) -

Best selling business author Jim Collins is quoted as saying "If I were running a company today, I would have one priority above all others: to acquire as many of the best people as I could …[because] the single biggest constraint on the success of my organization is the ability to get and to hang on to enough of the right people."

Take a moment and let's look at our Alabama schools like they were a business and teachers as CEO's of their classrooms.  Are we in Alabama investing enough in our teachers?  Are we devising ways to support and retain the best talent which way pay dividends to our children now and our country later?

Studies out of the University of Pennsylvania have shown that 30% of elementary and secondary school teachers leave the profession after 3 years and after 5 years that number rises to 50%.  Research also shows that you get better outcomes for children when those that are teaching them have the added experience of years in the seat.

Last week Alabama lawmakers passed SB143  - a bill that will pay a $5,000 salary supplement to those teachers that attain special certification.  Our hope is that bill will help retain those talented educators that might have otherwise left the profession and will be the beginning of our state putting its money in a place that all Alabamians will see a guaranteed return – retention of quality experienced teachers.

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