Alabama. Dept. of Education (1919- )

Authorities:

Alabama Government Manual. Sixth edition. (Atlanta: Darby Printing Company, 1982).

Alabama Official and Statistical Register. State of Alabama Department of Archives and History. (Montgomery: Skinner Printing Company, 1979).

Code of Alabama 1975, 16:2:1-16:2:21. (Charlottesville: The Michie Company, 1977).

Markley, Anne Ethelyn. Author Headings for the Official Publications of the State of Alabama. (Chicago: American Library Association, 1948).

The State Superintendent of Education is the chief executive officer of the Department of Education for the State of Ala. Since 1969 the Superintendent has been appointed by the State Board of Education. The Superintendent is responsible for keeping a continuous inventory of all school buildings within the State. He approves the budgets of all county and city school systems and works with the State Board of Education in providing textbooks to public schools. (Alabama Government Manual, p. 180)

The first provision for free public schools in Ala. was established by an act of the Legislature in 1854. The act provided for a Superintendent of Education elected by the General Assembly to serve for two years. The Superintendent was assisted by three commissioners from each county and three trustees from each township. The duties of the Superintendent were: (1) to exercise a general supervision over the educational interests of the State; (2) to disseminate information as to the importance of free public schools; (3) to prescribe instructions to the commissioners of the counties, the trustees of the townships, and the teachers of the schools for the systematic performance of their duties, the proper management of schools, the course of studies, and the books to be used; (4) to carefully guard that no sectarian religious views be inculcated in public schools; (5) to collect information as to the number and ages of children in each township and county, who of them receive education and who do not; (6) to report the same to the Governor at least once every six months; (7) to cause a copy of that report to be presented to the Legislature, to be published and circulated throughout the State; (8) to prepare and preserve official books detailing the condition of schools; (9) to keep an office in the State Capitol;

(10) to see to the faithful disbursement and application of all moneys set apart and apportioned for education; (11) to report annually to the Governor on the disposition of said moneys; (12) and to visit each county in the State at least once every two years to ascertain the conditions of the public schools and to make public addresses to awaken people to the importance of extending the benefits of public education more generally throughout the State. (Acts of Alabama, 1853-54, No. 6, Article II, Section 3).

The Constitution of 1868 provided for the quadrennial election of a Superintendent of Public Instruction who served as president of the State Board of Education and cast the deciding vote in the case of a tie during deliberations of the Board of Education. (Markley, p. 40; Constitution of 1868, XI, Sec. 1)

The Legislature authorized the authorities of the various school districts to levy a poll-tax on the inhabitants of the district, the proceeds of which were known as the General School Fund. The Legislature further provided itself the authority to levy an annual tax on all railroad, navigation, banking, and insurance corporations for the maintenance of public schools. (Constitution of 1868, XI, Sec. 13)

The Constitution of 1875 provided for the biennial election of the Superintendent of Eudcation. (Markley, p. 40; Constitution of 1875, XIII, Sec. 7)

The Ala. Constitution of 1901 provided for the State Superintendent of Education to be popularly elected every four years (Article V, Section 114).

In 1919 an act of the Legislature (No. 442) established the State Department of Education and the State Board of Education. The State Superintendent was to be "a person of good moral character, of recognized ability as a school administrator, with academic and professional education equivalent to graduation from a standard university or college, and shall have had not less than five years of experience in public school work" (Acts of Alabama, 1919, No. 442, Article 4, Section 2).

The expanded duties of the Superintendent included: (1) making the annual apportionment of school funds to the counties; (2) explaining the true intent and meaning of the school laws, and of the rules and regulations of the State Board of Education; (3) executing the educational policy of the State Board of Education; (4) calling and conducting conferences of county or city boards of education; (5) preparing and publishing the school laws of the State; (6) receiving and examining all reports required under the regulations of the State Board of Education; (7) examining the expenditures, business methods, and accounts of county and city boards of education; (8) preparing the rules and regulations for the hygienic, sanitary, and protective construction of school buildings, and recommending for condemnation all buildings that violate those rules; (9) preparing rules and regulations governing the certification of teachers; (10) preparing for the State Board of Education a study showing the minimum contents for the different grades and kinds of elementary school, high schools, and normal schools, and also minimum standards for college courses for the training of teachers; (11) preparing and submitting for approval of the State Board of Education rules and regulations for the protection of the health, physical welfare, and physical inspection of the school children of the State;

(12) preparing the forms of contract to be executed between the boards of education and all regular employees; (13) taking a census in July of the even numbered years of all children in the State between the ages of six and twenty-one years; (14) preparing a budget for the Department of Education every four years. (Acts of Alabama 1919, No. 442, Article 4, Sections 3-20)

Divisons of the Department of Education in 1919 were: the Division of Executive and Business Management; Teacher Training, Certification, and Placement; Statistics; Rural Schools; Elementary Schools; Secondary Education; Physical Education; Vocational Education; Exceptional Education; and School and Community Betterment. (Acts of Alabama 1919, No. 442, Article 4, Section 22)

A Legislative act of 1939 directed the State Superintendent of Education: (1) to make an inventory of all school buildings and sites and to keep a continuous inventory of them; (2) to cooperate with county and city boards of education in securing Federal grants to assist in school building construction by making special studies of school building needs on the request of local school authorities and making the same available to the proper Federal agencies; and (3) to make special studies presenting the need of public education in Ala. for general Federal aid for the support of the public schools and to make the same available to the appropriate Federal agencies. (Acts of Alabama 1939, No. 441, Section 1)

Divisions of the Department of Education in 1948 were: Administrative and Finance, Business Management, Educational Administration, Elementary Schools, Exceptional Schools, Instruction, Negro Education, Physical and Health Education, Research and Information, Rural Schools, School House Planning, Secondary Education, Statistics, Teacher Training and Certificiation, and Vocational Education. (Markley, pp. 40-43)

In 1969 the Legislature amended the Constitution of 1901 with regard to the State Superintendent of Education. Amendment No. 284 specified that the State Superintendent of Education should be appointed by the State Board of Education and serve at its leisure. (Acts of Alabama 1969, Act. No. 2)

The State Superintendent of Education is the chief executive officer of the Department of Education. He appoints all department employees from merit system lists of eligible applicants. He prepares reports, budgets, rules and regulations, and publishes materials of educational interest. (Alabama Government Manual, p. 180)

The Superintendent of Education serves as ex-officio member of the: (1) Alabama Agricultural and Industrial Exhibit Commission; (2) Alabama Art Commission; (3) Alabama Veterans' Training Board; (4) Board of Commissioners for Tuskegee Institute (since 1985, Tuskegee University); (5) Alabama Youth Services Board; (6) Board of Trustees of the University of Montevallo; (7) Board of Trustees of the University of North Alabama; (8) Board of Trustees of Jacksonville University; (9) Board of Trustees of Livingston University; (10) Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama; (11) Board of Trustees of the University of South Alabama; (12) State Licensing Board for the Healing Arts; (13) State Building Commission; (14) Alabama School of the Fine Arts; (15) Alabama Wage Control Commission; (16) Board of Control of the State Teachers' Retirement System. (Alabama Government Manual, pp. 180-181)

The State Superintendent serves as executive officer and secretary of the State Board of Education, as Secretary of the Alabama Education Authority, as Vice-President of the Alabama Trade School and Junior College Authority and the Public School and College Authority. (Alabama Government Manual, p. 181)

The State Superintendent of Education is responsible for administering Disability Determination under an agreement with the Social Security Administration, Department of Health and Human Services. (Alabama Government Manual, p. 181)

As of 1982, Divisions of the Department of Education of the State of Alabama were:

Alabama. Department of Education. Division of Administrative and Financial Services.

Authority: Alabama Government Manual, 1982.

Alabama. Department of Education. Division of Disability Determination.

Alabama. Department of Education. Division of Instructional Services.

Alabama. Department of Education. Division of Legislative Relations.

Alabama. Department of Education. Division of Rehabilitation and Crippled Children Service.

Alabama. Department of Education. Division of Vocational Education Services.

Alabama. Department of Education. Division of Regulatory Services.