After 39 years of public service, State Superintendent Tommy Bice announces retirement

Tommy Bice, Alabama’s State Superintendent of Education, announced his retirement Tuesday morning after over 39 years of service to public education. Bice has held his current position since January 2012.

Bice, 61, is the state’s chief executive officer of the state Department of Education and exercises general control and supervision over the public schools of the state.

Bice said the trajectory of public education in Alabama is moving in the right direction and he is certain teachers and administrators will continue to do what they have always done, aggressively pursue quality education for the state’s greatest commodity: students.

“I retire knowing that public education in our state is moving forward at an accelerated pace due to the dedicated teachers and leaders who have embraced the policy environment created by our State Board of Education,” Bice said.

Bice’s retirement is effective March 31. After a short break, he plans to join the Mike and Gillian Goodrich Foundation as its education director later this spring.

“While I may be retiring from formal public education, my work on behalf of students is far from over,” Bice said. “I will return to where my greatest passion lies – working with inner city students, their teachers and leaders to transform not only the educational opportunities for students, but the communities in which they live.”