On Tuesday, the Alabama House of Representatives voted in favor of legislation requiring all incoming first graders to have either attended kindergarten or pass a test proving that they have the competency to enter first grade. Children who fail the test will be forced to attend kindergarten rather than first grade with their peers.
House Bill 43 (HB43) is sponsored by State Representative Pebblin Warren, who has carried this legislation for the last few years.
“I am back again. I am back with the kindergarten bill again,” Warren said. “This bill is what is referred to as a First Grade readiness bill.”
“This issue has become a really important issue in the State of Alabama,” Warren said. “It is a tragedy that we would let a child reach third grade without being able to read competently.”
“This bill does not make kindergarten mandatory,” Warren continued. “A child can attend kindergarten or may be in homeschooling, private schooling, or religious schooling. As long as they demonstrate competence, they can enter into first grade.”
Rep. Mary Moore asked, “Will this make it mandatory?”
Warren answered, “It does not make it mandatory, but the child must pass a skills competency test to be admitted into first grade.”
“If their parents aren’t education-oriented, that is the group that is always going to be behind,” Moore said. “We need to make K-4 and K-5 mandatory instead of leaving that up to the parents.”
“I agree,” Warren said. “It should be mandatory, but this is a process. This is our beginning step to making it mandatory.”
“What I want to see is Alabama’s ranking improved,” Warren said. “It is that foundation that is going to build the foundation of Alabama.”
“We need to go back to K to 8,” Moore said. “They get to sixth grade, and they have been left behind, and they just look for that crack to get out without even going to go to high school.”
“We are not giving up. We are going to continue fighting,” Warren said. “I have prayed to God, asking him what I can do to get this bill passed.”
“I think unless we are going back to a time where a three-year-old goes to pre-K, we need to get that four-year-old in K4,” said Rep. Kyle South.
The House voted to adopt the substitute version of the bill that Warren had prepared in the Education Policy Committee in a 92 to 7 vote.
Rep. Phillip Pettus said, “I would like to see us mandate kindergarten.”
“If this goes through, let’s come back next time and mandate kindergarten,” Warren said.
Rep. Danny Garrett said, “The synopsis says that this mandates kindergarten. A lot of people in my district do not want to be mandated kindergarten.”
There was some discussion on whether or not a parent could enroll the child in first grade even if they did not pass the skills competency test that will be required for children who did not have kindergarten before first grade.
Rep. Terri Collins stated, “I have an actual amendment that spells it out that if they are not ready for first grade that the child shall enroll in kindergarten.”
“This is mainly those children who have never been in any kind of organized program before,” Collins explained. “They do not know their numbers. They do not know their letters. They are not ready for first grade.”
“Legally, you have to go to school as a six-year-old,” Collins stated. “This amendment says that if that child comes to school as a six-year-old and is not prepared to start in first grade, then they will be enrolled in kindergarten. It will be the best thing for the child at that point.”
Rep. Barbara Drummond asked, “Will the parent have the option of placing them in the first grade?”
“No, they will start at the most appropriate place,” Collins answered.
“This is a friendly amendment,” Warren said.
Collins explained that the Alabama State Department of Education would write the first-grade readiness test.
The House voted to adopt the Collins Amendment 92 to 5.
The House voted to pass HB43 in a vote of 87 to 12.
This is the fourth year that Warren carried similar legislation. It has not passed the Senate in the past. Governor Kay Ivey endorsed the bill in her State of the State speech.
It has been referred to the Senate Education Policy Committee.
Tuesday will be day 14 of the 2023 Alabama Regular Legislative Session. The Alabama Constitution of 1901 limits the legislature to no more than 30 legislative days in the regular session.
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