Unprecedented exchange

WINFIELD - In what is believed to be a first in the state, public school teachers and support personnel will have an opportunity to ask questions directly to Alabama Superintendent of Education Dr. Eric Mackey.
The state superintendent has agreed to participate in a statewide teacher listening tour with four stops across Alabama scheduled for inclusion. One of the four forums will be conducted in Winfield, with the remaining three confirmed for Saraland and Elmore and St. Clair counties.
The meetings are the result of a discussion between the state superintendent and state Rep. Tracy Estes (R-Winfield). The first-term lawmaker has viewed the exchange with school teachers as a priority since taking office slightly more than a year ago.
“Who better to provide input into the most effective ways to operate and administrate our schools than those in the classroom?’’ Estes said. “The vast majority of the time, new policies and management plans are implemented without input from those who are charged with implementing the plan. These meetings are the first step in correcting this problem.’’