Alabama’s future lies in the ability of all our children to receive a quality education that will prepare them for success. As Governor and a former teacher, I have committed to elevating Alabama to among the top 30 states in educational performance by the end of my term.  We are tackling this challenge head-on on multiple fronts, including requiring proficiency of reading and math at early grade levels and working with underperforming schools to raise their performance.  On the other side of the student desk, we are encouraging quality instruction in the classroom by increasing teacher pay, up 15% since I have been in office, with the goal of offering the highest starting salaries for teachers in the southeast.