Craig Ford: You get what you pay for

  State lawmakers will return to Montgomery on Tuesday, February 4th, and education will be one of the primary issues they will be taking on.

  Lawmakers expect an increase in both the education and general fund budgets for the coming year, and that means more resources available to address the issues facing our public schools.

A good solution to Alabama's "Tier 2" retirement system

  Unintended consequences are a common problem when it comes to making laws and government policy. A good example of this is the changes lawmakers made in 2012 to the retirement systems for education and state employees in Alabama.

  The economic recession that began in 2008 had severely hurt the Retirement Systems of Alabama’s investments. The slowness of the recovery made things worse, and the state was looking at a situation where, in the long run, the government wouldn’t have the money to pay education and state employee retirees the benefits they had earned.

Craig Ford: Alabama’s educators are "overwhelmingly well-qualified," so why aren’t we paying them what they are worth?

  Alabama State Superintendent Eric Mackey said last week that Alabama’s public school teachers are “overwhelmingly well-qualified.”

  His assessment came after the Alabama Department of Education issued its latest report cards on the college and university programs that prepare our teachers.

  Our public school teachers do a great job. There’s no doubt about that. And for those of us who have had one or more children grow up in and graduate from our public schools, we know how hard our educators work and how much they sacrifice for our children.

Craig Ford: Alabama's GOP leadership has become Robin Hood in reverse

  Alabama’s leadership has been acting like Robin Hood in reverse. They take from children, educators and correctional officers, and they want to give to murderers, rapists and child abusers.

  State leaders in Montgomery have become Robin Hoods—just not the kind that everyone remembers hearing about as a child. Instead of taking from the rich to help the poor, we’ve started taking from the poor to give to criminals. Alabama’s leadership has become nothing more than Robin Hood in reverse.

Hank Sanders: Senate Sketches #1497: What will this session really mean for the people of Alabama?

  What will this 2016 Alabama Legislative Session mean for the people of Alabama? This is a question that numerous citizens are asking. This is a question that many legislators are asking. This is a question that reporters are asking. This is a question that I am asking. But what are the answers?

  I know where I stand on the issues. I do, however, not expect to pass a single piece of general legislation, but I will introduce a dozen or so bills. I may pass several local bills. I know well that it is not a question of what I can pass; the question is what I can help prevent passing? What will this 2016 session mean for the people of Alabama?