Dive Brief:

• Republican lawmakers in Alabama plan to make a push to allow charter schools in the state in 2015.
• After the failure of a previous effort in 2012, also backed by Gov. Robert Bentley, the legislators are aiming to at least get charters into the state on a limited basis.
• Like Nebraska, Alabama is one of only eight state that do not have charter schools.

Dive Insight:

In 2012 charter schools were considered in the state, however, the move to bring them in ultimately failed "under internal disagreements and political opposition," according to the Associated Press. While the charter school bill failed in 2012, the state did bring in the Alabama Accountability Act in 2013 that essentially works as a voucher law, giving dollars to families who enroll their children in private schools. 

Proponents of charter schools argue that school choice and competition will help weed out poor-performing schools, while also citing the positive impacts of flexibility in curriculum, as well as hiring and firing (charter schools typically don't have unions). Those against the movement see charter schools as draining resources from traditional public school districts, breaking up neighborhood and community schools, contributing to the privatization of public education, and not necessarily providing better results.