A new push to reduce reporting requirements for Alabama teachers is underway after SB280, the Teacher Paperwork Streamlining Act, went into effect.
The findings of a statewide survey, presented during an Alabama State Department of Education work session, have become the backbone of the legislative effort designed to eliminate tasks that drain teacher time without meaningfully improving student outcomes.
The Alabama State Department of Education committee appointees told lawmakers that the survey collected more than 500 responses. While that represents a small share of Alabama’s roughly 45,000 classroom teachers, the feedback still painted a picture. Educators said that while they spend large amounts of time on documentation, not every task delivers equal value for students.
The survey showed that student plans and communication with stakeholders consume significant time, but teachers also said those tasks produce clear academic benefits. Presenters noted that teachers generally do not object to work that directly contributes to student achievement.
The picture shifted with other tasks. Lesson plans require significant time from 80 percent of those surveyed, and meeting documentation occupies significant time from 78 percent, yet the perceived impact on student achievement was lower, at 62 percent and 48 percent, respectively. Officials said that the gap suggests certain requirements may no longer justify the burden placed on teachers.
Respondents repeatedly emphasized that their concern is not with planning or documenting instruction, but with long-form lesson plan formats that mirror teacher-training coursework and must be filled out even when schools have already developed common, collaborative plans.
One of the most consistent frustrations involved redundant digital systems. Teachers described entering the same attendance information into multiple platforms, a task that becomes burdensome when repeated across systems. State staff said many of these complaints stem from locally imposed requirements rather than state mandates.
A major surprise was that some districts still require teachers to maintain paper gradebooks alongside PowerSchool, the statewide student information system that was intended to eliminate such duplication. State Superintendent Eric Mackey acknowledged he had assumed this practice no longer existed in any district, but the survey revealed it persists in some places.
In some cases, lawmakers required reports containing information that can only be collected by teachers, even though they never intended to impose that burden directly on educators. Members of the committee said the new survey offers clarity on where statutory changes may be needed, and Mackey said that legislators have openly expressed willingness to amend laws to reduce unnecessary requirements.
Technology presented another challenge. While teachers are familiar with basic PowerSchool functions, such as attendance and grade books, they are far less familiar with its analytics tools. Committee members stated that improved training and broader adoption of existing tools could eliminate entire categories of paperwork if teachers no longer had to compile and track information manually.
Even with the frustrations, presenters said the tone of the open-ended responses underscored teachers’ dedication. Many educators apologized for voicing strong opinions, explaining that they simply wanted more time with students. Several noted that while digitization has benefits, schools often add new documentation layers simply because they can, not because they are necessary.
As discussions continue, the committee said the early findings already justify action, and they’ll be getting to work as the new year begins. The board emphasized that the goal is straightforward: if a task does not help student achievement, teachers should not be required to do it.
