Alabama's newly hired school superintendent is looking for ways to address what he is calling a "crisis in math education" in Alabama.
Yesterday, Superintendent Michael Sentance told state school board members that he wants to develop a strategy to raise state math scores that currently rank at the bottom of the nation.
Sentance says only 31 percent of Alabama eight-graders are proficient at math. He says that has significant consequences for the entire state economy, making it difficult for Alabama to recruit tech jobs and other industry.
Sentance says he wants to create a panel of 25 educators, math experts and business representatives to help develop recommendations. He hopes to have a draft proposal before the board by the end of the year.
The Alabama Board of Education hired Sentance as the state's new superintendent in August.