Tuberville Joins Senate Panel to Address K–12 Education Challenges, Highlights Alabama Priorities

September 20, 2025 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) brought his decades of experience as an educator and coach to the forefront during a recent Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing focused on the state of K–12 education in America. With Alabama's education system facing persistent challenges despite billions in annual spending, Tuberville used the hearing to seek practical solutions and elevate the voices of national experts.

"Our number one commodity is kids in this country," Tuberville said. "We've got problems. I'm just looking for answers before I get into that job. I want to help kids, as I've done all my life."

Tuberville, who has publicly stated his intention to run for governor of Alabama, emphasized his commitment to improving educational outcomes across the state. He cited concerns ranging from social media's disruptive influence to the overuse of attention deficit medications, and stressed the need to rethink college-centric models in favor of workforce development.

A Panel of National Experts Weighs In

The hearing featured a distinguished panel of education leaders, including:

• Dr. Eric Hanushek, Hoover Institution

• Dr. Martin West, Harvard Graduate School of Education

• Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education

• Dr. Scott Muri, Superintendent Emeritus, Ector County ISD (TX)

• Dr. Rebecca Winthrop, Brookings Institution

Dr. Hanushek urged a structural overhaul of the education system, noting that decades of incremental reforms have failed to produce lasting change.

"We've tried to fix the schools by adding little things for a long time," Hanushek said. "We have to rethink the structure."

Tuberville echoed that sentiment, pointing to Alabama's $12 billion annual education budget and asking, "It ain't working. Something's wrong."

Southern States Show Signs of Progress

Dr. Martin West offered a more optimistic view, highlighting Alabama's resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic and its recent gains in early-grade performance.

"There's a bit of a southern surge going on in the NAEP data," West said, referencing improvements in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. He credited the use of "evidence-based curriculum" and a renewed focus on instructional quality."

Tuberville responded with concern about declining parental involvement and the erosion of traditional expectations like homework.

"Half the kids in this country have one or no parent," he said. "I had two parents-they kicked my butt every day about homework. I heard a teacher say, 'We want to do away with homework.' Have we lost our mind?"

School Choice, STEM, and Strategic Reform

Dr. Katie Jenner encouraged Tuberville to narrow the focus of reform efforts, warning against overloading schools with too many responsibilities.

"If we have schools boil the ocean, then we get nothing done," Jenner said. She emphasized reading, STEM, and high school redesign as key areas for impact.

Dr. Scott Muri distilled his advice into three words: "Vision, strategy, execution," while Dr. Rebecca Winthrop stressed the importance of trust between schools and communities.

"When there is strong relational trust, schools perform ten times better," Winthrop said. "Adversarial relationships don't help children."

Looking Ahead

Tuberville closed the hearing by thanking the panel and pledging to stay in touch as he prepares for a deeper role in shaping Alabama's education policy.

"I'll be in touch," Tuberville said. "I'm just here to learn."

As a member of the Senate HELP Committee and a former educator, Tuberville's remarks reflect a blend of personal conviction and policy ambition. With Alabama's recent adoption of school choice legislation and ongoing debates over curriculum and accountability, his engagement in national education discussions signals a growing focus on reform at both the federal and state levels.