Morton: 3,543 Ala teaching positions could be cut

  MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama school superintendent Joe Morton
says as many as 3,543 teaching positions could be eliminated in the
next school year unless K-12 public schools get an extra $235
million over this year’s budgeted spending.
    Morton said it’s “unimaginable” to him that the state could
lose that many teaching positions. He said there are about 43,100
state-funded teachers in Alabama public schools.
    Morton made the comments during his presentation to legislators
during budget hearings Wednesday at the Alabama State House.
    Morton said another cost-cutting option could be to cut the pay
of public school employees by cutting the number of days they work
each school year.