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Many of the roles education employees perform each day go far beyond teaching math, science or social studies in the classroom. In fact, most days teachers are juggling a dozen other duties – like managing carpool lines, bus duty, field trips, sporting related events on school property and calming student disagreements – that can put us in physical danger. These may seem like routine responsibilities, but education employees will volunteer for them because of our dedication to the students we see every day.
Last year, on a day like any other, I was on car rider duty. There was a split second between assisting students to their cars and lying on the ground, injured and in agonizing pain. The accident was crippling, and I am still dealing with the injury. But what shocked me most was discovering that as an Alabama public school employee, I have no protections and support from the state to help me recover from this accident. In addition, Alabama is the only public school system in the United States that has denied our public school employees workers comp. This includes: teachers, administrators, maintenance, custodial staff and cafeteria workers.
The physical and financial toll was immediate and debilitating. I suffered five fractures in my foot, ruptured and retracted tendons, and was left with a host of permanent, untreatable injuries. With no workers’ compensation in place for education employees, I was left scrambling to cover medical expenses of copays, deductibles and medical equipment needed in order to care for myself. A burden I still deal with to this day. I dipped into personal savings to front load all my medical related expenses and relied on friends to help me navigate this process. The stress of medical bills compounded my physical pain, and I was left wondering: How could a system that depends on educators’ dedication fail to protect us when we’re hurt on the job? There are many stories like mine that have suffered on-the-job injuries that shattered their wellness and left them with a permanent disability, financial loss and job loss.
Fortunately, there is a solution: one that legislators from both sides of the aisle are taking seriously. Senator Sam Givhan has introduced SB1, a bill that would provide workers’ compensation coverage for full-time public school employees. SB1 would finally give educators and educational staff the same protections as other public employees, ensuring that when we are hurt supporting and educating our students, choosing between our health and financial stability is no longer a requirement. Teachers take care of Alabama’s future, our students, and now is the time for Alabama to take care of its teachers.
Unlike other state public employees, full-time public school educators in Alabama are not covered by workers’ compensation. If a firefighter is injured in the line of duty, their medical bills and lost wages are covered. If a police officer is hurt while protecting the community, they receive the support they need to recover. But when a teacher is injured performing school duties and supporting the children of Alabama, we are forced to shoulder the burden alone. This is not
just unfair—it’s a cruel failure of the system to recognize and protect the very people who dedicate their lives to educating our children.
Support for SB1 has been widespread and bipartisan, with the Alabama Education Association advocating for workers compensation for years, but there is still work to be done. To parents, students, and community members: your voices matter. Contact your representatives and let them know that education employees deserve the same protections as other public and private sector employees. If we expect them to continue going above and beyond for our students, we must ensure that they are protected when they do.
Working in education is more than a job, it’s a calling. But that calling should not come with the risk of financial ruin from a workplace injury. Alabama’s education professionals deserve better. It’s time to pass SB1.
