Rep. Alan Baker, a member of the Alabama House of Representatives, has been awarded the prestigious CLAS Legislative Leadership Award, according to information provided by the organization.

The award was presented to Baker at the 2013 Annual CLAS Convention at the Mobile Convention Center during the awards luncheon on Tuesday, June 25 in recognition of his work to support and protect local education and students. CLAS 2012-13 President, Dr. Suzanne Lacey presented Baker with a plaque commemorating this accomplishment.

According to CLAS officials, the Legislative Leadership Award is presented by the CLAS board of directors to an Alabama legislator for outstanding support of school administrators and for dedication to the state’s school children.  This honor is not awarded annually, but rather to recognize legislator(s) when CLAS feels there is an outstanding individual who exemplifies the criteria.

This legislative session, Baker sponsored two bills relating to school and bus safety that have since been signed into law.  One bill relates to school safety plans and mandatory safety drills or “code red” emergency drills involving violence, severe weather and fire.  The second bill makes it a crime to trespass on a school bus.  In addition to working these bills through the legislative process, Baker also went against his own party and voted no to the controversial Alabama Accountability Act, which awards parents tax credits for sending their children to private schools if the children attend a public school deemed as “failing” by the state.

“CLAS and the school leaders we represent are honored to present State Representative Baker with this award for his leadership and his recognition of the importance of public education,” said CLAS Executive Director L. Earl Franks, CAE. “The Representative played a pivotal role during the 2013 Legislative Session in sponsoring bills that ultimately became laws related to school and school bus safety. Furthermore, he is a friend to public education and solicits opinion from CLAS on bills he is sponsoring as well as other bills which have implications for public education.”

CLAS, the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools was founded in 1969 by a small group of school leaders to provide targeted professional development and support for Alabama’s public school administrators.