Sen. Jeff Sessions visited Enterprise recently to update constituents on his work and to receive input from the public on topics such as education, the war and energy.
Sessions had one dominant message to the citizens in attendance: Be proud of Alabama.
“I really think Alabama has a lot of things we can be proud of right now,” Sessions said.
One of the biggest reasons Sessions gave for the Alabama pride centered on education. A recent test showed Alabama’s fourth-graders had an 8-percent increase in reading ability. That number represented the highest jump in the nation.
Sessions attributed the rise to the Alabama Reading Initiative, a statewide program intended to improve reading instruction and literacy. The program provides training for teachers that helps them teach reading in proven and effective ways, according to the Alabama Department of Education.