Last in math: Alabama politicians look for ways to close gap
Alabama students for years have ranked at the bottom in a national math assessment. That has led one lawmaker to propose an overhaul in math instruction that would include more math coaches in schools, summer programs, and interventions. Eventually, fifth-grade students would need to show they were meeting certain math benchmarks to move to the sixth grade under the proposal, he said. Republican Sen. Arthur Orr, who chairs the state education budget committee, is working on the proposal for the legislative session that begins in January. He said it would be a math counterpart to the Alabama Literacy Act, which puts a similar promotion requirement on third-grade reading skills. “When you are 50th in the country you have no choice but to improve,” Orr, R-Decatur, said. He said the persistent lagging scores shows the need for the state to put a heavy emphasis on math. The proposed promotion requirement is likely to be controversial since lawmakers pushed last year to delay the reading promotion test because of the pandemic. Orr emphasized the math promotion requirement for fifth graders wouldn’t kick in until the latter part of this decade and only after students had been in the revamped math program since first grade, he said. Orr said he supports the retention component because students must have basic math skills — adding, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fractions — to function well in life or to be ready to take on advanced math. “You need to have a comfort level with those fundamentals,” he said. Alabama’s math performance in fourth and eighth grades ranked dead last among states in the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress, often called “The Nation’s Report Card.” Education officials have expressed concern that the pandemic led to learning losses. Test scores from last spring, after the pandemic interrupted classrooms, showed just 24% of fourth-graders and 14% of eighth-graders were considered proficient in math. Students took a new assessment last year called the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program, complicating comparisons with prior years, but officials said the test results were concerning. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey told state Board of Education members this week that she is supportive of developing a math counterpart to the Alabama Literacy Act. “In the weeks and months ahead, I look forward to working with you to place the same sense of urgency on mathematics as we have rightfully placed on reading,” Ivey said Asked if the governor supports a requirement to hold back fifth graders who don’t meet math benchmarks, spokeswoman Gina Maiola said, “improving mathematics education in Alabama will require a comprehensive plan that is informed by all stakeholders. The 2019 Alabama Literacy Act will require third graders to meet reading benchmarks to be promoted to the fourth grade. The promotion requirement is set to take effect this spring. However, Ivey said she will ask lawmakers to delay the promotion requirement for one year. Orr said he is working with subject-matter experts on the proposal. “It’s no secret the state is last in math,” said Mark Dixon, president of the A+ Education Partnership. “We need a statewide commitment to improving math achievement.” Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Bradley Byrne: Empowering Alabama with education opportunities
Education is an amazing tool. It can transform the lives of both the young and old. A quality education empowers the powerless and provides opportunities in otherwise bleak circumstances. It can provide a path out of poverty. I think of Abraham Lincoln, who famously walked miles to borrow books from neighboring towns and farms. Despite being poor, he used what little money he made from farm chores and labor to buy candles. He spent many long nights reading books by dim candlelight to achieve the life he wanted for himself. Lincoln used his hard-earned education from dogeared textbooks and candlelight to become a country lawyer, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and President of the United States. Today he is remembered and revered as one of the greatest Americans of any generation. Of course, the absence of opportunity for a quality education can be devastating. Those without the means to be educated often have difficulty determining a pathway for a productive life. The temptation to fall into crime to escape can be strong, even overwhelming. I’ve seen these challenges firsthand in Alabama. As a former member of the Alabama Board of Education, I’ve discussed the downside of lack of quality education options with teachers and administrators, parents and students. These are not merely academic issues. They have a real, direct impact on lives. As chancellor of the Alabama Community College System, I saw what can happen when students get stuck in a system that does not prioritize the well-being of its students. Immediately upon taking over, I cracked down to remove corruption and install reform-minded leadership throughout our state. Many of those leaders are still in place, and our two-year and technical colleges are among the best in the nation. I’m proud to have played a role in ensuring the promise of a quality education to so many Alabamians who wanted the opportunity to gain a career and comfortably put food on their table through education. Offering that opportunity has been a passion throughout my career. That’s why I was delighted when earlier this year the Donald Trump Administration asked me to lead their school choice bill in the House. President Trump has prioritized empowering American students through education, and the opportunity to work with him and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on such a critical issue was exciting. Working closely with Secretary DeVos and Senator Ted Cruz, who is carrying our legislation in the Senate, we developed the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act. This bill creates a non-refundable federal tax credit for contributions from individuals and businesses to state-identified nonprofits called Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs), a program that has already been used successfully in Alabama. The Education Freedom Scholarship and Opportunity Act also provides for the granting of scholarships to expand students’ access to a variety of educational opportunities, from advanced or remedial courses to private and home schooling to career and technical education opportunities. The bottom line is this bill increases opportunities for families to make informed decisions that work for them and their individual needs. Importantly, our bill allows states to control their SGO programs, not the federal government. As someone who has spent a career in education, I can promise you that the more we allow education decisions to be made at the family and local level, the better off students will be. I’m thankful to President Trump for his trust in allowing me to shepherd his education legislative priority in the House, and I am hopeful that both parties can fully get behind this legislation to empower our students and their families to make the education decisions right for them. Working together, we can give students the educational opportunities they deserve. And they won’t even have to study by candlelight.
Rachel Blackmon Bryars: Alabama board of education member says school choice is trying to ‘destroy a whole race of people’
Alabama board of education member Ella Bell, D-Montgomery, spoke out during a work session Thursday claiming that Alabama’s landmark tax credit scholarship program for low income families was part of an effort to “destroy a whole race of people.” “They took money from the poorest counties in the state to send kids to private school,” Bell claimed, after accusing the program of “stealing” from the state. “That’s just awful.” Trouble is, that’s just not true. The small yet popular program created by the Alabama Accountability Act only amounts to one half of one percent of the state’s multi-billion-dollar education trust fund – a fund that has grown well beyond the minuscule cost of providing the scholarships, according to state budget data. And more than 80 percent of the parents who received scholarships last year from the two largest providers are minorities, according to a report. All made at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level when they applied, as required by law, which is also the eligibility requirement to receive free or reduced priced lunches. Disabled veteran Dalphine Wilson of Montgomery, who is African-American, is one of those parents. The single mother of two uses the scholarships to send her children to private school instead of the city’s troubled public school system. Wilson’s children dropped to one knee in protest during a recent Montgomery County School Board meeting after its members approved a resolution demanding a repeal of the scholarship program. Her daughter wept after the meeting, afraid she’d lose her scholarship. Her son asked if they could leave Alabama. “Parents deserve a choice,” said Wilson, 44, who applied for scholarships after seeing what she described as the “overwhelming” and chaotic culture in her daughter’s elementary school classroom. “And your choice should not be, ‘Gosh, I really hope my child can get into a magnet school, and if they can’t, their only option is this failing school that is under state intervention.’” She said if anyone is stealing, it’s those who want to take away the scholarships. “Why rob us of a choice?” Wilson asked. Ryan Cantrell, a school choice advocate in Montgomery who was an aide in the State Senate when the act passed in 2013, said the program was specifically designed to provide parents like Wilson with a choice that was once only available to higher income families. “We’re talking about families who absolutely had no other option,” he said. “For the life of me, I don’t understand how an elected official could consciously vote to take that away from a low-income child. It boggles the mind.” Cantrell said the “heart of the problem” is that opponents of the scholarship program are primarily concerned with the public education system itself, not the students it was established to serve. “We are so focused … on the adults in the room, and our education system is not built to serve adults,” he said. “Our education system is built to serve students, and whatever it is that works for kids ought to be what we’re doing.” Cantrell also disproved Bell’s claim that the program has been “stealing” from public school systems. On the contrary, he said, public schools have more funding and less students now than when the scholarship program began. Montgomery’s school system, for example, has seen its funding increase by more than $8 million, up 5 percent since 2014, even while the overall student population has decreased by more than 7 percent, according to Cantrell. During the board meeting, Bell also said the program “is absolutely horrifying to me because already I’m black and I grew up in Montgomery County 70-years ago and I know all the tricks.” But the scholarships aren’t a trick. They’re a lifeline, a choice, for thousands of kids who otherwise wouldn’t have one. Alabama shouldn’t allow that choice to be taken away because of past wrongs. The plain fact today is that the Alabama Accountability Act is a tiny fraction of our state’s education budget, it gives low-income families a sometimes life-altering choice, and almost all of the students receiving scholarships are minorities. We should all be proud of that. Because in the end, this is about what we believe education dollars are for – the system or the student. Please call your state legislator and local school board member today and let them know what you think. ••• Rachel Blackmon Bryars is a senior fellow at the Alabama Policy Institute. Contact her at rachel@alabamapolicy.org.
State Board of Education names four superintendent finalists
The search for Alabama’s next education superintendent was narrowed Friday to four finalists, as Alabama State Board of Education members looked mostly within the state for the next public schools chief. Jefferson County Superintendent Craig Pouncey, Hoover City Schools Superintendent Kathy Murphy, Superintendent Association of Alabama Executive Director Eric Mackey and former Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott are the four finalists for the position Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, who as governor serves as board president, told board members Friday that this is one of the most important decisions they will make. “Having an effective superintendent is absolutely essential to the future of our educational endeavors,” Ivey said. Board members are seeking a replacement for former Superintendent Michael Sentance who resigned in September after one year and one day on the job. Sentance stepped down after receiving a poor performance evaluation. A search firm whittled a field of more than 40 applicants to seven semifinalists. The finalists were selected after board members ranked the seven semifinalists under a scoring matrix. Board members are scheduled to interview finalists and select a new superintendent April 20. Pouncey now heads the Jefferson County school system and has served as a deputy state superintendent and chief of staff at the Alabama Department of Education. Mackey has led the state superintendent association since 2010 and has served as superintendent of Jacksonville City Schools and a school principal. Murphy is the superintendent of Hoover City Schools and has served as superintendent of Monroe County schools and as high school principal. Scott is a principal at the Texas Star Alliance, a lobbying and public affairs firm, and served as Texas education commissioner for five years under Gov. Rick Perry. Pouncey had been a finalist for the state superintendent post in 2016 but lost to Sentance. Pouncey has an ongoing lawsuit against one board member, Mary Scott Hunter, and others saying was a victim of a scheme to keep him from winning the superintendent post two years ago. Before the 2016 vote, someone anonymously gave board members a packet of information, including internal department emails, accusing Pouncey of getting state staff to write his 2009 dissertation when he was with the department. Pouncey said the accusation was untrue, and a subsequent department report found that employee statements cleared Pouncey. Hunter said she does not plan to recuse herself from the vote next week, saying she can be fair and impartial. “It’s certainly an odd situation, but it’s not a situation of my making,” Hunter said. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Wayne Reynolds declares candidacy for Alabama State Board of Education
Dr. Wayne Reynolds declared his candidacy as the republican nominee for the Alabama State Board of Education District 8 on Tuesday. “I am excited to announce that I am running for the District 8 seat on the Alabama State Board of Education,” said Reynolds. “I have served nearly 30 years of my work in public education including over ten years as a school superintendent. I am honored to have this opportunity to serve the children of Alabama again.” Reynolds, 71, earned his bachelor’s degree from University of Georgia where he specialized in career and technical education, and implemented one of the early high school student internship programs in Muskogee County, Ga. He then completed his doctorate degree at Auburn University. He served for over 12 years as a public school superintendent including as school superintendent for Athens City Schools until 1993. After retirement, he served on the state curriculum development committee and textbook review committee. “I believe that our children deserve to have the best education in America,” Reynolds continued. “Both of my children had outstanding public educations from Kindergarten through post-college, but not all of Alabama’s children or even all the children in District 8 currently have the same opportunities. We must make Alabama schools great!” “I want to see greater transparency and integrity from Alabama’s Board of Education. I want to see better ways of evaluating schools than we currently have. I think the people of Alabama should decide what our children are learning instead of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ system like Common Core.” A disabled veteran, Reynolds served as a medic in the United States Army in Vietnam from 1968–1969 with the 95th Evac and 22nd Surgical hospitals. He currently serves as National Treasurer for Vietnam Veterans of America and is now serving his 19th year as president of the Alabama State Council of Vietnam Veterans. Reynolds has also served on national committees on Finance, Veterans Healthcare, PTSD and Substance Abuse, Constitution, Employment Training Business Opportunities, and Veterans Affairs. He received a bronze medallion from the Chapel of the Four Chaplains, and was Alabama’s Veteran of the Year in 2011. Reynolds is running in the Alabama Republican primary for state Board of Education District 8 — which includes Dekalb, Etowah, Jackson, Limestone and Madison counties — against Rich McAdams. The seat is open as incumbent Mary Scott Hunter is leaving the Board to run for state Senate. Reynolds and McAdams will face off in the June 5 primary and the winner will move on to the general election against Democrat Jessica Fortune Barker. Reynolds lives in in Athens, Ala. with his wife, Carol. They have two children and two grandchildren.
Alabama Board of Education cancels special meeting to discuss superintendent’s contract
The Alabama Board of Education has canceled its Wednesday meeting where board members were scheduled to discuss State Superintendent Michael Sentance‘s contract after board members gave him a low marks during a performance review. The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) announced Tuesday the specially called meeting was cancelled. Instead the board will hold a work session on Wednesday, which board Vice-President Stephanie Bell said will focus on the state budget and compliance with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Shenanigans afoot at State Ed Board?
With less than a full year under his belt as the State Superintendent, Michael Sentance has found himself on the firing line as the Alabama Board of Education decides the fate of his future in the position. Sentance, who oversees nearly 900 employees at the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE), will be under review Tuesday in a special-called meeting by the board. There, they will decide whether or not Sentance stays in the position. Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, board members were asked to submit evaluations of the superintendent months ahead his scheduled December review. The request came as a surprise to many members, who said there was no mention of the early evaluation at their July 11 board meeting. “I believe it is a move to try to unseat him. I believe that this was demanded of us after the last board meeting,” Board member Mary Scott Hunter told WHNT News 19. “If this was so urgent we could have discussed it at the last board meeting, it was not discussed, it was not voted upon.” Despite his lack of time in the position, Sentance has made great strides to turn Alabama’s failing school systems around. Since he beat out five other educators from across the country for the position last August, he’s: Created a new advisory group of educators, which will provide a direct avenue of communication with the state superintendent to discuss important issues regarding education; Taken over the 27 failing public schools in Montgomery; Received permission from the federal government to allow for standardized testing flexibility as the state drops the ACT Aspire test for its students in favor of an alternative test; Currently, Sentance’s contract runs through Dec. 31, 2018, but with a simple majority vote the board may terminate his contract at any time. If he were to be let go, he would receive any remaining salary for the balance of his contract for that specific calendar year. When Yellowhammer News asked Sentance if he believes there’s an effort to get rid of him, he said, “Yes, it is true that some people are working very hard to try to remove me from the position.” Sentance did not respond to Alabama Today’s request for comment.
Board approves $198,000 contract for new Alabama school superintendent
A divided Alabama Board of Education has approved a contract for the state’s new school superintendent, who has drawn both criticism and praise for his outsider status. The board on Thursday voted 7-2 to approve the contract for education consultant and former Massachusetts education secretary Michael Sentance. After the vote, Sentance told board members that his goal is to raise the achievement of students in Alabama public schools. Sentance will take over as superintendent on Sept. 12. A board member and public hearing speakers, opposed to the hire, said Sentance was unqualified because he does not have classroom experience or an advanced education degree. Others urged the board to welcome Sentence, saying he would bring fresh ideas. The four-year contract will pay Sentence $198,000-per year and will also give him a $1,750-per-month housing alliance. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
AG Luther Strange announces nationwide injunction blocking White House transgender bathrooom policy
Monday morning Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange announced a U.S. judge has blocked the Obama administration guidance that transgender public school students must be allowed to use bathrooms of their gender “identity” — rather than their sex, or risk losing federal funding — granting a nationwide injunction sought by a group of 13 states, including Alabama. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor has granted a preliminary, nationwide injunction in response to a lawsuit filed by Texas and a number of other states. In a decision late Sunday, O’Connor explained the Obama administration failed to follow proper procedures for notice and comment in issuing the guidelines. He also said the federal guidelines had the effect of law and contradict existing legislative and regulatory texts. “The court decision is a victory for parents and children all across Alabama,” said Attorney General Strange. “I joined the multi-state lawsuit against the Obama administration in May to prevent Alabama schools from being forced to surrender their restroom access policies to social experimenters in Washington. I am pleased the federal court has agreed to our request to stay the controversial order while our lawsuit challenging the legality of the transgender order continues.” On May 13, 2016, the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice jointly announced schools must allow students access to restrooms and locker rooms of their gender “identity” rather than their sex, or lose federal funding. On May 27, Strange advised the Alabama Board of Education, which governs K-12 public schools, that it did not have to follow the federal edict until the multi-state lawsuit is addressed in federal court. The 13 states that filed the lawsuit requesting the stay include Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Status of Transgender “Bathroom Bill” Legislation | InsideGov You can read a copy of the entire stay here.
Alabama Board of Education names new state superintendent
Just in time for the new school year, the Alabama Board of Education has selected a new superintendent who will oversee nearly 900 employees at the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE). Michael Sentance, former Massachusetts Secretary of Education and regional representative to the U.S. Department of Education, was voted to the position at the Thursday morning board meeting in Montgomery. Last week Gov. Robert Bentley, president of the board, said he wanted a leader who would improve the state’s national education rankings. “It’s very important that we choose a leader that has in mind improved achievement for our students so they can be prepared to live a quality life, get a job, support themselves and support their families,” said Bentley. The board interviewed six educators from across the country last week to replace former superintendent Tommy Bice, who retired this spring after working for four years in the Alabama State Department of Education. The the other five finalists for the position were: — Bill Evers, research fellow at Stanford University — Dee Fowler, superintendent of Madison City Schools — Craig Pouncey, superintendent of Jefferson County Schools and former deputy state superintendent — Jeana Ross, secretary of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education — Janet Womack, superintendent of Florence City Schools
Sponsors of Common Core repeal bill to regroup for 2016
With the 2015 legislative session coming to a close, sponsors of a bill to repeal Common Core are already starting to rally for the next session. At a press conference on Wednesday, Sen. Rusty Glover and Rep. Bob Fincher – both retired educators — expressed continued concerns over what they described as lack of local control over the state’s education curriculum. Senate Bill 101 abolishes the Common Core education standards in Alabama and grants control of education curricula to state and local education officials. In addition, the bill prohibits state agencies from implementing any other national education standard to replace Common Core. Sen. Glover said that the proponents of the bill had been outspent this session. “It’s just really sad that a lot of what you have to say has fallen on deaf ears because […] money folks that have so much influence have disrupted our efforts,” he said. Sen. Glover also aired concerns that the portion of the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards (ACCRS) that is designed by Alabama educators would be sacrificed to reach standardized test performance goals. “When they say that this is an Alabama standard, 85 percent is Common Core and just 15 percent is created by local and state school board authority,” said Sen. Glover. “It’s outrageous to think that people are actually taking in an Alabama standard when the 15 percent created by Alabamians is largely ignored. If there’s a standardized test, there’s a lot of pressure on the teacher to do very well on that test. So you know that that 15 percent of curriculum standards will be totally ignored.” According to State Board of Education member Stephanie Bell, the curriculum has taken a toll in Alabama classrooms over the last four years. “Common Core is not just about bad education, it’s about destroying the potential of our children,” said Bell. “We have already lost some of our best teachers […] Not just 5 or ten, but hundreds.” Last month, the Senate Committee on Education and Youth affairs gave a favorable report to Senate Bill 101. The sponsors, however, have said that getting enough votes to pass the bill out of either chamber would be a challenge. Rep. Fincher said the way forward in the next session would likely rely on support from newly-elected legislators. “Our leadership in the House is not with us, some of the older members are not with us, but I have been encouraged – very encouraged – with some of the new members in the House that were just elected,” said Rep. Fincher. “We have a lot of support among the freshman in the House. A lot of them have stepped forward and signed the bill to bring about the defeat of Common Core.” “I think we’ve made some headway this time,” said Rep. Fincher. “We have not gotten where we need to be, and those who suffer will not be us, it’ll be the children of this state.” Ann Eubank, co-chair of the Rainy Day Patriots and legislative chair of the Alabama Legislative Watchdogs, told Alabama Today that her group was not surprised by the outcome. “I was not surprised that they killed the bill to repeal Common Core again,” she said via email. “They have been jerking our chain for 4 years. It ends now, no more nice tea party ladies.” Emphasizing their intent moving forward she added, “A strong group in opposition to Common Core are setting up a PAC for the next election and no one who supports Common Core is safe from a tough fight. In addition, we will be launching a program to boycott those businesses that give money to the Business Council of Alabama (BCA) which supports the destruction of our children and our country.” Updated at 5:04 pm to add quote from Ann Eubank, co-chair of the Rainy Day Patriots and legislative chair of the Alabama Legislative Watchdogs.
