School board member Ella Bell dies
Ella Bell, a longtime member of the Alabama School Board, has died, the Alabama State Department of Education announced Sunday. She was 71. State Superintendent Eric Mackey in a statement called Bell an education icon who “dedicated her life to the betterment of the students of Alabama.” “Her tenacity and steadfast resolve in fighting for equity for all students will be her legacy always. Her presence on the Alabama State Board of Education will be sorely missed,” Mackey said. Bell was first elected to the State Board in 2000 and was re-elected four times. Her district included Montgomery and many low-income communities in Alabama’s Black Belt region. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, who serves as president of the state school board, said Bell shared a “passion for the children of our state.” “She was an ardent champion of her district and will be missed. May the Lord be with her family and friends during this time,” Ivey said. Bell in recent months was an outspoken critic of proposal to replace the elected state school board with an appointed commission. Alabama voters will decide the measure next year. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Alabama republican party opposes appointed school board
The Alabama Republican Party is against a proposal to replace the state’s elected school board with one appointed by the governor. The state party’s executive committee voted Saturday to oppose the constitutional amendment before state voters in March. The decision breaks with Republican Gov. Kay Ivey and Republican Senate Pro Tem Del Marsh who have endorsed an appointed board. The proposed new education commission would be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Alabama Senate. The amendment also includes a directive to replace Common Core curriculum standards with new standards. The GOP resolution said they urge people to vote no and “retain our right to elect” school board members. The resolution said they also fear the new standards will lock in Common Core “by a different name.” Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Board of Education to discuss State Superintendent Michael Sentance’s contract
The Alabama State Board of Education has scheduled a meeting to discuss the superintendent’s contract weeks after board members gave him a low marks during a performance review. The board is scheduled to meet Aug. 23. On Friday morning the previously released agenda was modified to include an item to discuss superintendent Michael Sentance’s contract under the “New Business” section of the agenda. A spokeswoman for the Department of Education said she has no further details about the updated agenda item.
Jackie Zeigler criticizes State School Board move to disqualify interim superintendent
State School Board candidate Jackie Zeigler on Monday criticized a recent move by the board to disqualify the interim superintendent they are set to hire from serving in the role permanently. The board voted by consensus last week to both hire an interim State Superintendent to fill a vacancy, but then voted 5-4 to make that hire ineligible to stay on the job beyond a brief provisional period. The move lowers the stakes for the decision to be made April 14 by the board – two days after April 12 elections – but also automatically eliminates a possible candidate who has passed vetting by the body. Jackie Zeigler – the wife of state auditor Jim Zeigler – declared her opposition to the move in a statement Tuesday. “This does not make common sense,” Jackie Zeigler said. “You always want the best superintendent – even if that person was serving as interim. On-the-job training is sometimes the best training. The best proving ground may be doing the job on a temporary basis,” she added. Zeigler used an anecdotal example of Mobile County Superintendent Martha Peek, who was hired on by the county system to stay on after three attempts to vet a permanent successor failed. “It proved the correct decision. She has been highly evaluated,” said Zeigler. “The interim can legally serve for a year. Since that person is now disqualified from consideration for permanent, your best people will not apply for interim,” she said, saying the move to disqualify could undermine the point of the interim search process. The motion to disqualify the eventual interim pick was made by board member Matt Brown, who Zeigler is challenging next month. Brown was appointed by Gov. Robert Bentley, a frequent target of public criticism by Jim Zeigler.
