A letter to my children’s school: Teach history and diversity without political ideology
Many of my frequent readers may not know this, but I have three children. I have a 4-year-old in 4K, a 7-year-old in 2nd grade, and a toddler who is almost 2-years-old. I didn’t grow up in a civic-minded household. The first time I ever spoke to my parents about voting was when I was 18 and voting for the first time. That’s not the life my children are living in now. We talk about age-appropriate issues regularly. Every time we see a man or woman in uniform, be it military or law enforcement, we thank them for their service. I regularly give to a handful of charities in our community and walk my oldest through what we’re giving, what the need is, and why. She doesn’t understand all of it, of course, but she recognizes that we each have a responsibility to be good neighbors in our cities. My children have all gone with me to vote during every election except this last primary (due to COVID-19). They’ve been to multiple rallies across the nation for topics ranging from school choice to fighting tax increases. As the school year started several weeks ago, I saw parents sharing assignments their children were bringing home in other states, and I grew both curious and concerned. With the national dialogue being what it is and reports that many of those arrested at protests are young teachers, I decided to write the Head of School (aka principal) of my children’s school to verify that the teachers will not be teaching their ideologies on the topic of race relations. I requested that they stick to age-appropriate factual and historical lessons and discussions. The letter I sent on August 17, 2020, is below with a few non-related notes taken out for clarity. I left all substantive points there. What I learned in response is that the teachers are given guidance on non-partisan activities during election years, but no, they have not explicitly covered specific areas for teachers to cover the issue of race relations. This is an important distinction. Since the date of this letter, I’ve had shared with me resources that teachers across the nation are using that are incredibly harmful and partisan. Glenn Beck even did a special titled, “Brainwashed” on the lesson plans being used in NYC. I also share the grave concerns of parents over The 1619 Project and its curriculum. If you’re not familiar with The 1619 project by the New York Times, you’re missing out. In its introduction, they paint our nation as one full of hatred, intolerance, and racism. They suggest that rather than 1776 the year 1619, the year slaves were brought to America is when our country truly was founded. One woman telling her story had this to say, “So when I was young, that flag outside our home never made sense to me. How could this black man, having seen firsthand the way his country abused black Americans, how it refused to treat us as full citizens, proudly fly its banner? I didn’t understand his patriotism. It deeply embarrassed me.” Imagine a world in which the flag and patriotism embarrass you? Well, we don’t have to do that, do we? Athletes and celebrities are falling all over themselves to disrespect our flag and the men and women who gave their lives for our right to fly it and the freedoms that it represents. In this lesson plan, this is said, “Anti-black racism runs in the very DNA of this country.” Further essays go on to decry capitalism (the title of that piece, “In order to understand the brutality of American capitalism, you have to start on the plantation.”), the police, racism as the reason why we don’t have universal healthcare, and public transit (2 different essays), whites in general at the bottom line. One essay contains this gem, “The past 10 years of Republican extremism is emblematic. The Tea Party billed itself as a reaction to debt and spending, but a close look shows it was actually a reaction to an ascendant majority of black people, Latinos, Asian-Americans, and liberal white people.” This is the junk they’re teaching our kids! 100 pages of this. I’ve been to hundreds of tea party events, and I can assure you that it was a reaction to big government and had nothing to do with race. Yet they teach this as though it’s factual and undeniable. Parents, grandparents, friends, we must stop this. We must not let history be rewritten. We must not let today’s story be told by hate-filled liars. Take the letter below and adapt it to your teacher and your principal, and let’s fight this thing together. I’ll be posting a follow up to this, but here’s a starting place. Find out if your children’s schools have guidance. To the Head of School, I hope you’re well and preparing for another great, albeit challenging, new academic year. A parent called me to ask if I had seen the school’s Facebook posts in response to the national discussions on race relations. Ironically, I had already spoken to one parent about them a little over a month ago but got too busy to email you. Understanding diversity and addressing racial inequality is an essential step for our nation and something I believe we all can work on together. I wanted to take a moment to email you directly about it. I want to write to make sure that if/when teachers and staff are addressing this incredibly important and timely subject, they are doing so in a way that’s mindful of the ideological diversity of the school. I’m not sure there’s been an official poll but based on the friendships I’ve forged over the last two years, the school skews progressive, but us conservatives to date haven’t been excluded or alienated in any way. That said, there are different ways of approaching this important topic based on individual families and the diverse backgrounds that make our school great.
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.
Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth’s appointments: Education and Child Welfare related (January 2019 – July 2019)
We are please to present Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth’s education and child welfare related appointments from January to July. Additional appointments in judicial and criminal justice, healthcare, IT/infrastructure and agriculture and natural resources are to follow. Information on open board positions is on the appointments webpage. Prepaid Affordable College Tuition (PACT Board) (Made February 27) · Senator Donnie Chesteen · Senator Garlan Gudger Alabama Public Charter School Commission (Made March 04) · Dr. Mark W.C. Martin · Allison Haygood Children First Trust Fund Board, Join Legislative Oversight Committee (Made March 18) · Senator Donnie Chesteen · Senator Tim Melson · Senator Arthur Orr · Senator Clay Scofield · Senator Rodger Smitherman · Senator Larry Stutts Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Advisory Board for the Restriction of Youth (Made April 03) · Senator Dan Roberts Alabama Interagency Autism Coordinating Council (Made April 03) · Senator Cam Ward Children in State Care, Joint Legislative Oversight Committee (Made April 03) · Senator Will Barefoot · Senator Linda Madison-Coleman · Senator Malika Fortier-Sanders Arts Education License Plate Advisory Committee (Made April 30) · Jane Kohl Alabama ACES Trust Fund Board (College Savings/529 Program) (Made July 19) · Susan Tully
Governor Kay Ivey’s appointments: Education related (Jan. – April 2019)
We are pleased to be able to share with you Governor Kay Ivey’s Education appointments from January to April 2019. Her new communications team was incredibly responsive in sending us those she has appointed to boards, commissions and committees — we’re breaking them down categorically for you. We will be ticking off by board issues starting with healthcare then going into education, infrastructure, judiciary and local appointments then additional ones. Please check back for additional appointments throughout the day. Information on open board positions is on the appointments webpage. Physical Fitness & Sports Commission (Made January 31) Dr. Henry Williford University of North Alabama Board of Trustees Simpson Russell (Made February 7) Joel Anderson (Made February 7) Gary Smith (Made March 13) Board of Cosmetology and Barbering Michele Callahan-Alvis (Made February 15) Jeannie Price (Made February 26) Community College System Board of Trustees (Made February 15) John Mitchell Sr. Matthew Woods Milton Davis, P.E. Blake McAnally Athens State University Board of Trustees (Made February 26) William Dunnavant Jim America Early Intervention Interagency Coordinating Council (Made February 26) Julie Carroll University of South Alabama Board of Trustees (Made February 26) Captain Robert Jenkins Michael Windom Kenneth Simon Katherine Alexis Atkins Chandra Brown Stewart Athlete Agents Commission (Made February 26) Dr. Jared White Institute for Deaf and Blind Board of Trustees (Made March 13) Robert Kelly Richard Kemmer Terry Dunn M.P. Greene, Jr. Board of Examiners in Psychology (Made March 13) Dr. Edwin Cook, III Education Television Commission Dr. Douglas Ragland (Made March 19) Ferris Stephens (Made March 27) Space Science Exhibit Commission (Made March 27) Wes Kelley Race Cannon Commission on Higher Education (Made March 27) Dr. Larry Turner Course of Study: Career and Technical Education (Made March 27) Sydney Raine Ryan Richards Sandra Langley David Duncan Russell Johnson Jamia Alexander Williams Donald Jones Jacksonville State University Board of Trustees (Made April 02) Tony Smoke Firefighters’ Personnel Standards and Education Commission(Made April 12) Chief Gary Sparks Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Board (Made April 12) Gudrun Pechtold Brad Newman Robyn Snellgrove Jeff McClure
Alabama moves closer to repealing Common Core
A bill to repeal Common Core standards passed the Alabama Senate Thursday afternoon. Filed by Anniston-Republican and Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh– Senate Bill 119, which would repeal Common Core standards in in Alabama, passed as amended by a 23-7 vote. Marsh says the Alabama school board is “incapable of making decisions that give our students and teachers the best chance at being successful” and thus the state legislature needed to take action. “We have used the Common Core standards in Alabama for nearly a decade and while we do have some blue-ribbon schools, the vast majority are severely behind. We are still ranked 46thand 49thin reading and math according to National Assessment of Educational Progress. This is unacceptable so it is time to try something new,” Marsh explained of the need for repeal. He continued, “I have worked and will continue to work with the education community in developing high standards so that we have the most competitive and rigorous course of study in the country, we cannot accept the status quo and this is a good first step.” The bill now moves to the Alabama House of Representatives.
Bradley Byrne: Giving our students the best education possible
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” This question is probably the single most-asked question of any child throughout the world. Here in the United States, many children are able to achieve their dreams through hard work, dedication, and a quality education. But, for some here in our own country, hard work and dedication are not enough when it comes to circumstances out of their control like where they live or how much their family makes. Too many students find themselves stuck in failing schools. Every child has boundless individual potential, and we must do everything we can to ensure they have the opportunity and freedom to realize that potential. To do that, we must ensure all children have access to choice in education. Education has always been a passion of mine. In fact, it was concerns over public education that first motivated me to run for office and work to make a difference. As a first-generation college graduate, I’ve seen firsthand the power a quality education can have on an individual’s life. So, I have always been an advocate for public education and worked to make sure our schools have the resources they need to do help educate our students. I’ve also fought to limit the heavy hand of the federal government in our classrooms, in an effort to make sure decisions are made by local and state officials who best understand their students. Whether it was serving on the Alabama State Board of Education or more recently as a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, I have made it a priority to put forward solutions to create a better future for our nation’s children. Most recently, I worked with the Trump Administration to introduce the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act. This legislation will give students and parents in Alabama and around the country the freedom they deserve to make educational decisions that are right for them. The Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act was developed in consultation with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Senator Ted Cruz as the Trump Administration’s leading education proposal. Our bill responds to President Trump’s State of the Union call for greater school choice and builds upon the model that has already been successful in Alabama. Every student in America should have the opportunity to receive a high-quality education, and we can help accomplish that goal through a new federal tax credit. Our bill will create a non-refundable federal tax credit for contributions from individuals and businesses to state-identified nonprofits called Scholarship Granting Organizations. These scholarships can be used to expand students’ access to a variety of educational opportunities, from advanced or remedial courses to private and home schooling to CTE opportunities. It puts control in the hands of states and localities rather than the federal government when it comes to educational choice and scholarships. Very important to me, the bill does not take a single penny away from public education. I know the vast majority of students in Alabama and in the United States attend public schools, like my children did, and I will remain steadfast in fighting for our traditional public schools, teachers, and students. Through the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act, we will increase opportunity for families to make informed decisions that work for them and their individual needs, rather than cookie cutter solutions that don’t work. By providing greater freedom in education and continuing to fight for our nation’s children, we can help every student realize their goal of “what they want to be.” In doing so, we can make our state and our country even stronger. Bradley Byrne is a member of U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 1st Congressional District.
Rauf Bolden: Is the new school in Orange Beach leading to another split?
It may seem obvious to those who look. Orange Beach is perfectly positioned to have an independent school system, divorced from the constraints of the Baldwin County Board of Education (BCBE). In a stroke of negotiated genius, Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon closed a deal with BCBE, ensuring they take on millions of dollars worth of construction debt, providing a new High School/Middle School for students in Orange Beach with no increase in local-property taxes. The city did transfer land to BCBE, giving them clear title to the property the school will sit on. This new campus is the final catalyst for a school split in Orange Beach. As with all politicians, there is a hidden cost to partnering with the City of Orange Beach. The Baldwin County Board of Education is expected to make administrative concession, accommodating Mayor Kennon’s vision. He will be disappointed, leading to a split of irreconcilable differences. Kennon said, “I expect to be treated differently, I expect them [Baldwin County Board of Education] to listen to our community [me]. The school [Middle School/High School] that we’re building is a gem for them to show off,” according to a report by John Mullen on the OBA Website. BCBE is not going to let Orange Beach tell them how to do their job, providing the excuse for Orange Beach to file for separation, severing ties with Baldwin County, and forming an independent school system. Orange Beach tried twice before to found a school system. Once in 2007 and once in 2014, but both failed massively. This time the initiative will succeed. Mayor Kennon will have more influence over the school board in an independent school system, finally getting what council has always wanted for Orange Beach, tattooing their guidance on the lives of future generations through a finely tuned curriculum of academics, sports and after-school programs. This will take the worry off the shoulders of working parents, because their kids will be in supervised care from sunup to sundown. Prayer and The Pledge in standalone after-school programs are elements local parents will not oppose; having independent after-school programs is the only way this works. “Organized prayer in the public school setting, whether in the classroom or at a school-sponsored event, is unconstitutional. The only type of prayer that is constitutionally permissible is private, voluntary student prayer that does not interfere with the school’s educational mission,” according to adl.org. By example Gulf Shores City Schools will show how effective independent-minded programs can be, allowing Orange Beach parents to see how they can improve alternative education. Administrative differences will be pointed out, underlining the idea for independence. Perhaps more home-schooled children will come back, because of Orange Beach’s after-school model. Orange Beach must first demonstrate the short comings of the Baldwin County Schools, pointing again to how well an independent school system like Gulf Shores targets the unique needs of local children in a way generic, county-wide education never can, like marine biology, oceanography, or religious studies. Political interests will start to align, pointing out the discrepancies, and shortcomings of the county system. A groundswell of concern will rise, pleading for help, leading to discussions, therapy and divorce. “I would hope Gulf Shores would go ahead and help us [Orange Beach] move forward so both city and county schools can move forward,” said Mayor Tony Kennon. “We [BCBE] need to hire administrators, coaches, and … it’s frustrating and unfair to the parents who are in limbo.” according to a report in al.com (https://www.al.com/news/2018/12/orange-beach-families-to-state-where-are-we-going-to-school-next-year.html). The Baldwin County Board of Education and the Gulf Shores City School Board could not find common ground, negotiating the school separation, requiring the Alabama State Superintendent of Education to step in, settling the dispute. “Gulf Shores High School students living outside of the city going into grades 11 and 12 will remain at the school. Next year’s 10th graders will have the choice to stay at Gulf Shores High School or to attend class in Orange Beach,” said Dr. Eric Mackey, Alabama’s State Superintendent of Education. The possibility exists that students attending Gulf Shores City Schools from Orange Beach and Ono Island will be required to pay tuition, “Gulf Shores City Schools shall retain the right to formulate an Out of District Policy at their discretion,” said Mackey, according to a report in mynbc15.com. This Out of District Policy ruling is leverage for Gulf Shores City Schools. Precedent already exists for student applications, vetting, and tuition payments in Satsuma, an independent school system, according to a report on Satsuma City Schools web site. Kennon will be very disappointed if Orange Beach is saddled with a large tuition bill for its students, but you cannot expect Gulf Shores’ taxpayers to foot the bill for Orange Beach’s students. The Orange Beach City Council could volunteer to subsidize tuition, providing financial assistance to local parents, during the transition period. The Orange Beach separation whispers have already begun, based on the premise that we can do it better. “I am not comparing Orange Beach schools to the county,” Kennon said. “I’m comparing Orange Beach schools to the best in the state. If we can’t be the best in the state, then we have underachieved. We have the ability, the financial wherewithal to be the best in the state. No one can hold us back. We have to as a community expect excellence, hold our kids to it and hold other parents to it. If we don’t demand excellence, if we don’t demand that we are the best in the state then we’re not going to get it.” Obviously Mayor Kennon wants to put his stamp on the way things are done. This will be impossible with the reins of power in the hands of the Baldwin County Board of Education. Sooner rather than later Kennon will announce Orange Beach is going their own way. Orange Beach can afford to go it alone. In 2017 the city generated $41.8 million in revenue, having $25.1 million in expenses, leaving $16.7
Doug Jones hosts HBCU event: NFL great John Stallworth says attendance a ‘life-changing event’
At the inaugural Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Summit in Birmingham, students and leaders from these schools gathered and discussed ways to meet the demands of Alabama’s changing workforce, Alabama Newscenter Reports. NFL’s John Stallworth, a graduate of Alabama A&M, said in his keynote speech that going to an HBCU was a “life-changing event.” The event was organized by Sen. Doug Jones-Democrat, who also moderated a panel on how HBCUs can partner with other schools and businesses across Alabama to ensure that their students are ready for tomorrow’s jobs. “We’ve got some of the leading businesses in the state of Alabama that came to Birmingham today because they recognize the quality of education these students are getting at these HBCUs,” Jones said, according to the outlet. “I want people to see that. Alabama has more HBCUs than any other state in the country. They provide well over $1 billion in economic engine for the state. One of the purposes of the event today was (to) highlight the phenomenal job that these colleges and universities do for these graduates. They’re forward thinking.” U.S. House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn– Democrat, reintroduced legislation just days ago that would reauthorize the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Historic Preservation Program, which would support the preservation of historic sites at these schools. In 1998, the Government Accountability Office found that 712 structures on 103 HBCU campuses were in need of historic preservation, according to The T&D, and the estimated cost of that preservation was $755 million. To date, more than 60 of those buildings in 20 states have been renovated through Clyburn’s program, which is managed by the National Parks Service. Clyburn is seeking $10 million per year for the next seven years. “We have made significant progress towards the restoration and preservation of historic buildings and sites on the campuses of HBCUs, but there is still much more that needs to be done,” he said. “I am proud of the continued bi-partisan support of this effort. Senators Kamala Harris and Lindsey Graham reintroduced their companion bill today in the Senate, and I will continue to work with them to restore and preserve these critical pieces of American history.” This is not the first bipartisan effort in support of HBCUs. Clyburn continued. “These federal investments have transformational impacts on the communities that surround our HBCU campuses, and bring new life to historic buildings, many of which were built more than a century ago by student labor and designed by unsung Black architects. By continuing these efforts, we are extending a tremendous legacy.” That legacy is one that Stallworth was proud to have been a part of. “I’ve had a blessed life and, yes, I would not change a thing,” he concluded his speech. “I am John Stallworth, a proud graduate of an HBCU.” This article published with permission including content from Alabama Newcenter
Military aims to help Alabama ease its teacher shortage
he military is aiming to ease Alabama’s shortage of teachers. Military officials are leading two efforts designed to increase the number of teachers in the state’s public schools, The Montgomery Advertiser reported. “In order to replace teachers that are retiring and those that are choosing not to go into the field, it’s almost becoming a crisis to find good, qualified teachers in Alabama, especially where we are,” said James Carter, superintendent in rural Greene County. About 15 percent of its teacher positions in the district are open, the Montgomery newspaper reported. “There’s not a lot of people that want to come and live in areas that are isolated from the urban centers,” Carter said. One of the initiatives designed to help schools like his is a Department of Defense program that was established in 1993 as a means to ease transition of military service members into civilian life. The program has put more than 20,000 veterans into classrooms nationally. The program used to be administered by the Department of Education. Stillman College became the education department’s first community partner in Alabama to handle the Troops to Teachers program. The college chose to focus its efforts on staffing Greene and Hale counties schools, and in October 2018, it was awarded a $400,000 grant to do so, the newspaper reported. Military veterans who go through the program are offered a stipend to cover the costs of education courses and licensing fees. They also get an incentive bonus for those that sign a three-year contract in a hard-to-staff school, up to a combined $10,000. “I think it can be a game-changer for the Black Belt and these schools,” said Derwin Dubose, executive director of military and veteran programs at Stillman. The college, he said, felt it was imperative to serve Stillman’s local communities. “We are looking forward to working with Stillman and the Troops to Teachers program,” Carter said. “We are certainly hoping this will give us a head start on next year’s recruiting, and we can utilize some of their experiences, and they can serve as role models for our students here.” There are also legislative efforts aimed at certifying former Community College of the Air Force instructors to teach in K-12 schools. “CCAF’s faculty development programs are closely aligned with the learning theory and instructional strategies found in colleges of education. The state recognizing CCAF’s teacher training program would allow qualified airmen to begin teaching without sacrificing GI Bill benefits or paying out of pocket for an additional education credential,” Dubose wrote in a letter to Gov. Kay Ivey’s office this month. Dubose and other Air Force leaders are meeting with the education department and the governor’s office in early February to discuss the legislation’s details and potential. Republished with permission from the Associated Pressto
Alabama Education Department seeks school safety funding
Alabama education officials are seeking money for school safety projects, the state superintendent said Friday. Alabama Superintendent Eric Mackey told lawmakers that the Department of Education is seeking an additional $30 per student for school safety projects. The state superintendent said the money could be used for locks, cameras and other options including mental health. “The biggest thing that people are asking for are locks,” Mackey said. He said school systems could also use money to provide school offices for mental health counselors employed by the Department of Mental Health. He said that partnership would allow students to access care more easily by having the counselor work at the school. “The model is to set that mental health counselor an office in the school and then students are going back and forth to them just like they go to a guidance counselor or assistant principal’s office, rather than having to transit off campus,” Mackey said. Lawmakers last year voted to allow schools to use a state technology fund to pay for school resource officers or other security measures. Mackey said the department is also seeking money for additional school nurses and to expand the state reading initiative. Mackey discussed the funding request during budget hearings this week before state lawmakers. Lawmakers this spring will begin working on state budgets for the next fiscal year. The 2019 legislative session begins March 5. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Rachel Blackmon Bryars: Four myths to dispel during Alabama School Choice Week
Gov. Kay Ivey recently proclaimed this “Alabama School Choice Week” and thousands of families are celebrating reforms created by the Alabama Accountability Act, including scholarships so low-income parents can transfer their children from under-performing schools. Critics of the program, however, will likely respond by repeating some of the many myths about the law. Here are four you’ll probably hear: Myth #1: Scholarships steal money from public schools The Alabama Accountability Act “has directly siphoned more than $140 million from Alabama’s cash-strapped K-12 classrooms,” wrote the Alabama Education Association in a September 2018 edition of the teacher’s union magazine. But public school systems aren’t actually losing money. They are now collecting more money to educate fewer students with the biggest budget in a decade. Overall, the state’s multi-billion dollar education trust fund has grown since the scholarships were first offered, even while enrollment has steadily decreased. Last year alone, tax revenue that funds the education budget grew by nearly half a billion dollars– about three times as much as the scholarship program has spent in six years combined. Also, it costs roughly $9,500 annually to educate a student in public school, according to budget data. But it only costs about $6,500 to educate the same child in private school, which includes the costs of administering the scholarships, according to Warren Callaway, executive director of Scholarships For Kids, one of the largest scholarship granting organizations in the state, and a member of the recently formed Alabama Accountability Act Coalition. “It’s a great deal for taxpayers,” Callaway said. “They’ve given us $146 million and we’ve provided $200 million in education. The cost of education is not fixed because [public schools] don’t have to educate the child we have taken off their hands.” Myth #2: Even high performing schools that don’t have any students transferring out on scholarship still “lose money” “The highest performing school districts lose revenue at the same rate as all other districts,” according to the teachers’ union article. “It does not matter if you have no failing schools in your district. It does not matter if you have no scholarship recipients in your district. All school systems are still penalized under the [program].” Callaway says this is “bogus.” “The AEA tells Mountain Brook City, arguably the best system in the state, that they’ve lost $834,956 due to the Accountability Act,” Callaway said. “That’s hogwash. They haven’t lost a dollar.” Callaway examined state budget data showing Mountain Brook enrollment has largely been static, while state spending on students has gone up. In effect, they’ve received more money than years prior despite the AEA’s claims they’ve lost money. Myth #3: A University of Alabama study proves school choice doesn’t work A state-commissioned study conducted by the University of Alabama’s Institute for Social Science Research found that students using the scholarships performed about as well, on average, as their public school peers. Critics believe this proves school choice doesn’t help students improve academically. But advocates claim this indicates a huge achievement since research shows poverty strongly correlates with poor academic performance – a fact highlighted by the recent release of this year’s failing schools list. “In 72 of the 76 [failing] schools, more than nine out of 10 students are in poverty,” reports Al.com’s Trisha Powell Crain. “Even in the other four, more than half of the students are poor. In every one of the nine K-5 and K-6 elementary schools on the list, every student is poor. The University of Alabama study also showed low-income scholarship students often did better academically than their low-income public school counterparts. “We’ve taken kids who you would predict would be on the bottom side of the bell curve of achievement and we’ve gotten them to the mean,” Callaway said. “I would put the headline of that study, instead of ‘They scored average, ho-hum,’ I would say ‘They scored average, exclamation point!’” Myth #4: The program should be repealed because not all scholarship recipients are zoned for failing schools Students zoned for failing schools are awarded the scholarships first, and any remaining funds are then given to other disadvantaged families in schools that are generally close to the bottom 6th percentile — the state’s definition of a failing school. “Would you want to send your child to a 7th percentile school or an 8th percentile school?” Callaway asked. “The answer is no. Those are still low performing schools.” Overall, there’s a lot about education besides school choice that Alabamians can celebrate this week. Our recently released state report card revealed district and school improvement last year, with more As, Bs and Cs than the year before. Our First Class Pre K program continues to succeed and draw national attention. And Montgomery will open its first charter school this year. None of these achievements, including school choice, would have happened without new ideas and reform. “The Accountability Act wasn’t an initiative to take the place of public education, it was just intended to show there is an alternative way of doing things and to upset the status quo,” Callaway said. No doubt the families celebrating their life-changing opportunity this week thank God that it did. ••• Rachel Blackmon Bryars is a senior fellow at the Alabama Policy Institute. Email her at Rachel@alabamapolicy.org or connect with her on Instagram @rbryars.
2019 failing schools list: 76 Alabama schools don’t make the grade
A staggering 76 schools across the Yellowhammer State have been classified as “failing” according to a report by the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) released Friday without comment or fanfare. The list is released under the state’s new Alabama Accountability Act, which requires the ALSDE to designate schools in the bottom 6 percent of standardized test scores in reading and math as failing. Last year there were 75 schools that were deemed “failing” but this year one more school has been added to the list. The new information is particularly important to parents as students in failing schools have the option to transfer to other public schools if those schools will accept them. Families are eligible for a tax credit, and taxpayer-backed scholarships, to help pay for private education as well. Families in the failing schools also have priority for the scholarships, but others may also obtain them. Below is the full list of the 2019 failing schools:
