Report recommends changes to Alabama’s education system
Recommendations have been made to improve education at the student and educator levels in Alabama by the Governor’s Commission on Teaching and Learning. The state should promote quality teaching and learning, offer more support for both impoverished and low-performing schools, bolster data collection and accountability, and improve the retention and development of educators, the report says. “These recommendations won’t just serve as mere guidelines; they are a blueprint – a roadmap to our goal of positioning Alabama among the top 30 states on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, which is known as the nation’s report card,” Gov. Kay Ivey said in a release. “They are vital guidelines as we navigate toward a brighter future for our children – one where opportunities flourish and aspirations are nurtured.” The commission recommended full implementation of the Alabama Literacy Act passed in 2019, which requires third graders to read on grade level before being advanced to fourth grade. It also recommended that kindergarten be mandatory, an expansion of the number of assistant principals at schools, and more computer science programs. The commission said in the report that the state’s prekindergarten program should be expanded to help poorer school districts. It also recommended creating a financial incentive program for struggling school districts to reduce chronic absenteeism. Another key item from the commission was the expansion of the state’s Turnaround Schools program, which pours personnel and money into struggling school districts to help them improve scores. The commission said the state Board of Education should change the state’s report card for districts and individual schools to expand transparency and ensure that every graduating high school student is considered college and career ready measured by an examination. The commission consisted of: • Business Education Alliance President and former State Superintendent of Education Joe Morton. • State Superintendent Eric Mackey. • State Sen. Donnie Chesteen, R-Geneva. • State Rep. Alan Baker, R-Brewton. • State Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile • Montgomery City Schools Superintendent Melvin Brown. • Wetumpka High School Principal Kyle Futral. • Mountain Brook Schools Superintendent Dicky Barlow. • Booker T. Washington teacher Reggie White. • Alabama Parent Teacher Association President Donna McCurry. • Alabaster City Schools School board member Derek Henderson. • Retired Mississippi State Superintendent Carey Wright. • Whiteboard Advisors CEO, and co-founder, Ben Wallerstein. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Alabama Department of Education wants to boost literacy in later grades
Jemma Stephenson, Alabama Reflector Having spent years focusing on reading skills for early elementary school students, the Alabama State Board of Education is seeking funds to boost literacy after third grade. The State Board of Education on Oct. 12 approved a budget request for “struggling readers beyond grade 3” for $22 million. Last year, the Board had requested $3 million but did not receive any funding for the program. State Superintendent Eric Mackey said during the September work session that the earlier program had been a small one for a small number of students. The rest of the board members wanted to see something larger. The $22 million would go to professional training for teachers. Mackey said in a phone interview they’ve heard from superintendents that they want an equivalent professional development for teaching literacy for teachers from fourth to sixth grade, like kindergarten through third grade under the Literacy Act. “Some of them are already doing it but this would give us a chance to really expand that,” he said. The Alabama Literacy Act, passed In 2019, aimed to get all students reading on grade level by the end of third grade and boost overall literacy scores in the state. The bill provides funding for teaching training and reading coaches to ensure students master reading. Students that are not reading at grade level by the end of third grade could be held back a year. At the September work session, Mackey said that the department need funding for readers beyond third grade because the law states that Alabama Reading Initiative funds cannot be used beyond that point. But students don’t stop struggling with reading after third grade. Vicky Askew, a reading specialist with Tallapoosa County Schools, said that continuing reading instruction past the third grade is important. She said that some students in her system are getting reading intervention in fourth and fifth grade, if they have enough instructors who work with at-risk students in learning literacy. “I feel like they need it because we can’t just say, ‘Oh, they’re in fourth grade: Good luck,’” she said. House Ways and Means Education chair Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, said he was not familiar with the specific request in the board’s budget, but he supports literacy. “Reading is a priority for the Department of Education and also for the Legislature,” he said. Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, the chair of the House Education Policy committee and the sponsor of the Literacy Act, said Tuesday she has not looked into what exactly the board is asking for, but she said she was happy to hear about the request. “I think that we will see a large group in summer school this year which is one of the ways to go ahead and move towards promotion, which is what we want for all of the students but we want to make sure that they’re reading,” she said. Collins said that having teachers know how to teach the science of reading, a body of research about learning literacy, is a good thing. In the National Assessment of Education Progress, or the “nation’s report card,” scores released in 2022, Alabama improved relative to many other states due to learning loss in other states. Alabama’s own scores were relatively stagnant and remained below average. NAEP proficiency is not equivalent to Alabama grade level. Mackey told the Montgomery Advertiser in 2022 that the department had been focused on elementary grade level scores for a while, and middle school had not received as much attention. Mackey said this funding is part of a focus on the middle school years. He said the Numeracy Act, which focuses on math improvement, looks at grades kindergarten through eighth grade. The Literacy Act, he said, also discusses intermediate years. “It’s just that it’s not funded, so we’re asking for some funding,” he said. The education budget is first reviewed by the governor, who will make a funding request to the Legislature when the Legislature returns for its regular session in February. Mackey said he doesn’t know what the grand total for the Education Trust Fund will be. He said that their roughly $6.2 billion request, which is just for kindergarten through twelfth grade, is probably more than will be allotted. Higher education funding also comes from the Education Trust Fund but is not included in the department’s request. Later, he said, the department will work with executive offices on a real budget number to identify priorities and how funding is allocated. Mackey said their role is identifying needs in schools, not balancing the budget. “So we’ve identified needs, and we’ve asked for a lot,” he said. Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alabama Reflector maintains editorial independence. Follow Alabama Reflector on Facebook and Twitter.
Multiple lawsuits filed against Alabama officials over systemic discrimination of children with disabilities
Multiple lawsuits were filed yesterday in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama against Nancy Buckner, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Human Resources, and Eric Mackey, State Superintendent of the Alabama Department of Education, claiming flagrant violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Six federal lawsuits were filed yesterday on behalf of children placed in residential treatment facilities in Alabama. The lawsuits allege children with disabilities in these facilities are discriminated against by segregating them in on-site “schools,” denying them educational opportunities equal to their non-disabled peers in regular education settings. A recent probe by the Department of Justice (DOJ) uncovered evidence of the State of Alabama’s systemic discriminatory practices, revealing blatant violations of the ADA. The allegations in these lawsuits are consistent with the DOJ’s findings, highlighting the fact that these children are deprived of meaningful interaction with their non-disabled peers, and they also receive inferior instruction, limited resources, and inadequate support. Birmingham Attorneys Tommy James of Tommy James Law and Jeremy Knowles of Morris Haynes, and Pensacola Attorney Caleb Cunningham of Levin Papantonio Rafferty (pictured above, left to right) represent the plaintiffs. They also represent numerous victims from across Alabama who have suffered physical and sexual abuse in these facilities. “The Department of Justice’s findings are deeply troubling and underscore the need for immediate action to ensure our most vulnerable have equal access to education,” James said. “It is inexcusable state officials have ignored and been complicit in such systemic segregation and discrimination. The DOJ’s revelations are not only concerning—they are damning. Every child, irrespective of disability, is entitled to equal educational opportunities.” “We have filed these lawsuits not only for our clients but for every child in the state who has been robbed of the education they deserve,” Cunningham said. “Our goal is to shine a spotlight on this blatant discrimination and to ensure it does not continue. We are committed to fighting for the rights of children with disabilities and ensuring they have the same opportunities as their non-disabled peers.” “These cases are about the fundamental rights of children with disabilities in our state,” said Jeremy Knowles. “We filed these lawsuits to force the state to stop discriminating against these children. They deserve equal opportunity, especially in education.” The lawsuits seek, among other things, compensatory damages, attorneys’ fees, and costs, emphasizing the severe educational, financial, and social damages suffered by the plaintiffs and countless other children due to these discriminatory practices. “With this legal action, we hope to bring attention to the dire need for reform and establish a precedent ensuring equal education rights for children with disabilities across Alabama and the nation,” James said. “We are confident we will prevail in these lawsuits, and the State of Alabama will be forced to change its discriminatory practices.” James says he and his co-counsel filed these lawsuits and plan to file dozens more to hold the State of Alabama accountable for its discriminatory practices and to ensure no child is denied an equal education because of their disability. In an October 2022 press release, Assistant AG Kristen Clarke stated, “Students with disabilities in Alabama’s foster care system are among the most vulnerable in the state’s care, and they deserve better than placement in segregated and inferior schools. The Civil Rights Division will defend every child’s right to equal educational opportunities in schools where they can be supported and challenged.”
State Superintendent warns that financial cliff is 18 months away as federal Covid relief dollars run out
The federal government has flooded the state with billions in COVID relief dollars through the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan Act. Nowhere has more one-time money flooded into budgets than in public schools. “Those funds are going away in time,” said State Superintendent Eric Mackey addressing the Permanent Joint Legislative Committee on Finance and Budgets-Education on Thursday. “We are going to have that funding cliff that we have been talking about,” Mackey said. “There are three tranches of federal money: Cares round one, Cares round 2, and then the American Rescue Act,” Mackey explained. “That money has to be spent by September 2024. The is only 18 months away.” “In 2021 and 2022, you gave us the funding for summer reading camps – about $18 million a year,” Mackey said. “We have used federal set aside funds in 2023 and 2024.” Much of those federal dollars went to local school systems directly, and that money was not appropriated by the Legislature, so it is being spent by local school boards and local school administrators. Mackey warned that the federal government encouraged systems to use that one-time money to add staff, but there is no long-term funding mechanism for continuing to pay for those positions once the one-time money is exhausted. “If you hired a teacher with these funds, you would for certain run out of money by September 2025, and it could be sooner than that,” Mackey said. Mackey said the State Department of Education has a COVID relief dashboard on its website. There you can see the federal dollars that went to every school district, how much of that money is left, and how it has been spent. Mackey used Gulf Shores in Baldwin County as an example. “Gulf Shores has spent 66% of their federal funds,” Mackey said. “They were given $50.04 million between all three tranches (of money). $33 million has already been spent. Some districts have only spent 25 percent of their money. In some rural districts, they can’t find the people. The teacher shortage is one issue. In some cases, they can’t find teacher aides in their communities. I never thought I would see the day where we had more money but can’t find the people.” “The last tranche of money runs out in September 2024,” Mackey said. The money presently has to be spent by then. Mackey explained, however, that if they contracted to buy a piece of equipment, but due to supply chain issues, it has not arrived yet. The system could still use those federal dollars for that purchase even if it does not occur until after the September 30, 2024, deadline. Mackey is optimistic that the U.S. Treasury will allow the state and school systems to have another year to spend all of that one-time federal money, but presently the deadline is still September 30, 2024. None of this is a problem in the fiscal year 2024 budget that the Legislature will prepare to go into effect on October 1. The fiscal cliff comes into effect in the 2025 fiscal year budget when school systems look to the state or their local school boards to make up those funds, or schools will have to cut positions and programs funded with these one-time federal dollars. In the 2023 education trust fund (ETF) budget, the Legislature appropriated $8,261,590,649 for education, an increase of $589,014,074 from fiscal year 2022. The 2023 Alabama Legislative Regular Session begins on Tuesday, March 7. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Kay Ivey signs four executive orders to address education crisis
On Wednesday, Governor Kay Ivey released four new executive orders related to public education. The executive orders are intended to achieve Gov. Ivey’s inauguration day vow to get Alabama’s public school performance among the top 30 in the country. “I am proud to sign these executive orders into effect and believe they will lay an essential foundation for ensuring every Alabama student receives a high-quality education,” said Governor Ivey. “This is the first of many steps I plan to take in this new term to increase Alabama’s national ranking in our student’s reading and math performance. Our children are our future, and by investing in their education, we are investing in a better Alabama.” Alabama has poor-performing public schools. Far too many of Alabama’s public school students can’t do grade-level math, and far too many of Alabama’s children don’t read at grade level. The state has shown some recent improvement in state rankings, but this largely had more to do with other states’ performance dropping – due to extended COVID-19 school closures; than it has with more Alabama children mastering their studies. Executive Order 729 is intended to promote early literacy by establishing a statewide network with books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Ivey has authorized $4.1 million for the roll-out of the program. As promised in her inauguration speech, every Alabama child will begin receiving age-appropriate books by mail each month from birth until the age of five. Parents may opt their child out at any time. Executive Order No. 730 establishes the Governor’s Commission on Teaching and Learning. The commission will examine ways to enhance the quality of elementary and secondary education in Alabama and will produce a report of recommendations by December 1, 2023. The Members of the commission include: · Business Education Alliance President and former State Superintendent of Education Dr. Joe Morton (Chair) · State Superintendent of Education Dr. Eric Mackey · State Sen. Donnie Chesteen (R-Dothan) · Rep. Alan Baker (R-HD66) · Rep. Barbara Drummond (D-Mobile) · Montgomery City Schools Superintendent Dr. Melvin Brown · Holtville High School Principal Kyle Futral · Mountain Brook Schools Superintendent Dr. Dicky Barlow · Booker T. Washington K-8 Teacher Reggie White · Alabama Parent Teacher Association President Donna McCurry · Alabaster City Schools Schoolboard Member Derek Henderson · Retired Mississippi State Superintendent Dr. Carey Wright · Co-founder and CEO of Whiteboard Advisors Ben Wallerstein Executive Order No. 731 directs the State Superintendent of Education to submit a report outlining past progress made to date as well as future action items to expeditiously ensure the implementation of the Literacy Act (2019), the Numeracy Act (2022), the Computer Science for Alabama Act (2019), a civics-test requirement (2017), and a requirement of the State Board of Education that every high school graduate obtain a college and career readiness indicator (2022). The reports are due June 30, 2023. Executive Order No. 732 established a K-12 teacher registered apprenticeship pilot program to increase pathways to the teaching profession. This pilot program will provide an additional pathway—initially, in areas with documented teacher shortages—for qualifying paraprofessionals and teacher’s aides to obtain a Class A or Class B teaching certificate by demonstrating competency in the classroom. The pilot program will be administered by the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship within the Department of Commerce. Gov. Ivey also sent a memo to Secretary of Early Childhood Education Dr. Barbara Cooper that directs the department to prioritize creating new First-Class Pre-K classrooms in counties where more than 20% of the population falls below federal poverty guidelines. Ivey hopes that increased access to Alabama’s nation-leading program will assist the state in reaching its education-based goals. Ivey signed three executive orders on Tuesday intended to improve government transparency and accountability. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
November is Thank Alabama Teachers Month
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey on Tuesday kicked off the annual Thank Alabama Teachers observance to honor Alabama’s K-12 educators. Governor Ivey, at the commencement, announced that she is officially declaring November as Thank Alabama Teachers Month. The Thank Alabama Teachers initiative was created in 2020 to demonstrate gratitude in ample ways for the role Alabama teachers play in every facet of their students’ lives. Gov. Ivey was joined by Alabama State Superintendent of Education Dr. Eric Mackey at Carver High School for the event. “As someone whose career began in the classroom, I know the important work our teachers do on a daily basis,” Ivey said on Twitter. “Our educators are truly shaping the future – the future of AL & our nation!” The Governor asked that Alabamians show their support for teachers by visiting the website. The website both thanks Alabama teachers for their contributions to Alabama society but also encourages more people to enter the profession. “You could qualify for $17,500 or more in student loan forgiveness,” the site explains to prospective teachers. “Teachers in a low-income school or educational organizations having taught full time for at least five consecutive years, learn more here. Additionally, if you are teaching or plan to teach math or science, the Alabama Math and Science Teacher Education Program (AMSTEP) is a loan repayment program for you.” Alabama State Superintendent of Education Eric Mackey said on social media, “This morning, we kicked off #ThankALTeachers month with a press conference & proclamation from @GovernorKayIvey. Teachers truly make a difference in the lives of our students & we want everyone to let teachers know they are appreciated.” Gov. Ivey also issued a proclamation thanking teachers and declaring November as Thank Alabama Teachers Month. Education and the state’s long track record of underperforming in education is a major issue confronting the State Legislature in the next four years. There is growing pressure to respond by dramatically increasing school choice across Alabama. Any effort to increase options for families will be strongly opposed by teacher’s unions as well as the Alabama State Superintendents Association. Ivey was elevated to governor in 2017 and then elected to her own term in 2018. She is seeking a second term. On Tuesday, she faces Libertarian nominee Dr. James “Jimmy” Blake and Democratic nominee Yolanda Flowers in the November 8 general election. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama shows some improvement in education rankings even though math scores plummeted
On Monday, Governor Kay Ivey said that the recent results of the National Assessment of Education Performance (NAEP) show that what the State of Alabama is doing in education is “working.” “This year’s NAEP results confirm that Alabama’s focus on core learning like reading and math is working and that in-classroom instruction matters,” Ivey stated. “Throughout my first term, we have laid a solid foundation by setting strong standards and an assessment system aligned to our standards. I am confident that we will build on this foundation as we move forward. It should also not go unnoticed that while the rest of the nation dropped, Alabama bucked that trend by holding our own and making some progress. That is undoubtedly because we pushed to get kids back in the classroom during the pandemic. I applaud our students, teachers, and parents. There is still much work ahead, but I am confident that our forward momentum will continue. The future of our state and world is entirely dependent on our students’ education.” Alabama fourth-grade reading scores have shown improvement over the last four years. In 2019 just 47% of fourth graders were proficient in reading. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, nobody was in school to take end-of-year testing. In 2021 52% of the Alabama fourth graders were proficient. That climbed to 53% in 2022. Under the Alabama Literacy Act, third graders who aren’t proficient in reading will have to repeat the third grade. The Legislature has delayed the implementation of this requirement due to the COVID-19 shutdowns. Educators hope that requiring students to be able to master third-grade reading will mean that future NAEP results will be improved, as poor readers don’t advance to the fourth grade unless they have spent two years in the third grade. Math was an unmitigated disaster. In 2019, 45% of Alabama’s fourth graders were proficient in math. In 2021, that number had plummeted to just 24% proficient. In 2022, that number had climbed to just 32%. Only 32% of students having mastered fourth-grade math by the end of the fourth grade will have lifetime consequences for the students who failed to grasp basic math concepts, but the collapse in math proficiency was much worse in other states, so the state actually jumped in the NAEP rankings from 52nd place nationally to 40th. “Our teachers and students have worked hard, but clearly, we still have a lot of work to do,” said State Superintendent Eric Mackey. “Although we are on a good trajectory, we have historically underperformed, and there is plenty of ground to make up. I am not as concerned about placement as I am about every student in the state of Alabama receiving a quality education that prepares them for life after high school. We have a strategic plan, Alabama Achieves, that highlights our key priority areas: Academic Growth and Achievement, College, Career, and Workforce Readiness, Safe and Supportive Learning Environments, Highly Effective Educators, and Customer Friendly Services. We are constantly working to improve performance in each of these areas. These results indicate we are making significant progress.” Eighth-grade reading improved in Alabama from 43% proficient in 2019 to 52% in 2021 and 53% proficient in 2022. Alabama was 49th in eighth-grade reading in 2019 and remained in 49th place in reading nationally, even though many other states saw historic drops in scores. Eighth-grade math also showed a drop in proficiency. Just 42% of Alabama eighth graders were proficient in math in 2019. By 2021 that had dropped to just 14%. In 2022 there had been a slight improvement, and just 16% of Alabama eighth-grade students were proficient. Other states dropped more than that, so Alabama went from 52nd to 47th in 8th Grade Math. High school teachers could face challenges teaching these ill-prepared students high school-level concepts like algebra, geometry, and physics. Nationally the nation saw the most significant decline in fourth-grade math scores since 1990, and the gaps between White and Black students have only grown. The poor scores nationwide have made some question the wisdom of adopting the controversial “new math” of the unpopular Common Core. Mackey said that Alabama should stay the course and that the state is at the cusp of an educational shift and expects the strategies and initiatives made in education to take hold and show significant returns. “We have strong state leadership, committed educators, hardworking communities, the support of our Governor and lawmakers, a consistent state assessment in the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP), effective initiatives, and educational frameworks more aligned with expected educational outcomes… we feel like we are poised to continue to make strong gains in education,” Mackey said. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
How one small town is teaching English to kids of immigrants
As part of an exercise to help the class learn English, a third grader pulled a block from a Jenga tower and read aloud a question written on one side. “Where,” the boy read, then slowly sounded out the other words: “Where would you like to visit?” “Disneyland,” one student said. “Space,” another classmate chimed in. “Guatemala,” said a girl with a bright blue bow. Kathy Alfaro, a new English language teacher at Russellville Elementary, exchanged a few words with the girl in Spanish and then turned to the other students. “Do y’all know what she said?” Alfaro asked the class. “She said she has a lot of family in Guatemala because she was born there. And I told her that I was born here, but I also have a lot of family in Guatemala.” This northern Alabama community with large numbers of Hispanic immigrants is using federal COVID-19 relief money for an experiment to serve students who are still learning English. They are hiring and certifying more local, Spanish-speaking staff, like Alfaro. She was previously a Spanish teacher but took a new role teaching children the English language. More than half of 2,500 students in the small Russellville city school district identify as Hispanic or Latino, and about a quarter are still learning English — known as EL students. But the district, at times, has struggled to find the people and money necessary to help EL students achieve. It typically takes five years of intensive, small-group instruction, on top of regular classes, to help a student learn English and perform well in a regular classroom. In addition to helping more local students succeed, Russellville aims to be a model for the rest of the country. “We were trying to teach an increasing number of EL students with predominantly white teachers that speak English,” said Superintendent Heath Grimes. “And I’m like, ‘Why are we not using resources that we have in our community?’” As a group, English learners performed lower on language proficiency tests during the pandemic. Experts say that may be because many students lacked good access to online classes at home, or because schools struggled to transfer in-person EL help to remote environments. Russellville appears to be bucking that trend. Districtwide, the percentage of students who met their language proficiency goals increased from 46% in 2019 to 61% in 2022. At the two elementary schools, proficiency jumped by nearly 30 percentage points. “We’ve never seen a number like that before,” said Grimes, who credits new EL teachers and aides for the boost. Some of the nation’s largest districts, according to the Education Trust, used pandemic relief money to hire bilingual staff. As federal aid money begins to run out and schools prepare for post-pandemic budget cuts, experts and advocates warn against reducing support for EL programs and other interventions. “Our overreliance on federal funds and temporary funds potentially demonstrates that we’re not doing enough as a state already,” said Carlos Alemán, director of the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama. “As we see those dollars wind down, then the state should really reflect and review what it can do to make sure that these programs can remain in place.” Russellville school officials are working on ways to sustain the new roles — and holding out hope the state will boost long-term funding for EL education. State funding for English language programs is limited, but growing. The state legislature approved $2.9 million for schools with large EL populations in 2018, and that amount grew to $16 million last year. Leaders at the Alabama State Department of Education are asking for more room in this year’s budget for EL specialists and regional coordinators. “We want to make sure that if students come to this country, if they’re not able to read, that they learn to read quickly and in English,” state Superintendent Eric Mackey said. “We’re going to continue to invest in that because it’s our belief that every child deserves a high-quality education.” Advocates say money for EL students often falls short, especially in rural districts that struggle to fund schools. “It takes a lot more money to educate a child that does not speak your language,” said state Rep. Jamie Kiel, a Russellville Republican, who has called for putting more money toward EL students in the state budget. Alfaro is one of three EL staffers at her school. They join about 20 other EL educators, aides, and translators in the district — nearly half of whom are paid with COVID-19 relief money. At West Elementary across the street, Elizabeth Alonzo, who is in her second year as an EL aide, said she never expect to have such a role -– mostly because there were few bilingual teachers in her school growing up, but also because she didn’t think she had the qualifications. Alonzo is finishing coursework through a teacher training program called Reach University, which is contracting with an increasing number of Alabama districts to help certify more local staff. “Whenever I started kindergarten, I didn’t know a word of English, so I struggled a lot,” she said, noting that an older cousin would often have to come to her class to translate what her teacher was saying. “That was one of the reasons why I wanted to do this, because I want to help those students.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Steve Flowers: Board of Education
School board members are some of the most selfless public servants in Alabama. This accolade goes to the Alabama State Board of Education, and, more specifically, local school board members. These members are tasked with a very important mission but receive very little compensation for their time and efforts. They are indeed public servants. The Alabama State Board of Education is a nine-member body that sets public education policy for K-12 schools. The governor is an ex-officio member of the board, and the remaining eight members are elected to four-year terms from single-member districts of approximately equal population. There is no limit to the number of terms a school board member may serve. The seats are partisan-driven. Currently, our state school board has six Republican members and two Democratic members. Given the fact that members are elected rather than appointed, it is somewhat surprising that our current eight members are so well-qualified and suited to be state school board members. Dr. Wayne Reynolds, who represents District 8, best exemplifies this statement. He has a doctorate in education and has spent over four decades as an education administrator. He is retired and brings his experience and wisdom to the table. In his early years, Wayne was a decorated Vietnam War Veteran. He and his wife Carol reside in the Limestone/Madison area. Wayne is a Republican and was re-elected to his second four-year term earlier this year. Marie Manning has just been elected to District 6, which is a Republican district. She will begin her first term in January. Prior to her recent election to the state school board, Marie served as Vice President of the St. Clair County Board of Education. During her stellar career in education, Marie was a classroom teacher, vice-principal, principal, and superintendent. Dr. Yvette Richardson represents District 4 and is a resident of Montgomery. Yvette is a Democrat and was re-elected to another four-year term in the Democratic Primary. She has a doctorate degree from the University of Alabama and has had a distinguished career in education. Tracie West is a Republican member of the board from District 2. She was re-elected to a second four-year term in the Republican Primary. She hails from Auburn and, as would be expected from this area, is well-qualified and versed in education knowledge and policy. Prior to being elected to the state school board, Tracie served as a member of the Auburn City Schools Board of Education, including serving as president of that board. There are four members up for re-election in 2024, Jackie Ziegler, Stephanie Bell, Tonya Chestnut, and Belinda McRae, provided all four decide to seek another term. Jackie Ziegler of Mobile is a Republican board member and represents District 1. She was first elected in 2016 and is an experienced and successful educator. She is a graduate of the University of South Alabama. She was a classroom teacher, then a longtime principal in the Mobile County School System. She is married to State Auditor Jim Ziegler. Stephanie Bell, who represents District 3, is by far the most veteran member of the board, having first been elected in 1994 and re-elected to eight consecutive terms. At the end of her current term, she will have served over 30 years. She is a stellar member, an asset to the board, and hopefully, will run again. Stephanie is a lifelong resident of Montgomery, as is her husband. Dr. Tonya Chestnut, a native of Selma, is a Democrat and represents District 5. She has a doctorate in education and is the former Dean of Alabama State University College of Visual and Performing Arts. Belinda McRae of Hamilton is the Republican board member for District 7. She is in her first term. Belinda taught English and art for 25 years in the Marion County School System and served on the Marion County Board of Education before being elected to the State School Board. Choosing the State Superintendent is probably the most important task of the Alabama State School Board, and the board made an excellent choice when they selected Dr. Eric Mackey as Alabama State Superintendent of Education. Dr. Mackey is a former school superintendent and former Executive Director of the State School Superintendents Association. Most of our former governors did not take their ex-officio role as seriously as Governor Kay Ivey. Governor Ivey has been a very active and dutiful member of the Alabama State School Board. In closing, allow me to not only give accolades to the state school board but also a tip of the hat to all local school board members. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Kay Ivey visits elementary school robotic and engineering labs
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey visited Dalraida Elementary School in Montgomery on Monday to inspect the new robotics and building/engineering labs there. Ivey was accompanied by education leaders and members of the capital press corps. “When I was in Fourth Grade, we didn’t do robotics,” Gov. Ivey said. “We just were memorizing our multiplication tables.” The third and fourth-grade students in the robotics lab demonstrated their proficiency at building and operating the little robots that lift and manipulate objects in tasks analogous to construction equipment. Like robots at a factory, they were being operated by the children who assembled them from kits. Dr. Bryan Cutter is the principal at Dalriada Elementary School. Principal Cutter said that there are robotics labs at the high school and middle school levels, but their school was the first in the region to have a dedicated robotics lab in the elementary school lab. The students in the engineering/building lab demonstrated their ability to stack blocks and sticks in order to build a bridge over a construction paper river. The students were working in groups of three. “You did a great job,” Ivey told one group of students after they completed their bridge and were able to roll a toy car over it without the structure collapsing. “You did an amazing job building that.” “This is an exciting visit,” Ivey told reporters. Ivey said that she would like to see more labs such as these across the state to get children interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math fields). “We have a long way to get there,” Ivey acknowledged. “They view it as a game,” Principal Cutter said. Cutter explained that the school is bringing scientists and engineers to interact with the students. “The students have met athletes and musicians, but they are not used to seeing scientists and engineers,” he stated. Cutter said that the children work in groups. “We want them to learn collaboration. We are looking at teaching them to be good citizens of the world.” “We are excited to be here,” said State Superintendent Eric Mackey. “We have several labs like this around the state. This is a fairly new program.” Mackey said that it is important to get students learning how to manipulate the robots and do early coding in elementary and middle school. “These are not cheap labs,” Mackey said. “The robotics kits have to be purchased, and they wear out.” “Finding teachers to do it and getting them trained,” is the major limiting factor, Mackey said. “We anticipate that we are going to ask for more money next year,” Mackey said. This was the first time that the Governor has addressed reporters in three weeks. During that time, there were unsubstantiated rumors about her health. Ivey was peppered with questions about her health and possible medical treatments. One reporter asked the Governor if she had had a medical treatment requiring her to stay overnight in a hospital. “It seems like some of you want to will these rumors into being, and that is just not going to happen,” Ivey responded. Ivey said that she thanked “God every day for giving me a clean bill of health.” Ivey is the oldest governor in the country. She will turn 78 on December 21. Ivey is running for re-election in the November 8 general election where she faces Democratic nominee Yolanda Flowers, Libertarian Dr. James Blake, and independent Jared Budlong. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama adjusts required score on teacher certification test
In an effort to get more teachers in classrooms, Alabama school board officials on Tuesday voted to temporarily lower the minimum passing score on the educator certification test. The temporary measure will implement a sliding scale that will allow higher grades to compensate for a lower score on the Praxis certification test, news outlets reported. It would also set up a waiver system in areas with critical shortages, so lower-scoring graduates could teach temporarily. They must eventually pass the test to earn a permanent certificate. The temporary measure was approved as the state tries to combat a teacher shortage. Alabama lawmakers this spring approved the largest pay raises in a generation in an effort to keep experienced teachers in the classroom. “We have superintendents right now that have jobs posted, and those jobs have no applicants. No applicants at all,” Superintendent Eric Mackey told WSFA. The change will be in place for two years. “For two years, we will look at those students who score between the regular cut score and minus one standard error of measure, so about five points below. If those students score in that range, and they have a higher than normal GPA, then we can go ahead and give them a teaching certificate,” Mackey told the station. In areas experiencing a critical shortage of educators, graduates who scored two standard error measures below the required Praxis score could be hired on a temporary basis and given an opportunity to retake the test. If they don’t eventually score higher, they will not get a teaching certificate. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Committee advances ban on teaching of ‘divisive concepts’
An Alabama legislative committee on Tuesday advanced a bill that would ban the teaching of “divisive concepts” about race and gender in public schools, including the notion that people should feel guilt because of their race. The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee voted 6-1 for the bill that now moves to the full Alabama Senate. The legislation comes as Republicans in several states seek to ban either ban critical race theory or put limits on how educators discuss race in the classroom. The bill by Republican Sen. Will Barfoot of Pike Road would ban a list nine of “divisive concepts” from being taught in K-12 schools. While they could be discussed in colleges, it would prohibit an institution from forcing a student to “assent to the concept.” The bill’s list of banned “divisive concepts” include the notion that the United States of America is “inherently racist or sexist” and the idea that “any individual should be asked to accept, acknowledge, affirm, or assent to a sense of guilt, complicity, or a need to work harder solely on the basis of his or her race or sex.” The proposal also would prevent “fault, blame, or bias” from being “assigned to a race, sex, or religion, or to members of a race, sex, or religion.” Barfoot said he did not think it would limit the teaching of history. “We should talk about the good, the bad and the ugly, to quote one of the spaghetti westerns. We should address the fallacies that have happened, and the mistake and the bad decisions that have happened in the past.” The list in the Senate bill is similar to a 2020 executive order President Donald Trump issued banning “divisive concepts” in training federal employees that has since been repealed. Similar language has since popped up in bills in dozens of states. Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, a Democrat from Birmingham, unsuccessfully urged the committee to delay a vote to give senators time to look at the bill. Coleman-Madison said the bill initially seems harmless but there is a broad misunderstanding of what critical race theory is. Barfoot said the bill doesn’t mention critical race theory, but Coleman-Madison said that’s appears to be the genesis. “I understand what you are saying — but a rose by any other name. Even though critical race theory is not mentioned, we understand the whole concept was centered around that,” Coleman-Madison. Critical race theory is an academic framework that examines how racism has shaped the country and institutions such as the legal system, and how that has maintained the dominance of white people in society. It is not taught in K-12 schools, Alabama Superintendent Eric Mackey has said. The Senate committee did not hold a public hearing before voting. The Rev. Kenneth Dukes of the Alabama State Chapter NAACP told committee members that there should have been an opportunity for public comment on the bill. Opponents of the bill dominated a public hearing before a House committee on a similar bill last month. Opponents said they are concerned it will have a chilling effect on classroom lessons and discussions. The Senate version does not include a provision in the original House bill that dealt with how slavery should be taught. The House committee is scheduled to vote Wednesday. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
