Matthew Brown running for State Board of Education
State Board of Education appointee Matthew Brown announced on Tuesday he will run to seek the Republican nomination for a new term on the board. The 28-year-old Republican was a design engineer with the Baldwin County Highway Department before his appointment by Gov. Robert Bentley to the board in a controversial move that drew the ire of The Washington Post, who decried the appointment of a man the paper described as ‘no friend of public schools.’ Brown’s family home schools their children and is an ardent supporter of tax credits and vouchers to support parochial and charter schools. Brown will run for the District 1 seat on the board and says he is not for a weaker school system, but rather in favor of stronger families and greater parental involvement in their children’s education. “Every time I cast my vote regarding a particularly policy or program before the State Board of Education I will always ask this question: Does this policy or program enable and empower parents to be more engaged and involved in their child’s education?” said Brown in his kick-off announcement. Brown currently occupies the District 1 seat – home to some 735,000 Alabama residents – and promises to continue his aggressive approach to parental empowerment, saying accountability and transparency are paramount for someone seeking his office. “As your District 1 representative on the State Board of Education, I am committed to combing through our annual education budget and ensuring that our tax dollars are being leveraged to the greatest benefit to our students,” said Brown in prepared remarks. Brown helped lead the charge against the “Build Baldwin Now” campaign that sought to raise local property millage rates in order to fund new school construction. Brown is a graduate of Pensacola Christian College and Samford University’s College of Law. He serves as chair of the Baldwin Young Republicans.
House approves virtual high schools for Alabama students
Students will have an option to attend a virtual high school by the 2016-2017 school year under a measure approved by House vote on Thursday. In a 82-20 vote, the House approved Senate Bill 72 requiring each local school board to establish a virtual school policy for grades 9-12. Rep. Ed Henry, who sponsored the legislation, said that the bill would open the door for children who aren’t enrolled in public school for academic reasons to reconnect to the public school system. Each local school board would design and oversee the online curriculum for its students, including ensuring that students at the virtual high school participate in all testing and accountability requirements set by the school board. Rep. Alan Baker applauded the bill’s reliance on local judgment and management of options for students. “I think that technology is rapidly changing how we deliver education,” he said. “Students sometimes don’t ‘plug in’ to traditional education. I love the local option so school boards can determine the best delivery method for their students.” A key feature of the bill is that students enrolled in the virtual school would be considered public school students, subject to the same testing and graduation requirements as their peers. Online students would also be eligible to participate in public school extracurricular and sports, a provision that raised concerns among some House members. “If parents don’t think their kids should be in public schools, they should not be able to participate in extracurricular programs so that they can get scholarships,” Rep. Mary Moore said. Members also raised concerns about how students enrolled in home schools would be treated under the bill and whether the program allows religious home schools to take advantage of public school funding.
