Alabama education board chooses Eric Mackey for state superintendent
The director of Alabama’s superintendent association, Eric Mackey, was chosen Friday as the state’s new education superintendent in a tight vote clouded by an ongoing lawsuit between a candidate and a state education board member. Mackey beat out Hoover City Schools Superintendent Kathy Murphy and Jefferson County Superintendent Craig Pouncey. A fourth finalist, former Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott, dropped out of the running Friday morning. Mackey is a former teacher, principal and city superintendent who has served as the executive director of the School Superintendent Association of Alabama since 2010. He said his top priority will be to find an “assessment that fits right” on top of addressing unequal funding between rural and urban areas and school safety concerns. Members of the Alabama State Board of Education voted for Mackey after three hours of interviews with the three finalists in Montgomery on Friday. There were five votes for Mackey and four for Pouncey. After the vote was announced, board member Ella Bell raised the concern that Pouncey has an ongoing lawsuit against another member Mary Scott Hunter and others saying he was victim to a scheme that kept him from getting the job two years ago. Before the 2016 vote, someone anonymously gave board members a packet of information, including internal department emails, accusing Pouncey of getting state staff to write his 2009 dissertation when he was with the department. Pouncey said the accusation was untrue. A subsequent department report found that employee statements cleared Pouncey. Hunter did not recuse herself from the vote, saying she was fair and impartial. She voted for Mackey. Bell, who voted for Pouncey, said she wanted to initiate a lawsuit because without Hunter’s vote there could have been a run-off. “She shouldn’t be able to vote in this because it’s understood they have an adversarial relationship,” Bell said. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, who serves as board president, said she had not spoken to any attorneys about the legal question but she was not aware of any rule where the chair could tell a board member to recuse him or herself. The board was seeking a replacement for former Superintendent Michael Sentance, who resigned in September after one year and one day on the job. Sentance stepped down after receiving a poor performance evaluation. A search firm whittled a field of more than 40 applicants to seven semifinalists, who were voted by the board down to the finalists. On Friday, each finalist was asked the same nine questions in an hour-long interview. Questions covered how to make students job-ready, creating a framework for assessment, ensuring equal funding between rural and urban schools and spearheading state interventions to help failing schools like is currently happening in Montgomery. Ivey said “this is the most important decision that this board will make in our terms.” She said she voted for Mackey because of his support for her “Strong Start, Strong Finish” initiative and his focus on teaching students computer science and coding. “I believe Dr. Mackey will serve us well and we will see forward thinking results,” she said. In his interview, Mackey expressed a desire to stay long-term – at least eight or ten years – in the role. Ivey said “that would suit me fine.” Mackey will start May 14. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Alabama education board to choose next state superintendent
Alabama State Board of Education members will choose the state’s next superintendent of education Friday. Board members will interview the four finalists Friday in Montgomery to pick the next head of Alabama’s education system. The finalists are Jefferson County Superintendent Craig Pouncey, Hoover City Schools Superintendent Kathy Murphy, Superintendent Association of Alabama Executive Director Eric Mackey and former Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott. The board is seeking a replacement for former Superintendent Michael Sentance who resigned in September after one year and one day. He stepped down after he received a poor performance evaluation. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
State Board of Education names four superintendent finalists
The search for Alabama’s next education superintendent was narrowed Friday to four finalists, as Alabama State Board of Education members looked mostly within the state for the next public schools chief. Jefferson County Superintendent Craig Pouncey, Hoover City Schools Superintendent Kathy Murphy, Superintendent Association of Alabama Executive Director Eric Mackey and former Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott are the four finalists for the position Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, who as governor serves as board president, told board members Friday that this is one of the most important decisions they will make. “Having an effective superintendent is absolutely essential to the future of our educational endeavors,” Ivey said. Board members are seeking a replacement for former Superintendent Michael Sentance who resigned in September after one year and one day on the job. Sentance stepped down after receiving a poor performance evaluation. A search firm whittled a field of more than 40 applicants to seven semifinalists. The finalists were selected after board members ranked the seven semifinalists under a scoring matrix. Board members are scheduled to interview finalists and select a new superintendent April 20. Pouncey now heads the Jefferson County school system and has served as a deputy state superintendent and chief of staff at the Alabama Department of Education. Mackey has led the state superintendent association since 2010 and has served as superintendent of Jacksonville City Schools and a school principal. Murphy is the superintendent of Hoover City Schools and has served as superintendent of Monroe County schools and as high school principal. Scott is a principal at the Texas Star Alliance, a lobbying and public affairs firm, and served as Texas education commissioner for five years under Gov. Rick Perry. Pouncey had been a finalist for the state superintendent post in 2016 but lost to Sentance. Pouncey has an ongoing lawsuit against one board member, Mary Scott Hunter, and others saying was a victim of a scheme to keep him from winning the superintendent post two years ago. Before the 2016 vote, someone anonymously gave board members a packet of information, including internal department emails, accusing Pouncey of getting state staff to write his 2009 dissertation when he was with the department. Pouncey said the accusation was untrue, and a subsequent department report found that employee statements cleared Pouncey. Hunter said she does not plan to recuse herself from the vote next week, saying she can be fair and impartial. “It’s certainly an odd situation, but it’s not a situation of my making,” Hunter said. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
API presents the 2017 Naughty and Nice List
The Alabama Policy Institute staff made a list and we’re checking it twice as we think back on 2017 and what was “naughty” or “nice.” What made your list this year? Nice: The legislature passed four pro-life bills this year… This year, the legislature passed four bills each that aim at protecting the sanctity of life, plus a bill that legalizes midwifery in Alabama. The pro-life bills included a ban on assisted suicide, a provision that ensures the right-of-conscience of health-care providers, a bill that allows adoption agencies to operate and place children under faith-based policies, and a constitutional amendment affirming the right to life of unborn children. It is great to know that our lawmakers are unafraid to stand up for individuals’ rights and the right to life. Naughty: But the legislature did not pass the changes to the Alabama Accountability Act, which would have broadened access to school choice for more of Alabama’s schoolchildren. Amendments to the Alabama Accountability Act (AAA) would have expanded the pool of donors and donations to the AAA, thus enhancing opportunities for children to have school choice who otherwise would have none. In 2016, donations to the AAA dropped from $25.8 million to $19.9 million.* If the system is not funded, schoolchildren will be forced to return to the failing schools they left. These amendments addressed the funding problem, but unfortunately, they did not pass. We’ll try again next time! Nice: Alabama has a female governor! Governor Kay Ivey has faithfully served our state in many different capacities over the course of her career. Now, she’s Alabama’s top-ranking government official. Among other things in her first year, Governor Kay Ivey has met with President Donald Trump to discuss infrastructure, dissolved several Bentley-era task forces, and unveiled a gubernatorial initiative called “Strong Start, Strong Finish,” which focuses on early childhood education, computer science in middle and high school, and workforce preparedness. You go, Gov. Naughty: Unfortunately, the events leading up to her appointment were not the best. I really don’t want to relive the saga of former Governor Robert Bentley and I don’t think that you do either. He used state resources on activities related to his alleged affair. He reportedly asked Alabama’s top cop about arresting his own wife for recording his phone calls. According to testimonials, he threatened state employees. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Alabamians have so much to be proud of, but this whole ordeal was particularly embarrassing. Nice: In a recent survey, Alabama ranks fourth in the nation in charitable donations. According to a survey by WalletHub, Alabama is fourth behind a three-way tie of Utah, Georgia, and Wyoming in highest percentage of income donated to charitable causes. That doesn’t come as much of a surprise in a state as conservative as Alabama. The truth is that government aid does not compare to the abilities of individuals who give to private charity. I’m proud to live in a state where people realize the importance of giving. Naughty: The events leading up to the resignation of Superintendent Michael Sentance were an actual debacle… (And even naughtier were several of the school board members) Michael Sentance was hired as the State Superintendent of Education in August 2016. Almost immediately, his tenure was surrounded by controversy, at no fault of his own. While Sentance came to his job with an abundance of fresh ideas from his time working in education in Massachusetts (which ranks 46 places higher than Alabama in overall education) members of the state school board seemingly felt threatened. For months, rumors swirled about the school board taking steps to fire him. In September, he resigned from his post. The search for a new superintendent begins again. When will we put Alabama students above politics? Naughty: But Sentance’s resignation pales in comparison to the fiasco of the U.S. Senate Special Election. This election was one of the ugliest in recent Alabama history. Friends turned into enemies, and you couldn’t turn on the TV or radio without having to endure political ads. In the general election, 21,000 voters were so disgusted with their choice of candidates, they showed up to vote but did not cast a ballot for either one. The Alabama Secretary of State’s office estimates that between $10 million to $15 million were spent to hold the special election, and over $10 million were spent by the two candidates in the general election. In a state as charitable as Alabama, imagine how much could have been done for others with all that money. Nice: Over the last year, Alabama has added a net of close to 30,000 jobs. In the most up-to-date numbers from October 2017, Alabama added 29,400 jobs to its economy since January 2017. Even better news, the unemployment rate is the lowest on record at 3.8%. According to the latest numbers from U.S. News and World Report, Alabama ranks seventh in the nation in poverty. You know what’s a guaranteed way to pull people out of poverty? Having a job. Way to go, Alabama. ••• Taylor Dawson is Director of Communications for the Alabama Policy Institute (API). API is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit research and educational organization dedicated to strengthening free enterprise, defending limited government, and championing strong families. If you would like to speak with the author, please e-mail communications@alabamapolicy.org or call (205) 870-9900.
Alabama State Board of Education selects Ed Richardson as Interim State Superintendent
The Alabama State Board of Education appointed Dr. Ed Richardson as the interim State Superintendent during their Thursday morning meeting. Richardson is no stranger to the Alabama education system. He previously served as the Alabama State Superintendent of Education from October 1995 to January 2004, and then as President of Auburn University from 2004-2007. “I have a lot of confidence in Dr. Richardson in being the (interim) superintendent.” said Governor Kay Ivey, who also serves as the President of the Alabama State Board of Education. As a retired state employee, Richardson’s contract will be limited to a maximum of two six-month terms, giving the State Board of Education a limited window to find a permanent replacement. Richardson fills the void left Michael Sentance who resigned from the State Superintendent post on Wednesday following months of the board questioning his communication and management skills. Richardson was approved for the position by an 8-1 vote. “There are so many accomplishments that the board is responsible for, because of the leadership of Dr. Richardson,” said Stephanie Bell, Vice President of the Alabama State Board. Dr. Richardson holds a B.S., M.Ed. and Ed.D. from Auburn University, and began his career in education as a classroom teacher in Montgomery County. He was also superintendent of schools for the Auburn City Board of Education.
State Superintendent Michael Sentance submits his resignation, effective immediately
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey’s Office has confirmed that State Superintendent Michael Sentance submitted his resignation to her office Wednesday morning. “Today, I received the resignation of State Superintendent of Education Michael Sentance. I do not take this situation lightly, and as President of the State Board of Education, I will ask the Board to accept his resignation,” said Ivey who serves as President of the Board of Education. “Over the past two years, Alabama has experienced far too many changes in state government. As with previous changes in leadership positions, we will use the pending resignation of the state superintendent as an opportunity to move forward and begin a new chapter in public education.” “I have spoken with Mr. Sentance, thanked him for his commitment to public service and education, and wished him well,” Ivey concluded. Sentance was named to the position last August. With less than a full year under his belt as the State Superintendent, he found himself on the firing line in July as the Alabama Board of Education began to question his performance. Sentance, who oversaw nearly 900 employees at the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE), was given a performance review by the state Board of Education in July, where in received low marks. In the months that followed, Sentance has found himself at the center of a debate as to whether or not he should be removed from his position. Many expected his firing to be eminent at an upcoming regular board meeting scheduled for Thursday. Sentance’s resignation is effective immediately. “I am humbled and appreciative of the opportunity to serve as state superintendent in Alabama,” Sentance said following his resignation. “There are many good things happening in public education in this state. My hope is that Alabama makes educating all children the state’s highest priority, allowing the state to make significant educational gains and truly becoming the jewel of the south that it has the ability to become.” The Alabama Policy Institute (API) calls Sentance’s resignation a major setback for education. “At API, we are saddened to hear that Michael Sentance was forced to resign as Alabama State Superintendent of Education. We see this as a massive setback for education in Alabama,” API said in a statement. “This is not about Sentance. This is about many individuals in our state who like their starting position on a last-place team. As a state, we have to change this mentality. If we do not, we will never improve, and we will have nobody to blame but ourselves.” Succession plans have yet to be determined.
Alabama Board of Education cancels special meeting to discuss superintendent’s contract
The Alabama Board of Education has canceled its Wednesday meeting where board members were scheduled to discuss State Superintendent Michael Sentance‘s contract after board members gave him a low marks during a performance review. The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) announced Tuesday the specially called meeting was cancelled. Instead the board will hold a work session on Wednesday, which board Vice-President Stephanie Bell said will focus on the state budget and compliance with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
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.
Gov. Ivey remains quiet as legislators investigate superintendent hiring
Mums the word when the president of the State Board of Education, Governor Kay Ivey, was asked about the Joint Legislative Committee resuming its investigation into possible misconduct surrounding the selection process of the State Superintendent of Education Michael Sentance. According to her staff, Ivey, who was sworn in as governor in April following former-Gov. Robert Bentley‘s resignation, was not part of the hiring process and therefore believes its inappropriate to comment on the investigation. “Governor Ivey believes that the highest priority should be placed on ensuring that all Alabama children receive the highest quality education possible,” Daniel Sparkman, Press Secretary for Governor Ivey, told Alabama Today. “Because she is new to her role as president of the board and she did not participate in the hiring of Mr. Sentence, nor has she participated in reviewing him, it is not appropriate for her to comment on the current situation, when her focus is best placed on the needs of Alabama’s students.” Lineville-Republican state Sen. Gerald Dial on Friday announced the committee would resume its inquiry into the selection process on Tuesday. In August 2016, the Alabama State Senate created a Joint Legislative Committee to investigate concerns surrounding questionable actions taken by the Ethics Commission and State Department of Education employees and its board members in influencing the selection process of Sentance. “In light of the many news articles regarding the internal report recently produced by the State Department of Education, the recurring rumors of retaliatory actions taken against state employees, and what now seems to be conflicting testimony provided to our Joint Legislative Committee, it is necessary to reconvene the committee and get clarification on certain discrepancies,” Dial said in a statement. “We will likely recall some of the same people who have already testified and ask for explanations of differences in their testimony before the Joint Committee and findings in the recent State Department of Education report. We will also ask for additional documentation from those who testify. Former Governor Robert Bentley, who chaired the State Board of Education and who abruptly changed his vote after the revelation of an anonymous complaint filed with the Ethics Commission, should also have the opportunity to explain his reasons for doing so, especially in light of recent findings.” “We are looking to reconvene the committee as soon as possible. Employees at the Department of Education must get back to the business of educating Alabama’s young people, rather than using state time and taxpayer resources to undermine the State Superintendent selection process. The committee will meet at 1:00 p.m. Final details on the meeting’s location have yet to be announced.
Shenanigans afoot at State Ed Board?
With less than a full year under his belt as the State Superintendent, Michael Sentance has found himself on the firing line as the Alabama Board of Education decides the fate of his future in the position. Sentance, who oversees nearly 900 employees at the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE), will be under review Tuesday in a special-called meeting by the board. There, they will decide whether or not Sentance stays in the position. Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, board members were asked to submit evaluations of the superintendent months ahead his scheduled December review. The request came as a surprise to many members, who said there was no mention of the early evaluation at their July 11 board meeting. “I believe it is a move to try to unseat him. I believe that this was demanded of us after the last board meeting,” Board member Mary Scott Hunter told WHNT News 19. “If this was so urgent we could have discussed it at the last board meeting, it was not discussed, it was not voted upon.” Despite his lack of time in the position, Sentance has made great strides to turn Alabama’s failing school systems around. Since he beat out five other educators from across the country for the position last August, he’s: Created a new advisory group of educators, which will provide a direct avenue of communication with the state superintendent to discuss important issues regarding education; Taken over the 27 failing public schools in Montgomery; Received permission from the federal government to allow for standardized testing flexibility as the state drops the ACT Aspire test for its students in favor of an alternative test; Currently, Sentance’s contract runs through Dec. 31, 2018, but with a simple majority vote the board may terminate his contract at any time. If he were to be let go, he would receive any remaining salary for the balance of his contract for that specific calendar year. When Yellowhammer News asked Sentance if he believes there’s an effort to get rid of him, he said, “Yes, it is true that some people are working very hard to try to remove me from the position.” Sentance did not respond to Alabama Today’s request for comment.
State Dept. of Education announces inaugural state superintendent’s teacher cabinet
After taking the helm of the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) last August, new State Superintendent Michael Sentance called for a new advisory group of educators, which will provide a direct avenue of communication with the state superintendent to discuss important issues regarding education. On Thursday, the ALDSE announced the new group’s — the Superintendent’s Teacher Cabinet for Alabama educators — inaugural members. The selected teachers will serve on the cabinet for one-year terms, with the exception of the soon-to-be-announced 2017-18 Teacher of the Year, who will serve a two-year term. According to the ALDSE, the teachers will meet with Sentance approximately twice each semester, and will also be invited to attend/speak at events pertinent to elevating the teaching profession. There were several hundred applicants, reviewed by ALSDE staff and ultimately chosen by the state superintendent. The inaugural State Superintendent’s Teacher Cabinet includes: Dana Jacobson (Co-Chair) 2016-17 Alabama State Teacher of the Year To be named May 10 (Co-Chair) 2017-18 Alabama State Teacher of the Year Roger Rose Social Studies Teacher Mary G. Montgomery High School, Mobile County Public School System Christy Anders 6th grade Special Education Teacher Muscle Shoals Middle School, Muscle Shoals City School System Michael May Science and Engineering Teacher Athens High School Erica Griffin AP English Language and Composition Teacher Hartselle High School, Hartselle City School System Jennifer Fernandez K-5th grade ESL Teacher Austinville Elementary, Decatur City School System Stephanie Hyatt Reading Teacher and AP English Teacher 9-12th grades Lee High School, Huntsville City Schools Paige Hicks History Teacher Athens High School, Athens City School System Aishia King English/Language Arts Teacher Mary G. Montgomery High School, Mobile County Public School System Brandi Evans 4th grade Teacher W.S. Harlan Elementary School, Covington County School System Andrea Rascoe 6th grade Math Teacher Saraland Middle School, Saraland City School District Julie Ramsay Reading/Reading Intervention, and English Language Arts Teacher Rock Quarry Middle School, Tuscaloosa City School System Jennifer Reaves 6th-8th grade Career and Technical Education Teacher Echols Middle School, Tuscaloosa County School System Darren Ramalho Social Studies/English Teacher, Robert C. Hatch High School, Perry County Schools Kristin Daniel K-2nd grade Art Teacher, Auburn Early Education Center, Auburn Schools Robert Louis Lyda K-2nd grade Music Teacher, Cary Woods Elementary School, Auburn City Schools Judy Hinton Middle School Reading Teacher Birmingham City Schools Rodriquez Leonard 7th grade ELA Teacher John Herbert Phillips International Baccalaureate Academy, Birmingham City Schools Laura Howard Calculus/Algebra II with Trigonometry/Algebra with Finance Teacher Daleville High School, Daleville City Schools Tammy Basaraba 8th grade Science Etowah Middle School, Attalla City Schools Should any Alabama teacher be named a 2017 Milken Educator Award winner, they will automatically be added to the advisory group.
State taking control of Montgomery schools
The state is taking control of the troubled public school system in Alabama’s capital. The state school board voted unanimously Thursday to clear the way for a state takeover of Montgomery’s public school system. The move means the Alabama Department of Education will intervene is as many as roughly two dozen failing schools. Local officials will continue overseeing schools that are doing better. The Montgomery Advertiser reports that State Superintendent Michael Sentance addressed the gap in financial terms. He says top schools often spend about $20,000 more annually on teachers than failing schools. He says beginning teachers often are hired at poorly performing schools. The state takeover is expected to last three to five years. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
