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
Mobile County teacher receives nation’s highest teaching honor at White House
A Mobile County science teacher received the nation’s highest teaching honor at White House ceremony on Wednesday. Chasity Collier, who teaches at Dawes Intermediate in Mobile, was presented the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science teaching. She also received a signed citation from President Donald Trump along a $10,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. “So humbled and honored to represent Alabama as the Presidential Awardees for Excellence in Science and Math Teachers @AlabamaDeptofEd @MobilePublicSch @HES_hsimpson #Nsf #PAEMST,” Collier tweeted Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s award ceremony. Collier isn’t a stranger to the teaching limelight. She was Alabama Teacher of the Year for 2017-2018. She was among 104 recipients of the coveted award this year. “We are very proud of Mrs. Collier as she represents the wonderful teachers of Mobile County Public Schools and the fantastic teaching that takes place in our classrooms every day,” school system spokeswoman Rena Philips said. “She makes science come alive in her classroom every day, and her students love her and love science as a result.”
Alabama teacher told to change ‘just pray’ t-shirt
Usually it’s the students in a school who find themselves in violation of a school’s dress code policy, but on Monday one unsuspecting Alabama teacher found herself in the same position. Mobile, Ala. teacher Chris Burrell picked out a shirt to wear to teacher to class that had “just pray” on it. She had bought the shirt to help raise funds for Aubreigh Nicholes — a young girl from Semmes, Ala. who was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a rare and inoperable brain tumor, in September of 2017. Burrell said she chose to wear the shirt because her students were testing that day and it was her “Monday feel good shirt.” Nevertheless the school’s principal didn’t approve of the shirt and asked Burrell to change it. “Getting sent home from work today to change my Just Pray. shirt. I purchased this shirt to raise money for #AubreighsArmy. I thought it was fitting to wear today since my kids were testing. I didn’t think twice about it. I wasn’t trying to promote religion, it was just my Monday feel good shirt. In my 15 years of teaching this has never been an issue. My heart hurts. #knowwhatmatter,” Burrell posted on Facebook after being told to change the shirt. Martha Peek, superintendent of Mobile County Public Schools said the shirt violated the dress code policy, which states teachers and students are not allowed to wear clothes that reflect particular beliefs. “We have to be cognizant of everyone’s beliefs or everyone’s thoughts in a public school,” Peek explained. No disciplinary action has been taken against Burrell.
