alabama board of education

Alabama Board of Education Discuss Banning “Race Theory” in Public Schools

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama might ban so-called “critical race theory” from being taught in public K-12 schools even though education officials said no schools are actually doing so. Members of the Alabama Board of Education on Tuesday discussed the wording of a possible resolution that could be voted on later this summer. A Republican lawmaker has introduced legislation for the 2022…

Judiciary Committee resurrects yoga bill, sends to Senate

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – Alabama lawmakers have resurrected an effort to lift the state’s decades-old ban on yoga in public schools. On Wednesday, the Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee voted 5-2 to advance the bill that would let school systems decide if they want to offer yoga to students. The approval came after the bill failed last week on a tie…

Alabama Yoga Bill Stalls After Conservative Groups Object

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama’s decades-old ban on yoga in public schools could stay in place a little longer. A bill that would allow yoga in schools stalled Wednesday in the Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee. During a hearing, two conservative groups objected because of yoga’s historic ties to Hinduism. The Alabama Board of Education voted in 1993 to prohibit yoga…

Alabama House Votes To End Yoga Ban, But don’t Say ‘Namaste’

A decades-old ban on yoga in Alabama public schools could be coming to an end. The Alabama House of Representatives on Thursday voted 73-25 to approve a bill that would authorize school systems to decide if they want yoga to be allowed in K-12 schools. The bill by Democratic Rep. Jeremy Gray specifies that the use of chanting, mantras and…

Alabamians Vote to Keep Elected School Board

  Alabama voters have overwhelmingly voted “NO” to replacing the state’s elected school board with a commission appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Alabama Senate. Gov. Kay Ivey had supported the idea, saying a major change was needed to improve the performance of the state’s schools. She had pointed out that Alabama is only one of a handful…

Update: Fate of State School Board in the Hands of Alabama Voters

Alabama voters will decide next year whether they want to abolish the elected state school board and replace it with an appointed commission. The House of Representatives voted 78-21 today for the proposed constitutional amendment that will go before voters next year. Alabamians will vote on the proposal on March 3, 2020. The new nine-member education commission would be appointed…

Alabama Senate Approves Revamping State School Board

The Alabama Senate voted 30-0 to overhaul the existing state school board.  A bill, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, would replace the elected state school board with a commission that would be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. The bill now goes to the Alabama House. If passed, this proposed constitutional amendment would be…

State Superintendent and Board Member React to Proposed Bill that Would Stop Election of State Board of Education Members

Alabama is among six states with an elected state school board and Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh says it is time to convert it from an elected board to a commission appointed by the governor. “We have got to take this governance serious. It’s nothing personal against any elected state school board member but if you look at the…

Should Alabama Stop Electing Its State Board of Education Members?

Alabama’s state education system currently operates under a eight-member elected school board. But there is a move to change the elected board to a commission appointed by the governor. Gov. Kay Ivey says she’s delivered a letter to the State Board of Education, regarding a bill being filed by Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh in the Alabama Legislature today….

UPDATE: Alabama BOE Names New Superintendent

Education consultant Michael Sentance, a former education adviser to the governor of Massachusetts, will be Alabama’s next superintendent of education. The Alabama Board of Education named Sentance to the post Thursday morning. Board members went through several rounds of voting before deciding on Sentance by a narrow margin. He won the position with five votes. Jefferson County Superintendent Craig Pouncey…