The Selma Board of Education is regaining control of the city’s schools after almost four years of state control. The state board voted Thursday to release the city system from state intervention that followed an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct between a teacher and students. Selma school board chairman Johnny Moss tells the Selma Times-Journal he’s relieved. Moss says…
As the Montgomery County Commission meets Monday morning there’s a new topic crossing the minds of some commissioners, the possibility of a city school system. For Vice Chair Ronda Walker the issue hits close to home as she has two children in Montgomery Public Schools currently. She’s open to looking more into the idea, and points to other counties…
The Alabama State Board of Education has a special called meeting where they will evaluate State Superintendent Michael Sentance scheduled for Tuesday. According to Board Vice President, Stephanie Bell this is an annual evaluation that has to be completed by the of the year, but others say this is the earliest they’ve ever seen an evaluation completed. Board Member Ella…
Alabama News Network has obtained the official show cause letter from state school superintendent Michael Sentance to the Montgomery School Board. The letter outlines the deficiencies within the school system that could lead to a state takeover. Sentance says that the reasons are both financial and academic. Sentance goes on to say he expects a response and a plan from…
Alabama parents can now view report cards for their child’s school and school system. The state department of education released the report cards in December. It scores based on several areas, including student achievement and high school graduation rates. Parents can see how their school or school system compares to the rest of the state. Right now, the report cards will not include…
Sometimes if you can’t say something nice, maybe you shouldn’t say anything at all. That’s some advice Governor Robert Bentley might have needed to hear before he spoke at the Alabama Association of Regional Councils Conference on Wednesday. Bentley made several comments about state education at this conference, including this quote: “Our education system in this state sucks. I don’t use…
The Butler County Career Academy celebrates its third year in October. The Butler County Career Academy started in October of 2013. Then, it served almost 600 students and only had 16 courses to offer, with no pathways available for students. Three years later, the program serves more than 1,500 Butler County students, provides 46 programs, and has nine of the…
A judge has dismissed a lawsuit in a three-year-old dispute involving a school board election in Tuscaloosa. Media outlets report that Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court Judge Jim Robert’s decision came Tuesday afternoon. The case stems from the 2013 Tuscaloosa City Board of Education election, when then-incumbent school board member Kelly Horwitz was defeated by challenger Cason Kirby. Horwitz says illegal…
A divided Alabama Board of Education has approved a contract for the state’s new school superintendent, who has drawn both criticism and praise for his outsider status. The board on Thursday voted 7-2 to approve the contract for education consultant and former Massachusetts education secretary Michael Sentance. After the vote, Sentance told board members that his goal is to raise…
The U.S. Department of Education is out with a major report on Civil Rights in schools. It includes statistics on absenteeism, discipline and bullying, among other factors. The report finds children in Alabama are mostly targeted for bullying because of their race, gender or disability. It finds boys are much more likely to be bullied in Alabama than girls. An…
