Governor, Lawmakers Promise Funds to Rebuild Tornado-Ravaged Schools

Education News in Alabama, May 5, 2011

AnchorGovernor, Lawmakers Promise Funds to Rebuild Tornado-Ravaged Schools

This week, as recovery and clean-up efforts continued in tornado-ravaged communities across Alabama, Gov. Robert Bentley and members of both houses of the Alabama Legislature promised to do everything in their power to help rebuild tornado-damaged and destroyed schools and to fund school needs unmet by insurance and federal aid.

Alabama Senate and House members passed a Joint Resolution Tuesday afternoon recognizing the Legislature’s responsibility for “providing an environment where our children can receive a first-class education” and affirming their commitment to helping the schools in need.
“The Legislature is fully prepared to protect the state’s greatest asset – the education of our children – by ensuring our schools have the help needed to rebuild and move forward,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Del Marsh (R-Anniston).

AnchorALABAMA STUDENT FEATURED IN NATIONAL AD CAMPAIGN CELEBRATING SCIENCE AND MATH ACHIEVEMENTS

Minor High School in Adamsville has been known as The Home of the Tigers since it first opened in 1922. But last month, after hosting an exciting event to celebrate the school’s outstanding success in improving students’ Advanced Placement performance in math and science, that might have changed. Many Alabamians in Jefferson County, and increasingly around the state, now recognize Minor High School as the Home of the Tigers … and Jelani Grace.

That’s because Minor High School Advanced Placement student Jelani Grace was selected from among thousands of students nationwide to be featured in a national advertising program sponsored by ExxonMobil and highlighting student and teacher accomplishments in science and math. In addition to the honor of having one of its own chosen for the high-profile national campaign, Minor High School received a $10,000 grant from ExxonMobil in honor of Jelani’s participation.

AnchorSTATE BOARD OF EDUCATION ENDORSES PENDING TENURE REFORM BILL

As a piece of reform legislation designed to strengthen Alabama’s law regarding tenure for education employees awaits further action in the Senate, the State Board of Education made its position known Thursday when members voted overwhelmingly to endorse the bill, known as the Students First Act.

Sponsored in the upper chamber by Sen. Trip Pittman (R-Montrose) and by Rep. Chad Fincher (R-Semmes) in the House, the bill retools the Alabama Tenure and Fair Dismissal Act by providing the balance and local accountability now missing in the statute, and by reducing the time terminated employees can remain on the state payroll during a protracted appeals process.

State School Board members voted 6 to 1 in favor of a resolution endorsing the bill with supporting votes from District 1 member Randy McKinney, District 2 member Betty Peters, District 3 member Stephanie Bell, District 4 member Dr. Yvette Richardson, District 6 member Dr. Charles Elliot, and District 8 member Mary Scott Hunter. District 5 board member Ella Bell cast the lone dissenting vote. Gov. Robert Bentley and District 7 board member Gary Warren were unable to attend due to their involvement in tornado recovery efforts Thursday.

AnchorEDUCATION BUDGET FACES FINAL HURDLE IN CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

After passing both the Alabama House and Senate with only small differences between the two versions, the FY 2011-2012 education budget will soon go to a conference committee where six members – three from each chamber – will try to hammer out a final version.

Although Gov. Robert Bentley took a different approach when he offered his proposed education budget at the start of the session, lawmakers in both chambers voted to save nearly $75 million in next year’s cash-strapped schools budget by cutting about 1,200 teacher jobs and increasing class sizes slightly. Gov. Bentley had proposed keeping all state-funded teaching jobs, but State Superintendent Dr. Joe Morton, and many local superintendents, said the governor’s plan would severely underfund transportation needs, such as bus driver salaries and vehicle maintenance, and leave schools far short on funding for other essential operating costs, such as utilities and support workers.

Reminding lawmakers that state education spending has declined by $1.4 billion during the past three years, Morton said the compounded effect of three straight years of proration has left schools with no room to cut. He also has said the one-time reduction in teaching jobs will be largely absorbed through normal retirements and other means of attrition, making the measure the best of the few bad options available.

AnchorABPC PUTS INNOVATIVE HARVARD LEARNING MODEL TO WORK IN ALABAMA SCHOOLS

The Alabama Best Practices Center, a division of the A+ Education Partnership, is conducting “Instructional Rounds,” at ten schools in Alabama in April and May. The Instructional Round concept was created by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, based on the medical rounds model.

Instructional Rounds are designed to give participants an opportunity to work and learn together and to develop a common understanding of effective instruction. During each “round,” teams of four visit three to four classrooms in where they look for evidence around a specific instructional practice, identified in advance by the host school.

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