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Birmingham Board Turns Down State Financial Plan, Bice Overrides
Updates on the aftermath of Birmingham Board of Education firing of Superintendent Craig Witherspoon
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UPDATE TO STORY (7/24 at 2:00): The Birmingham Board of Education turned down a state-backed financial plan at its meeting today, only to have State Superintendent
Tommy Bice override the vote. -
This was the first meeting since a judge temporarily blocked the board from interfering with the state’s takeover of the Birmingham City Schools. Bice ran today’s meeting. The Birmingham News reports the plan would have cut about $12 million and layoff or demote about 200 people. Several board members contend the plan would harm support staff such as nurses and special education aides. Bice says resources will be redistributed to meet needs.
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UPDATE TO STORY (7/20 at 5:30): The Birmingham News reports a judge has issued a temporary restraining order telling the Birmingham Board of Education to stop interfering in the state’s takeover of the school system.UPDATE TO STORY (7/20 st 4:00): Attorney General Luther Strange, the Alabama Board of Education, and State Superintendent Bice are saying they’re filing a lawsuit against the Birmingham Board of Education over their failure to comply with state law. Attorney General Strange stated in a press release today that “As the State’s chief legal officer, it is my responsibility to ensure that public officials follow the law. The Birmingham Board of Education has not only failed to follow the law, but they have further openly challenged school state authority.”In a related event, the hearing for Birmingham Superintendent Craig Witherspoon’s temporary restraining order against the Birmingham Board of Education has been set for July 30. The hearing was set today in a Jefferson County Courtroom conference.During the meeting, Attorney Fred Bolling also spoke on the matter of delaying the start of school:
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UPDATE TO STORY (7/20 at 1:45 pm):
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UPDATE TO STORY (7/19 at 9:50 am):
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The morning after a day of drama with the Birmingham Board of Education, Superintendent Craig Witherspoon is back in his office. Officials have also cancelled the board meeting that was to take place Friday, but didn’t say why they did.
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Birmingham school board meeting scheduled for Friday canceled, board to meet Tuesday http://bit.ly/OuWXKh -
UPDATE TO STORY (7/18 at 5:10): The Birmingham News reports Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Scott Vowell has granted Superintendent Craig Witherspoon’s temporary restraining order. He rules Witherspoon remains superintendent of the system and that he should have access to his office.
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UPDATE TO STORY (7/18 at 3:30): Weld for Birmingham’s Kyle Whitmire attended Interim Superintendent Samuetta Drew’s press conference this afternoon, reporting that she had no general statement, but was instead holding the meeting to answer questions.
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When asked about why Witherspoon had been locked out of the building, Drew replied that it was “process and procedure”. Drew also discussed what she would do for Birmingham City Schools and said it looked like classes would resume on August 20.Right after the meeting, U.W. Clemon filed suit for Witherspoon’s restraining order against Samuetta Drew, Edward Maddox, and Chief Security Officer Aaron Moyona. Clemon says he’ll try to get the order finished by today.
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U.W. Clemon has filed suit for temp restraining order on behalf of Supt. Witherspoon: pic.twitter.com/K2vr2f7zom/K2vr2f7z -
UPDATE TO STORY (7/18 at 2:45 pm): Witherspoon’s personal attorney, U.W. Clemon, is apparently on his way to file a temporary restraining order against the Birmingham Board of Education on his client’s behalf.
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UPDATE TO STORY (7/18 at 2:10 pm): AL.com‘s Marie Leech reports that the battle over who is actually running Birmingham City Schools is being moved to Montgomery. State Superintendent Tommy Bice and members of the intervention team are headed there today for a meeting with a legal counsel to start sorting out the confusion. Birmingham Board President Edward Maddox, along with board attorney Fred Bolling and former State Superintendent Ed Richardson, are also going to Montgomery to meet with Bice.
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Battle over Birmingham city schools shifting to Montgomery http://bit.ly/Q62g6z
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After Tuesday night’s controversial Birmingham Board of Education meeting, it seems that no one is quite sure what’s going on– but whatever it is, it looks like it’s going to be trouble. According to AL.com, access badges for members of the state intervention team have been disabled this morning, leaving them unable to get into the Birmingham Board of Education. Interim Superintendent Samuetta Drew says this was just a “screw-up” and has scheduled a press conference for 3 pm today. Additionally, it seems the locks on Craig Witherspoon’s office door have been changed.
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WBHM’s Dan Carsen reports that at last night’s meeting, though expressly forbidden by the state team that took over Birmingham City Schools, the board voted five to three to terminate the contract of Superintendent Craig Witherspoon.
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Bice overturns Birmingham Board’s firing of Witherspoon: State Superintendent Tommy Bice indicated in a letter he… http://dlvr.it/1ssmHC C -
However, shortly after the board voted to fire Witherspoon, State Superintendent Tommy Bice overruled the board’s action on the grounds that the Birmingham schools are under state intervention and cannot make major decisions without state approval. This veto left some school employees unsure of who exactly they were supposed to be reporting to.
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Richardson you’re out of order! Maddox shuts down Richardson, threatened him with security!! #BhamBOE #BhamSchools -
Carsen also reports that the Board meeting, held in the Carver High School auditorium, was packed last night. Many members of the public showed up to voice their disapproval of Witherspoon, but many more still were there to criticize the state’s new $12-million cost-cutting plan, which will improve the system’s depleted financial reserves by cutting personnel. Carsen says the Board was supposed to discuss this new plan as part of the meeting’s agenda, but they never got around to it– the Board voted to recess the meeting until Friday after Birmingham Board President Edward Maddox asked Witherspoon to leave the meeting.But the drama doesn’t end there. Right after the move to fire Witherspoon, lead investigator and CFO of Birmingham City Schools Ed Richardson attempted to step up and speak, but Maddox shouted that Richardson was “out of order” and threatened to call security if the CFO didn’t sit down.
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The continued battling is likely to delay the start of school.
