Birmingham Schools Taken Off Accreditation Probation

Dan Carsen | May 3, 2014

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2014/05/WitherspoonMakesPoint.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:448;s:4:"file";s:33:"2014/05/WitherspoonMakesPoint.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:7:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"WitherspoonMakesPoint-336x251.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:251;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"WitherspoonMakesPoint-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:31:"WitherspoonMakesPoint-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"WitherspoonMakesPoint-417x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:417;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"WitherspoonMakesPoint-355x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:355;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"WitherspoonMakesPoint-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"WitherspoonMakesPoint-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Dan Carsen
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => WBHM
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:273322;s:14:"optimized_size";i:201261;s:7:"percent";d:26.359999999999999;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/05/WitherspoonMakesPoint.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:90495;s:14:"optimized_size";i:64363;s:7:"percent";d:28.879999999999999;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:69:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/05/WitherspoonMakesPoint-336x251.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:26615;s:14:"optimized_size";i:19917;s:7:"percent";d:25.170000000000002;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:67:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/05/WitherspoonMakesPoint-80x80.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:3727;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3710;s:7:"percent";d:0.46000000000000002;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:69:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/05/WitherspoonMakesPoint-600x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:58772;s:14:"optimized_size";i:43572;s:7:"percent";d:25.859999999999999;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:69:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/05/WitherspoonMakesPoint-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:27386;s:14:"optimized_size";i:20418;s:7:"percent";d:25.440000000000001;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:69:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/05/WitherspoonMakesPoint-417x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:37096;s:14:"optimized_size";i:27523;s:7:"percent";d:25.809999999999999;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:69:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/05/WitherspoonMakesPoint-355x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:29231;s:14:"optimized_size";i:21758;s:7:"percent";d:25.57;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1651947954 
1399075200

Birmingham– Last night, the international accreditation agency AdvancEd released a report based on their team’s March visit to Birmingham City Schools. Although the report noted many areas still in need of improvement, the agency upgraded the school system from “probation” to “accredited, warned.” In response, school leaders called a press conference today. Our education reporter Dan Carsen recorded it and broke it down for listeners:

Click here to listen to the 24-minute press conference.

Click here to listen to the 40-second Newscast spot.

Click here to read or listen to an overview of Birmingham City Schools’ recent troubles and triumphs.

Click here to listen to an interview with AdvancEd CEO Mark Elgart.

Witherspoon answers questions in the post-press-conference reporter scrum. Photo by Dan Carsen.