Alabama’s Teacher Of The Year On Teaching, Common Core, Mascots And More

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2015/07/JenniferBrownALSDE.png
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:471;s:4:"file";s:30:"2015/07/JenniferBrownALSDE.png";s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:30:"JenniferBrownALSDE-336x247.png";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:247;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:30:"JenniferBrownALSDE-140x140.png";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:28:"JenniferBrownALSDE-80x80.png";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:30:"JenniferBrownALSDE-600x338.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:30:"JenniferBrownALSDE-600x471.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:471;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:30:"JenniferBrownALSDE-423x311.png";s:5:"width";i:423;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:30:"JenniferBrownALSDE-360x265.png";s:5:"width";i:360;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:30:"JenniferBrownALSDE-600x400.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:30:"JenniferBrownALSDE-600x471.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:471;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:30:"JenniferBrownALSDE-125x125.png";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}}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] => 
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => Alabama State Department of Education
        )

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

    [_edit_lock] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1442949426:1
        )

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

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

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:1384781;s:14:"optimized_size";i:579163;s:7:"percent";d:58.18;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:58:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/07/JenniferBrownALSDE.png";s:13:"original_size";i:368372;s:14:"optimized_size";i:175648;s:7:"percent";d:52.32;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:66:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/07/JenniferBrownALSDE-140x140.png";s:13:"original_size";i:39208;s:14:"optimized_size";i:15486;s:7:"percent";d:60.5;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:66:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/07/JenniferBrownALSDE-336x247.png";s:13:"original_size";i:134994;s:14:"optimized_size";i:52050;s:7:"percent";d:61.439999999999998;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:64:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/07/JenniferBrownALSDE-80x80.png";s:13:"original_size";i:14303;s:14:"optimized_size";i:6272;s:7:"percent";d:56.149999999999999;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:66:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/07/JenniferBrownALSDE-600x338.png";s:13:"original_size";i:286294;s:14:"optimized_size";i:120839;s:7:"percent";d:57.789999999999999;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:66:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/07/JenniferBrownALSDE-300x300.png";s:13:"original_size";i:154250;s:14:"optimized_size";i:58658;s:7:"percent";d:61.969999999999999;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:66:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/07/JenniferBrownALSDE-423x311.png";s:13:"original_size";i:202535;s:14:"optimized_size";i:78458;s:7:"percent";d:61.259999999999998;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:66:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/07/JenniferBrownALSDE-360x265.png";s:13:"original_size";i:152797;s:14:"optimized_size";i:58980;s:7:"percent";d:61.399999999999999;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:66:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/07/JenniferBrownALSDE-125x125.png";s:13:"original_size";i:32028;s:14:"optimized_size";i:12772;s:7:"percent";d:60.119999999999997;}}}
        )

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

)
1675767781 
1436213471

Vestavia Hills science teacher Jennifer Brown is Alabama’s 2015-2016 Teacher of The Year. The 16-year educator, who once wanted to be a professional basketball player, sits down with WBHM’s Dan Carsen to talk about her motivations and about controversial issues like Common Core, charter schools, standardized testing and Vestavia Hills City Schools’ “Rebel” mascot. But the seven-minute on-air version above starts with her evolution as a teacher.

Below is the extended 35-minute interview. She begins by explaining what she teaches, and why:

 

Mariah Carey, coffee makers and other highlights from the Olympic opening ceremony

NPR reporters at the Milan opening ceremony layered up and took notes.

Trump’s harsh immigration tactics are taking a political hit

President Trump's popularity on one of his political strengths is in jeopardy.

A drop in CDC health alerts leaves doctors ‘flying blind’

Doctors and public health officials are concerned about the drop in health alerts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since President Trump returned for a second term.

Photos: Highlights from the Winter Olympics opening ceremony

Athletes from around the world attended the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan.

Alabama sets execution for man in auto parts store customer’s death

Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday set a March 12 execution using nitrogen gas for Charles “Sonny” Burton. Burton was convicted as an accomplice in the shooting death of Doug Battle, a customer who was killed during an 1991 robbery of an auto parts store in Talladega.

Trump posts racist meme of the Obamas — then deletes it

Trump's racist post came at the end of a minute-long video promoting conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. 

More Education Coverage