James Hanks, a Dropout “Recovered”

| June 8, 2015 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924.png
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:719;s:6:"height";i:386;s:4:"file";s:48:"2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924.png";s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-336x180.png";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:180;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-140x140.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:46:"HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-80x80.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:48:"HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-600x338.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:48:"HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-600x386.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:386;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-579x311.png";s:5:"width";i:579;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-470x252.png";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:252;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-600x386.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:386;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-600x386.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:386;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-125x125.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] => Birmingham City Schools
        )

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

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

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:8:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:720;s:6:"height";i:665;s:4:"file";s:25:"HanksGraduatesCropped.png";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"HanksGraduatesCropped-140x140.png";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"HanksGraduatesCropped-183x169.png";s:5:"width";i:183;s:6:"height";i:169;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:10:"large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"HanksGraduatesCropped-366x338.png";s:5:"width";i:366;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"HanksGraduatesCropped-366x338.png";s:5:"width";i:366;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:23:"wbhm-featured-home-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"HanksGraduatesCropped-337x311.png";s:5:"width";i:337;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"HanksGraduatesCropped-287x265.png";s:5:"width";i:287;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"HanksGraduatesCropped-125x125.png";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}}
        )

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

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:1455807;s:14:"optimized_size";i:624137;s:7:"percent";d:57.130000000000003;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:76:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924.png";s:13:"original_size";i:371017;s:14:"optimized_size";i:170294;s:7:"percent";d:54.100000000000001;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:84:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-140x140.png";s:13:"original_size";i:36513;s:14:"optimized_size";i:15368;s:7:"percent";d:57.909999999999997;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:84:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-336x180.png";s:13:"original_size";i:106354;s:14:"optimized_size";i:43232;s:7:"percent";d:59.350000000000001;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:82:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-80x80.png";s:13:"original_size";i:13932;s:14:"optimized_size";i:6254;s:7:"percent";d:55.109999999999999;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:84:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-600x338.png";s:13:"original_size";i:300386;s:14:"optimized_size";i:126176;s:7:"percent";d:58;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:84:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-300x300.png";s:13:"original_size";i:134376;s:14:"optimized_size";i:57548;s:7:"percent";d:57.170000000000002;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:84:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-579x311.png";s:13:"original_size";i:272598;s:14:"optimized_size";i:113635;s:7:"percent";d:58.310000000000002;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:84:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-470x252.png";s:13:"original_size";i:190579;s:14:"optimized_size";i:78846;s:7:"percent";d:58.630000000000003;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:84:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/04/HanksGraduatesCropped-e1433863166924-125x125.png";s:13:"original_size";i:30052;s:14:"optimized_size";i:12784;s:7:"percent";d:57.460000000000001;}}}
        )

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

)
1673863704 
1433800859

The U.S. Secretary of Education recently recognized Alabama for having one of the nation’s steepest increases in high school graduation rates. Birmingham City Schools’ rate increased even more – up roughly 23 percent in the last four years. The latest data reported to the state education department puts the system’s rate at 79 percent — just below the national average. Regardless of that and larger questions about what the diplomas actually mean, having that piece of paper is helpful. For an NPR project, WBHM’s education reporter Dan Carsen sat down with James Hanks. He graduated last month thanks to Birmingham Schools’ Dropout Recovery Program, which runs three Alternative Learning Centers spread throughout the city. James attended the one housed at Agape Missionary Baptist Church in the Eastlake neighborhood. The five-minute on-air interview above starts with the former Woodlawn High School athlete and drum major explaining — really admitting — why he had trouble graduating on time last year.

More interviews follow.

Click below for the extended web-only interview with James:

download

 

Ezra Shine, Birmingham Schools’ Coordinator of Prevention, Recovery, and Alternative Programs, grades 6-12.

Dan Carsen
Ezra Shine, Birmingham Schools’ Coordinator of Prevention, Recovery, and Alternative Programs, grades 6-12.

Click below for the web-only interview with Ezra Shine, Birmingham City Schools’ Coordinator of Prevention, Recovery, and Alternative Programs for grades 6-12:

download

 

Venezuela’s Machado says she presented her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump during their meeting

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday even as he has questioned her credibility to take over her country after the U.S. ousted then-President Nicolás Maduro.

A federal judge dismisses the DOJ’s effort to get voter data from California

The Trump administration has been dealt its first legal setback in its unprecedented effort to consolidate voter data traditionally held by states.

Behind the front lines of the legal battle against Trump’s National Guard deployments

As President Trump began a pattern of deploying the National Guard to democratic-led cities, several Democratic attorneys general and their staffs worked to coordinate their fight against the deployments – and, ultimately, they won.

Trump health care plan doesn’t help people facing skyrocketing ACA premiums

President Trump announced a plan that addresses drug costs and health savings accounts, but not the health insurance premium spikes millions of Americans are facing.

Verizon just had a big outage. Here’s what we know

Verizon says a software problem caused the glitch and they are conducting a postmortem, but experts say outages are "a fact of life" these days.

Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act (again). What is it?

As protests grow over violent ICE enforcement actions in Minneapolis, the president said he could invoke a centuries-old law that would give him sweeping powers to deploy the military in U.S. cities.

More Education Coverage