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
        )

)
1670086406 
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

 

Auburn tabs USF’s Alex Golesh as its next coach, replacing Hugh Freeze on the Plains

The 41-year-old Golesh, who was born in Russia and moved to the United State at age 7, is signing a six-year contract that averages more than $7 million annually to replace Hugh Freeze. Freeze was fired in early November after failing to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three seasons on the Plains.

Alabama Power seeks to delay rate hike for new gas plant amid outcry

The state’s largest utility has proposed delaying the rate increase from its purchase of a $622 million natural gas plant until 2028.

Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones announces run for Alabama governor

Jones announced his campaign Monday afternoon, hours after filing campaign paperwork with the Secretary of State's Office. His gubernatorial bid could set up a rematch with U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the Republican who defeated Jones in 2020 and is now running for governor. 

Scorching Saturdays: The rising heat threat inside football stadiums

Excessive heat and more frequent medical incidents in Southern college football stadiums could be a warning sign for universities across the country.

The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor

The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor to join our award-winning team covering important regional stories across Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.

Judge orders new Alabama Senate map after ruling found racial gerrymandering

U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco, appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, issued the ruling Monday putting a new court-selected map in place for the 2026 and 2030 elections.

More Education Coverage