State Board Approves Contract For New Superintendent Michael Sentance
Alabama’s new school superintendent Michael Sentance starts work Monday with annual salary and benefits of about $240,000. But the vote to approve his contract came with controversy over how the search was handled.
A majority of the board members, including Gov. Robert Bentley, favored the contract Thursday for Michael Sentance, a consultant and former secretary of education in Massachusetts. Sentance sat through the debate over the search process and his qualifications, then thanked the board for its vote.
“I know there’s a great deal of work I have to do in this state to earn the respect and trust of the educators,” Sentence said. “My goal here is to raise the achievement of students in Alabama, so that whatever people think about Alabama, they know that their schools are good and improving.”
Board members Ella Bell and Jeff Newman questioned hiring Sentance because he withdrew his name from consideration in June and resubmitted it after the deadline for applications.
“Of all the hiring I’ve ever done, once you jump off the train, you’re off the train,” said Newman, a former local school superintendent. “Is it legal for us to do this?”
Gov. Bentley, who is board chairman by virtue of his position, said the board condoned the search process by going ahead and nominating Sentance at a meeting earlier this summer.
Sentence replaces Dr. Tommy Bice who resigned in March.
U.S. and Iran to hold a third round of nuclear talks in Geneva
Iran and the United States prepared to meet Thursday in Geneva for nuclear negotiations, as America has gathered a fleet of aircraft and warships to the Middle East to pressure Tehran into a deal.
FIFA’s Infantino confident Mexico can co-host World Cup despite cartel violence
FIFA President Gianni Infantino says he has "complete confidence" in Mexico as a World Cup co-host despite days of cartel violence in the country that has left at least 70 people dead.
Supreme Court appears split in tax foreclosure case
At issue is whether a county can seize homeowners' residence for unpaid property taxes and sell the house at auction for less than the homeowners would get if they put their home on the market themselves.
Top House Dem wants Justice Department to explain missing Trump-related Epstein files
After NPR reporting revealed dozens of pages of Epstein files related to President Trump appear to be missing from the public record, a top House Democrat wants to know why.
ICE won’t be at polling places this year, a Trump DHS official promises
In a call with top state voting officials, a Department of Homeland Security official stated unequivocally that immigration agents would not be patrolling polling places during this year's midterms.
Cubans from US killed after speedboat opens fire on island’s troops, Havana says
Cuba says the 10 passengers on a boat that opened fire on its soldiers were armed Cubans living in the U.S. who were trying to infiltrate the island and unleash terrorism. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. is gathering its own information.
