Birmingham Denies Application For Woodlawn Charter School
The Birmingham Board of Education denied the application Thursday for a proposed charter school in Woodlawn.
Board President Cheri Gardner said an independent team reviewed the application from I3 Academy and submitted its pros and cons to the school leadership. “The application only partially met the standards,” Gardner said. The review pointed to questions about the school’s finances, transportation plan, educational programs and operations.
Superintendent Lisa Herring recommended denying the application, and the board voted 8 to 1. Mary Boehm, whose District 3 includes Avondale and Southside, was the only board member to vote against denying the application.
This is the third time the Birmingham school board has rejected a charter school application.
Charter schools receive public funds but have more flexibility and autonomy than traditional public schools. Birmingham is one of a few public school systems that opted to become an authorizer for charters within its district. That means the local school board can set guidelines for the charter and require that the school meet specific goals.
This is the third time the Birmingham school board has rejected a charter school application. Charter organizers can appeal the local school board’s decision to state. If the state approves the application on appeal, the local school system has no authority over the charter schools.
When Birmingham denied the application for Star Academy in 2017, organizers successfully appealed. The school now has a new name, but it has not opened. Its website states that students will be enrolled from January to March 2019.
No more Elmo? APT could cut ties with PBS
The board that oversees Alabama Public Television is considering disaffiliating from PBS, ending a 55-year relationship.
Nonprofit erases millions in medical debt across Gulf South, says it’s ‘Band-Aid’ for real issue
Undue Medical Debt has paid off more than $299 million in medical debts in Alabama. Now, the nonprofit warns that the issue could soon get worse.
Roy Wood Jr. on his father, his son and his new book
Actor, comedian and writer Roy Wood Jr. is out with a new book -- "The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir." He writes about his experience growing up in Birmingham, losing his dad as a teenager and all the lessons he learned from various father figures throughout his career.
Auburn fires coach Hugh Freeze following 12th loss in his last 15 SEC games
The 56-year-old Freeze failed to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three years on the Plains, scoring 24 or fewer points in 17 of his 22 league games. He also ended up on the wrong end of too many close matchups, including twice this season thanks partly to questionable calls.
In a ‘disheartening’ era, the nation’s former top mining regulator speaks out
Joe Pizarchik, who led the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement from 2009 to 2017, says Alabama’s move in the wake of a fatal 2024 home explosion increases risks to residents living atop “gassy” coal mines.
‘It’s like feeling the arms of your creator just wrapped around you’: a visit to a special healing Shabbat
Members of Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham gathered recently for their traditional Friday Shabbat service. But this particular service was different, as could be seen by all the people dressed in their finest pink.
