State Commission Approves Birmingham Charter School
The Alabama Public Charter School Commission approved plans for a new charter school in Birmingham Monday. The Birmingham school board rejected the i3 Academy application in January, and school organizers appealed to the state.
The next step is for i3 Academy and the state to negotiate a contract for the school. It will outline expectations for academic performance, school operations and finances, school officials say.
Logan Searcy, the Alabama State Department of Education’s liaison to the charter school commission, says the charter school contracts are legally binding agreements.
“The perception that charter schools (in Alabama) are not accountable is not accurate,” Searcy says. “Charter schools have expectations. If they don’t meet those expectations, they can be closed in five years.”
The state will review the school annually, she says.
Tommy Bice, former state education superintendent, is part of the team working to establish i3 Academy. He says they will open the school with the expectation that students can perform at a higher level.
“All kids can learn when given the right instruction,” Bice says.
I3 Academy will offer grades K-5 in the Woodlawn area. Enrollment will be open to any student in Birmingham, according to the school’s proposal.
After negotiating the contract with the state, Bice says school leaders will look at the type of teachers needed to help students achieve their best.
Charter schools receive public funds. State law gives them flexibility to operate separately from the traditional school board.
Because i3 Academy was rejected by the Birmingham school board, the Birmingham board will not oversee school operations.
I3 Academy plans to open in the Woodlawn area in 2020. It will be the second Birmingham-area charter school. Legacy Prep is scheduled to open in August in west Birmingham.
How Alabama Power kept bills up and opposition out to become one of the most powerful utilities in the country
In one of the poorest states in America, the local utility earns massive profits producing dirty energy with almost no pushback from state regulators.
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.
