State Commission to Hear Birmingham Charter School Appeal
The Alabama Public Charter School Commission is scheduled to vote Monday on a proposed charter school in Woodlawn, called i3 Academy. The Birmingham school board recently rejected i3 Academy’s bid to open in the city, and organizers appealed to the state.
Birmingham’s rejection of the i3 Academy application set the stage for a full review by the state charter school commission. An independent team reviewed the application on behalf of the state, according to Logan Searcy, the state Department of Education’s liaison with the charter School Commission. On Monday, the commission will hear a report from the reviewers and i3 Academy will have an opportunity to make the case for why it should be allowed to open in Birmingham, she said.
The Birmingham school board can authorize charter schools to operate in the district. But it rejected the i3 Academy application because the board said organizers left out key information, like how they’re going to transport students and how they’ll teach children with disabilities.
Tommy Bice, the former state education superintendent, is one of the leaders of the i3 effort. The proposed charter school will provide transportation, but the plan will be developed after officials know where the students are located, he said. Enrollment at the school will be open to Birmingham students in grades K-5.
Special education services will be based on the individual needs of each child, Bice said.
Charter schools are public schools that receive public funds, but state law gives them flexibility to operate with a separate board. The schools have to have clear plans and goals for student achievement.
Pipe bomb suspect told FBI he targeted U.S. political parties, memo says
The man accused of placing two pipe bombs in Washington on the eve of Jan. 6, 2021 told investigators someone needed to "speak up" for people who believed the 2020 election was stolen, prosecutors said Sunday.
Chinese military stages drills around Taiwan to warn ‘external forces’
The drills came after Beijing expressed anger at U.S. arms sales, and a statement by Japan's prime minister saying its military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan.
Trump and Netanyahu to meet in Florida at a crucial moment for the Gaza ceasefire
President Trump could use the face-to-face at his Mar-a-Lago estate to look for ways to speed up the peace process, as Israel's leader has been accused of not pushing his side to move fast enough.
‘Bomb cyclone’ forecasted to bring heavy snow, blizzard conditions and dangerous travel
A 'bomb cyclone' is intensifying severe winter weather for millions of people across the U.S. The system is expected to knock out power and disrupt holiday travel.
Russia sends 3 Iranian satellites into orbit, report says
The report said that a Russian rocket sent the satellites on Sunday from a launchpad in eastern Russia.
Viral global TikToks: A twist on soccer, Tanzania’s Charlie Chaplin, hope in Gaza
TikToks are everywhere (well, except countries like Australia and India, where they've been banned.) We talk to the creators of some of the year's most popular reels from the Global South.
