Education
Montgomery Catholic Mission Finally Celebrates Its Role in the Selma Marches
This month marks the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights March from Selma to Montgomery. The march was a turn in the Civil Rights Movement. But it also brought about a change in The City of St Jude. It's not actually a city, but a Catholic mission that takes up two city blocks in west Montgomery. It was started in the 1930s in an attempt to address the lack of education and healthcare for African Americans in the South. Reporter Ashley Cleek brings us this story of a place before its time.
US Secretary Of Education Arne Duncan
According to the U.S. Department of Education, Alabama's high school graduation rate jumped eight percent between the years 2011 and 2013. That may not sound like a lot, but it was one of the largest increases in the country, which also saw its rate increase while racial gaps decreased. WBHM's education reporter Dan Carsen caught up with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to talk about what the numbers mean for the state and for the nation.
Recovering Heroin Addict Brad Blount On A Dark Time, And How He Escaped It
Heroin use is on the rise in Alabama. And contrary to old stereotypes, it doesn't respect race, class, or neighborhood boundaries. Brad Blount of Vestavia Hills is proof. He's from a solid family in that well-heeled suburb, but the 24-year-old tells WBHM's Dan Carsen that despite it all, his life took a dark turn.
Trisha Powell Crain On State Supreme Court Upholding Alabama Accountability Act
The Alabama Accountability Act has been controversial since the night it passed the state legislature in 2013. What started as a school flexibility bill morphed into a way to give tax credits and scholarships to students to attend other public schools and private schools. But late Monday the state Supreme Court upheld the law. WBHM's Dan Carsen caught up with Alabama School Connection writer Trisha Powell Crain to talk it over. Crain starts with a brief overview of the Act, and some concerns.
INTERVIEW: State Senator Del Marsh On New Charter School Bill
Charter schools are public schools exempt from many of the curriculum and staffing rules that apply to standard schools. But to stay open, charters are supposed to meet achievement goals spelled out in their charter contract. Alabama is one of eight states that does not allow charter schools, but that could change soon. After failing to pass a charter bill in 2012, Republican lawmakers are trying again in the session that's starting today, March 3, 2015. WBHM's education reporter Dan Carsen caught up with Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, the charter bill's sponsor. He says being late to the game is actually an advantage.
Lingering Ice and Snow Closes or Delays Schools
Lingering ice and snow from Wednesday's winter storm has some schools, particularly in north Alabama, closed or delayed Friday
The 2015 Alabama Legislative Session Kicks off on Tuesday
The 2015 Alabama legislative session kicks off on Tuesday. From prisons to the state's budget deficit to education, this year's session will be full of important -- and even controversial -- issues. Here to give us a preview of what to expect is Don Dailey, host of Alabama Public Television's Capital Journal.
Schools Delayed Due To Potential For Icy Roads
Several schools around north central Alabama are on delayed starts Monday.
Lectures Behind Bars
Few people normally go to Donaldson Correctional Facility, a state prison in far western Jefferson County. But twice a month UAB faculty travel to this maximum security prison to lecture to inmates. It's been happening for almost three decades. Reporter Ashley Cleek sits in on a class.
UA BOT Member On Dr. Ray Watts, UAB Football Controversy
Supporters of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's recently canceled football program have vowed to protest when the UA System Board of Trustees meets in Birmingham later this week. WBHM contributor Greg Bass spoke with Board of Trustees member Finis St. John of Cullman about the controversy surrounding UAB football and the role of the Board of Trustees in the governance of UAB.
Supporters Rally for School Choice As Alabama Waits for AAA Ruling
As the state legislature prepares to take up the subject of charter schools and the state supreme court readies a ruling on the controversial Alabama Accountability Act, thousands are expected to gather in Montgomery on Wednesday to rally for expanded school choice.
Carsen And Lindley Talk Alabama Schools’ Low Test Scores
School test results have been in the news across Alabama lately, often next to words like "sobering" and "not on track." So what's going on? WBHM's News Director Rachel Osier Lindley sits down with education reporter Dan Carsen to shed light on a complex and heated issue. Carsen just returned from a conference put on by NPR's Ed Team, and part of that "Ed Summit" dealt with testing. Perfect timing for a while-the-iron-is-hot interview.
BPD Issues Statement On Looming Pepper-Spray Trial
If you read this after 10 a.m. on Tuesday, January 20, the day after Martin Luther King Day, witnesses may already be on the stand in a federal courtroom in yet another Birmingham trial with civil rights implications. Barring a last-minute settlement, the Southern Poverty Law Center's suit against the Birmingham Police Department over officers using mace on city students will go forward, and lawyers representing the city and the police are promising a vigorous defense. WBHM's Dan Carsen has more.
UAB Faculty Senate Passes No Confidence Resolution in President Ray Watts
Thursday morning, UAB's Faculty Senate passed a resolution expressing no confidence in university president Ray Watts. It's the latest fallout from his decision to end UAB's football, bowling, and rifle programs. Watts has said he would not resign even if the resolution passed. WBHM's Rachel Osier Lindley has this recap.
Schools Start Later Thursday Due To Cold
More than 30 Alabama school systems are delaying opening on Thursday because of forecasts of bitterly cold weather. Most of the postponements are in north and central Alabama. But systems as far south as southeast Alabama also are telling students to come later than normal. Officials are delaying openings because of temperatures in the single-digits and teens and wind-child readings that are expected to fall below zero in areas.
Magic City Writers Read: How the Swampers Changed American Music
The Shoals area of Alabama is known for a long list of popular musicians who recorded there in the 1960s and 1970s. Artists including Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan cut tracks in this otherwise sleepy corner of the state. But a part of the region's musical success is thanks to four men nicknamed the Swampers. In WBHM's first "Magic City Writers Read" event, author Carla Jean Whitley discusses her new book on the Swampers.
John Archibald: UAB President’s Leadership has been Damaged over Football
UAB President Ray Watts' decision to cut the school's football, bowling, and rifle teams has moved beyond a simple matter of athletic priorities now that a no confidence vote is in play. The UAB faculty senate on Tuesday agreed to draft a resolution expressing no confidence in Watts. They could vote on the measure next month.
Could UAB Afford To Keep Football? Depends Who You Ask
It's been just over a week since the University of Alabama at Birmingham announced it's canceling the university's football, rifle and bowling programs. UAB president Dr. Ray Watts cited the rising costs of college athletics and a report from independent consultants Carr Sports. The decision, the process behind it and the numbers in the Carr Sports report have drawn heavy criticism. But others are calling it an unpopular-but-necessary move.
Faculty Senate Vote For Reassessment of Sports And “No-Confidence” on Watts
It's been a week since UAB announced the end of its football, bowling, and rifle teams. Today at a meeting of the Faculty Senate, at least two-thirds of that body approved drafting two resolutions: a declaration supporting the school's athletic programs and a transparent financial reassessment of them; and, a "no confidence" resolution directed at university president Ray Watts. WBHM's Dan Carsen and Rachel Osier Lindley break down the day's events.
The Debate Rages about UAB Football
Almost a week after UAB President Ray Watts' announcement that the university's football program would end, vigorous debate continues about the decision. Our roundup of what people are saying.
John Archibald: UAB Football was not a Recent Decision
University officials say this week's decision to end UAB's football program came after a strategic planning process revealed increasing costs were unsustainable. In the days since, evidence has emerged that the university had been laying groundwork to cut football for some time. We hear more about that from Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
INTERVIEW: Big-Picture Perspective On Colleges Ending Football Programs
On December 2, the University of Alabama at Birmingham announced it is cutting its football, bowling and rifle teams after the 2014-2015 season. As costs to maintain athletics programs grow, some experts think this could be the beginning of a trend. Malcolm Moran, director of the National Sports Journalism Center, explains why to WBHM's Dan Carsen.
UAB Ends Football
UAB President Ray Watts has announced the university's football program will end with the 2014-2015 academic year. Listen to the complete press conference and read reactions from Governor Robert Bentley, Birmingham Mayor William Bell and Birmingham Business Alliance President and CEO Brian Hilson.
Protestors Demand Assurances UAB Football Will Not Be Cut
Today UAB supporters dressed in green and gold school colors chanted in the sun for their football team while members of the marching band played. But it wasn't a football game. It was on Birmingham's 20th Street South, in front of the university's administration building. They were responding to reports that the football program may be discontinued, and they're angry about that possibility.
Reports: UAB heading toward shutting down football
Multiple news outlets are reporting that UAB is taking steps to disband the football program this week.
My Name is Birmingham: Learning to Love a Unique Name and City
Our name can have a profound impact on our lives. Names can reveal details about us to people -- often, before we even meet them. Studies show our names can affect how we do in school or our chances landing a job. So what if your name stands out in a way you're not proud of? In her monthly blog post for WBHM, our guest blogger Javacia Harris Bowser writes about how learning to love her unique name helped her better appreciate herself and where she's from.
WBHM’s Carsen Awarded Prestigious Fellowship
WBHM 90.3 FM's education reporter Dan Carsen has been named a fellow in Renaissance Journalism's initiative, "The Equity Reporting Project: Restoring the Promise of Education." Only 31 journalists nationwide have been selected.
Federal Complaint Alleges Fund Misappropriation in Birmingham Schools
A Birmingham City Schools parent who's also president of the local chapter of the American Federation of Teachers has filed a complaint against the school system with the U.S. Department of Education over allegedly misappropriated Title One funds.
BCS Superintendent Craig Witherspoon To Resign: Reaction And Perspective
Last night Birmingham City Schools Superintendent Craig Witherspoon announced he would resign at the end of the year. Neither he nor board members had much to say immediately after the announcement, but late last night WBHM's Dan Carsen caught up with some key players for reaction. We've put together links to some key moments in Witherspoon's tenure, too.
Kyle Whitmire: Politics is local, School and City Politics have a busy week
After renewing his employment contract, the Superintendent of the Birmingham City Schools resigns. Meanwhile, Birmingham City Council has voted to give themselves a lift in their expense accounts, future council members a raise in salary, and give the mayor more freedom to spend. We ponder these local political acts and what's next with Kyle Whitmire, political commentator for the Alabama Media Group.
Cutting-Edge Forensic Research At ASU Could Help Solve Murders
Believe it or not, in a healthy human body, microbial cells outnumber human cells by about ten to one. Scientists, doctors, and health-conscious people are learning more and more about our "personal ecosystems." But what happens to this individualized community of life after we die? Some Alabama State University forensics researchers are looking at patterns, which could -- among other things -- help investigators solve murder cases. WBHM's education reporter Dan Carsen has more:
Javacia Harris Bowser: Life Lessons From A Younger Generation
It's not uncommon to seek words of wisdom and advice from those who older and more experienced. But what about turning to a younger generation for new ideas and inspiration? Our guest blogger Javacica Harris Bowser believes that just because someone is younger than you, doesn't mean you shouldn't seek out their ideas and opinions.
