Education
UAB’s New Athletic Director Mark Ingram on Football’s Return
As UAB works to reinstate its football, bowling and rifle programs, a man who will have a big part of that is Mark Ingram. He’s UAB’s new athletic director who’s only been on the job two weeks. WBHM’s Andrew Yeager spoke with Ingram and began by asking when the team would return.
UAB Alumni President Speaks about Return of Football
The return of UAB’s football, bowling and rifle teams represents the work of many students, faculty, alumni and community members. One man who was in the think of it is Wes Smith. He’s president of the UAB National Alumni Society. He also led the task force that reviewed the decision to cut those athletic programs.
UAB Football’s Return Represents New Model But Challenges Remain
UAB football supporters cheered university president Ray Watts' decision Monday to reinstate the school’s football, bowling and rifle programs. He cut the teams in December citing costs. But Watts also had a message for those fans -- be ready to show significant support. That’s because football will depend on fundraising. Watts says the university will cap its support of athletics at $20 million dollars. Money to cover additional costs and new facilities will have to come from donors, business and the community. WBHM's Andrew Yeager spoke with Malcolm Moran. He’s the director of the Nation Sports Journalism Center at Indiana University.
UAB Football Retuns
UAB President Ray Watts addresses the media in a July 1, 2015 press conference BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – UAB President Ray Watts said Monday he is bringing the football program back in 2016, reversing a decision to shut it down because it was too expensive. Watts cited renewed financial commitment from supporters, students and […]
UAB Needs Ray Watts and Football
UAB President Ray Watts should announce by Monday whether the university will revive its football, bowling and rifle teams after shutting them down in December. Football backers have aimed a lot of anger at Watts with some calling for him to go. A few voices have said this was the correct, albeit painful move for an institution of higher learning. But one prominent alumnus says UAB needs both Watts and football. Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald talks about that and case of business incentives he says shows bad citizenship on the part of an Alabama bank.
Community Involvement in a Possible Return of UAB Football
UAB President Ray Watts is expected announce by June first whether to bring back the university’s football, bowling and rifle programs. It’s a decision that many students and alumni have an interest in. The business community is watching too. We talk about it in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
No Decision Yet On UAB Football Says President Ray Watts
University of Alabama at Birmingham President Ray L. Watt says "no decision has been made yet" on the future of UAB's football, bowling and rifle programs.
Awaiting a Decision on UAB Football
UAB football backers are examining a report released this week that details the viability of bringing back the university’s football, bowling and rifle programs. University President Ray Watts ended those teams in December citing finances. That sparked a huge uproar among students, alumni and some community members. But Watts he says he’ll announce by June 1st if he’ll reinstate those teams. We talk about the report and what’s to come with Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
Birmingham’s New School Superintendent Dr. Kelley Castlin-Gucatan Returns Home, Prepares To Lead
Dr. G begins work as superintendent of Birmingham City Schools on July 1.
New Hoover City Schools Superintendent Starts June 1
It’s been a headlined filled year for Hoover City Schools, with controversies over zoning and busing, and the resignation of their superintendent. Now a new leader, Dr. Kathy Murphy, is on deck to take the helm. WBHM’s Sherrel Wheeler Stewart sat down for a conversation with her as she looks ahead to this new assignment.
Birmingham-Southern College Names New President
Birmingham-Southern College announced Wednesday Edward Leonard will become the school’s next president. He comes to BSC after eight years as president of Bethany College in Kansas. Leonard takes over from General Charles Krulak who is retiring after four years on the job. Krulak helped lead BSC through a major fiscal crisis that brought budget cuts and layoffs. Leonard spoke with WBHM’s Andrew Yeager and says he’s been familiar with Birmingham-Southern for decades.
Bilingual Ed in the South: Enormous Economic Consequences
Students who don’t speak English as their first language – or “language minorities” – rank toward the bottom in almost every measure of academic achievement. Moral and legal concerns aside, even if their population were to stop rising, the situation signifies a looming hit to the national and regional economies. This week we’ve been exploring […]
Bilingual Ed in the South: The Hurdles
Students who don’t speak English as their first language, or “language minorities,” are some of the most socially and economically disadvantaged in our nation and in the South. So far in our series we’ve looked at two dual-language schools (a more common description since the phrase “bilingual schools” became politically loaded). Now, WBHM’s Dan Carsen […]
Bilingual Ed in the South: Another School Across the Border (in GA)
As public schools become more linguistically diverse, some see bilingual or “dual-language” programs as a way to improve education for all – English speakers too. Yesterday we checked out an innovative dual-language school in a low-income Georgia neighborhood just outside Atlanta. Today we’ll visit a program 50 miles to the northeast, where staff combine the […]
Bilingual Ed in the South: It’s Happening, Even at This School
The number of Latinos in America’s schools is rising faster than any other group’s. And their share of the school population is rising fastest in the South. Many don’t speak English as their first language, making them “language-minorities.” And the question of how best to educate them is becoming crucial in places with relatively little […]
Accountability or Politics at the Statehouse and Connections in High Places at UAB
State lawmakers like to talk about accountability and keeping tabs on the taxpayers’ money. But keeping tabs on money can also be a tool of politics and influence. Two key members of the Alabama House have introduced a bill that Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald says even though it’s ostensibly about accountability, politics is not far behind. He also talks about a position at UAB created last fall for a friend of Senior Vice President Shirley Salloway Kahn -- a position that pays $28,000 a month.
Preventing Addiction In Schools
In Part One of WBHM's five-part series, we heard about how and why heroin use is on the rise in Alabama. Now in Part Two, education reporter Dan Carsen looks at how some young people are trying to slow its spread in their schools. The story starts with a confession in a small office just outside downtown Birmingham.
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.
