Schools
Several School Systems Closing Due to Flu Outbreak
The flu outbreak is forcing several school systems in the northern part of the state to close for a few days. This comes as high absences are reported in schools across […]
Roland Martin: ‘Is School Choice The Black Choice?’
Two years ago, Alabama passed a law authorizing charter schools to operate in the state but the concept has been slow to catch on. Alabama has only one charter school so far in Mobile and the state earlier this year approved a second to open in Birmingham. These schools are meant to offer access to better quality public education but many black families have been resistant to the idea. Washington based television host Roland Martin is trying to change that.
Chris Woods Makes Second Run For Mayor of Birmingham
He is a child of the civil rights movement and came of age as his father and uncle battled racial injustice. But Woods, now running to unseat Birmingham Mayor William Bell, has had different struggles that have shaped his own vision for the city. Woods sat down with our Sherrel Wheeler Stewart.
Gardendale School Appeals May Delay Pullout from Jefferson County
The City of Gardendale is expected to take control of the two elementary schools in its city limits on June 1, one of the first steps in pulling away from the Jefferson County School system. But two court filings this week may delay that move.
Birmingham Hires New School Superintendent
Birmingham City Schools have a new leader. The school board voted last night to hire Lisa Herring of Louisville, Kentucky, following days of controversy after no candidates from Birmingham or Alabama were named finalists for the job.
Jefferson County Voters Approve Tax Renewal For 12 School Systems
Voters approved the renewal of property taxes supporting all 12 school systems in Jefferson County in a Tuesday election. While only 6 percent of voters went to the polls, education […]
Talladega College President Addressing Republican Leaders At HBCU Meeting
Hawkins has returned to D.C. this week to talk about improving funding for black colleges, an issue he discussed following his January trip.
Al Sharpton Challenges Adults To Support Wenonah Students
“You are not responsible for how you was born or who your parents were,” he said, “but you are responsible for what you do with the rest of your life," Rev. Al Sharpton.
Achievement, Graduation Rates Top State Superintendent’s Agenda
"There are certain schools, there are certain programs in this state that are as good as you’re going to find in the United States of America. We don’t have enough of them." Michael Sentance.
Gardendale School System Hearings End, Federal Judge Weighs Decision On Independent System
Federal Judge Madeline Haikala is considering whether Gardendale can pull out of the Jefferson County system & start its own without violating civil rights.
Alabama High School Grad Rates Inflated, Superintendent Says
“This is a black eye for the department and it makes the education system here look bad, and in some ways undeservedly so.”
Serious Tailgaters Prepare Days Ahead Of Birmingham Football Rivalry Game
Heard on Weekend Edition Saturday SHERREL STEWART In Birmingham, tens of thousands of football fans will watch Alabama A&M face Alabama State in the Magic City Classic, a big game […]
Birmingham Schools Host Charter School Forums
Alabama may very well have its first-ever charter schools next year. The approval process, which has already hit snags in other parts of the state, will go either through a state commission or through local school boards that have elected to become authorizers. Birmingham City Schools is one of just two authorizers in the state, and last night, school leaders held a meeting to explain what that means.
CIA Director Visits Birmingham City School Students
Today Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan spoke to dignitaries and more than 50 high school students at Birmingham City Schools’ Central Office. His main goal was to get Birmingham […]
Alabama’s “Back to School” Sales Tax Holiday is this Weekend
Alabama’s annual “back to school” sales tax holiday starts on Friday. That’s when the state waves its 4-percent sales tax on school related items. Many counties and cities drop their sales taxes too. It represents a chance for parents to save but it's also a big weekend stores.
Woodlawn Runner Jayla Kirkland Goes Against the World’s Best In Poland
Jayla’s time of 23.11 in the 200 meters captured first place last month at the prestigious New Balance Nationals Outdoor competition. In that same competition, she placed third in the 100 meter race.
WBHM’s “On The Line” Talk Show Tackles Uneven Birmingham Revival
Walk around downtown Birmingham and there’s an energy you wouldn’t have felt a few years ago. Residents are moving to new lofts and apartments. Restaurants and retailers are opening. People do yoga at Railroad Park or take in a ballgame at Region’s Field. They’re visible signs of a Birmingham revival. But that revival is uneven. Talk to some in neighborhoods away from Downtown and they’ll say "revival" doesn’t mean much to them. No fancy lofts, just abandoned homes and potholed roads that never seem to be fixed. And all this takes place against the backdrop of Birmingham’s racial history, with investment, by-and-large, coming from whites in a city that’s been majority black for a generation.
Birmingham Revitalization: The View from a City School
You could call schools the glue of a community. They're starting points for friendships and networks, and they affect property values and economic development. For our series on revitalization in Birmingham, WBHM's Dan Carsen returns to a redeveloping neighborhood to see how that's playing out in the local school.
Legal Expert Talking School Resegregation and More
“Anybody who is concerned about the quality of education our students are receiving in schools should be concerned. Well documented research shows that when schools lack diverse student bodies and when they are segregated, they are less able to provide the full range of benefits that a K 12 education ought to include.”
Parker High School, Family And Community Helped Propel Top Scientist Dr. Willie May
“Obviously growing up in Birmingham, Alabama in the late 50s and 60s there were barriers, but fortunately I had lots of folks who invested a lot in me and I owed it to them not to allow those barriers to deter me.”
Education Superintendent Tommy Bice Ends 39-Year Public Education Career
Bice isn’t leaving the education field. He’s the new education director for Birmingham based Goodrich Foundation.
Hoover Schools Unveil New Zoning Plan, Schedule Meetings For Parent Feedback
Parents will have an opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed plan at four smaller meetings throughout the district this month.
Birmingham City Schools Enrollment Shows Slight Increase For First Time In Decades
Something happened in Birmingham schools this year, that hasn’t happened in more than three decades – the system didn’t have a drop in enrollment.
Trisha Powell Crain Talks Money, Politics, and More in Alabama Education
There's never a shortage of stories coming from Alabama's schools. But before WBHM's and the Southern Education Desk's "Issues and Ales" education forum Thursday evening, we wanted to shed as much light as possible on the big picture behind the headlines. For better or worse, that backdrop always includes money and therefore politics. So our education reporter Dan Carsen sat down with Alabama School Connection founder and BirminghamWatch contributor Trisha Powell Crain to talk about that and more.
Dr. Tondra Loder-Jackson, Discusses Impact of Civil Rights On Education
In advance of the WBHM/Southern Education Desk Issues and Ales forum on the future of Education in Alabama, Dr. Loder-Jackson discussed her research on civil rights in Birmingham schools.
Former Football Players Discuss Rule Changes and Concussions
At WBHM’s Issues and Ales: Concussions and the Price of Playing Football, Bobby Humphrey, former running back for the University of Alabama, the Denver Broncos, and the Miami Dolphins; and Reginald […]
Birmingham City Schools Released From State Takeover
State Board commends school system for improvements in finances and governance
James Hanks, a Dropout “Recovered”
The U.S. Secretary of Education recently recognized Alabama for having one of the nation’s steepest increases in high school graduation rates. Birmingham City Schools’ rate increased even more – up roughly 23 […]
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.
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.
A Closer Look at Alabama’s New Diploma
In 2013, State Superintendent Tommy Bice introduced several new programs to Alabama's schools as part of his 2020 Plan. One important part of the plan is the new Alabama High School diploma, which will impact this year's freshmen class. While some school officials are excited about the new diploma, others have concerns.
Birmingham Schools: Takeover To Today, Part 1
The state education department's intervention team is now monitoring Birmingham City Schools from afar, a year and a half after it first took control of the school system. The district had been facing major challenges, including a board so dysfunctional it made national news. But that's only part of the picture. In this first of a three-part series, WBHM's Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen delves into the complex and often painful situation leading to state intervention.
