Teachers
The teacher shortages are real, but not for the reason you heard
The U.S. education secretary has called for investment to keep teachers from quitting. A teachers union leader has described it as a five-alarm emergency. In reality, there is little evidence to suggest teacher turnover has increased nationwide or educators are leaving in droves.
Birmingham teachers stage sickout due to COVID frustrations
Some Birmingham City Schools employees staged a sickout this week to bring attention to their concerns with how COVID-19 is being dealt with in their schools.
Birmingham Teachers Welcome Students Back To School Amid COVID Surge
School starts Monday in the Birmingham City Schools. Classes are in person but with COVID protocols in place.
Educators Mixed on Governor’s Push For In-Person Learning
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said the longer schools are disrupted, the more likely kids will suffer academically.
Jefferson County Board Of Education Unanimously Approves ‘School Roadmap’
Parents can choose between traditional in-person classes, remote learning with Jefferson County teachers, or virtual learning with outsourced teachers.
Support for Gas Tax Increase Uncertain Among State Lawmakers
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey’s State of the State address Tuesday was typical. But shortly after finishing her speech, she issued a call for a special session around her proposed increase to the state's gasoline tax. That special session starts Wednesday morning.
Behind Teacher Shortage: Fewer New Educators Graduating From Alabama Schools
The number of new teachers coming out of education colleges and programs in Alabama fell by about 40 percent comparing 2010-2011 and 2015-2016, according to the latest available federal data. The decrease could be worse nearly three years later.
Alabama’s Teacher Shortages Reach ‘Crisis’ Level
Alabama’s teacher shortages are reaching crisis level, education leaders say.
Lawmaker Proposes Bill to Arm Teachers
This school shooting in Parkland, Florida this week that left 17 people dead took center stage for Alabama lawmakers. On Thursday, Republican state Representative Will Ainsworth announced plans to introduce legislation that would allow teachers to carry firearms during school hours. The law would require training.
Bill Would Help Teachers Prevent Teen Suicide
In Alabama, suicide is the second leading cause of death in youth ages 12 to 16. A bill passed by the state legislature that could be signed by the governor would help teachers better prevent these suicides.
Ala. Legislature Passes Ed Budget, Teacher Pay Raise
The Alabama state legislature today approved an education budget and a teacher pay raise. Conference committees approved the measures Thursday afternoon and Governor Robert Bentley has indicated his support. Assuming he signs the legislation, teachers and other educators making less than $75,000 per year, plus all principals and assistant principals, will get a four percent raise in fiscal […]
Grading Teachers on Student Test Scores? Trisha Crain on “PREP Act”
Should educators be evaluated partly on student test scores? Should it take five years rather than three for teachers to get tenure? If State Senate Pro Tem Del Marsh’s “Preparing and Rewarding Educational Professionals (PREP) Act” becomes law, those changes and more are coming to Alabama’s schools. So WBHM’s Dan Carsen talks with Alabama School […]
Phil Hammonds on Bold Goals for Alabama Education’s Future
In advance of WBHM's and the Southern Education Desk's "Issues and Ales" education forum this evening, former Jefferson County School Superintendent Phil Hammonds joined WBHM’s Rachel Osier Lindley to talk about his prescriptions for improving Alabama’s schools and what Bold Goals Education aims to do.
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.
Commentary: How Politicians Send The Wrong Message To Alabama’s Teachers
Education is a hot topic for politicians in Alabama. This year we saw intense debates in the Legislature around Alabama's College & Career Ready Standards and the state's education budget, including pay raises for teachers. Commentator and rural education advocate Larry Lee thinks all the political rhetoric sends the wrong message to Alabama teachers. In this commentary, he says it can hurt morale, and even drive qualified educators out of state.
INTERVIEW: Arnold Shober On The Importance Of School Board Leadership
Across the country, school boards have been losing power to state and federal authorities, and some experts see local boards as increasingly ineffective. But last month, an education policy think tank released a national report on the influence of school board leadership. According to the Fordham Institute, local boards really do impact student achievement. Given recent events in Birmingham City Schools and other area systems, WBHM's education reporter Dan Carsen caught up with co-author Arnold Shober, who says the overall vision of a school board is key, as is the way members are elected.
Commentary: What Do Alabama Teachers and School Administrators Think of Common Core?
There's a heated debate in the Alabama legislature, and beyond, about Common Core. It's a set of educational standards used in 45 states, including Alabama, which uses its own slightly modified version. Just last week, Republican Senator Scott Beason of Gardendale said he's working on legislation that would let school systems opt out of Common Core. The state school board originally adopted the standards in 2010. Commentator Larry Lee was curious about the debate, so he went and talked to some people working with the standards -- teachers and school administrators.
