Please Help Us Keep Education News Coming!

Public education is at a crossroads in Alabama. The tug of war over what needs to change, how it changes, and who directs that change is real.

Charter schools, tax-credit scholarships, and other forms of school choice have already changed the landscape of our education system forever.

Everything from standards to tests to digital technology to leadership is on the table.

How do you stay informed and stay ahead of the changes? By reading it all on the Alabama School Connection.

As Alabama’s only source of independent news entirely focused on education, we work to give our community the information needed to have the conversations and be in on the discussion to strengthen education for all children in Alabama.

We publish and share information about what’s happening in education in a way no other news outlets do. We cover education continuously, keeping the news in front of you and offering ways to engage in the conversation we know is so important to families in Alabama.

Now we need your help.

Asking for financial support isn’t our strong suit. Instead, we’d rather spend our time tracking and reporting on the education news you need to know.

And we believe we’ve tracked and reported the news that matters very well, particularly in recent months.

We were the first to break the story of the changes to teacher evaluations proposed by a state lawmaker. More than 30,000 people viewed that article (which has been read nearly 70,000 times!). Over the following months, conversation began, and educators and administrators worked to make changes. Ultimately the bill was shelved by the sponsor.

Without our coverage and explanation of what that change meant for teachers and schools, that widespread conversation might never have begun.

Last spring, changes were proposed to regulations impacting families of children with special needs. We broke that news, too, and covered it in a way no other news outlet did. Ultimately after months of discussion and change, the most controversial part of those regulations was removed. (That story isn’t over, and we’re still following it.)

Without our explanation and continued coverage of those changes, those conversations might never have happened among those most affected by the changes.

While we freely share content with readers and other news outlets simply to spread the news of what’s happening in education in Alabama, we need your help.

As a nonprofit news organization, we rely completely on the support of our readers. Without your financial support, realizing the vision we have for our future is hard.

And what a future we have planned: more events, more useful data tools, and more coverage of the news that is important to those who care about education in Alabama.

We continue to build collaborative partnerships with media organizations like public radio station WBHM, nonprofit news organization Birmingham Watch and weekly newspaper Weld for Birmingham, all in the spirit of spreading education news far and wide.

Our articles were viewed nearly half a million times in 2015 by more than 120,000 interested readers.

If every one of our readers made a contribution, we could expand our newsroom to include more journalists and more tools to help you understand what’s happening. We could plan statewide events to expand the conversation to communities across Alabama and connect those who make decisions with those who are impacted by them.

We need you to make a donation of $25, $50, $100, or more. All who donate $50 or more in a calendar year are listed on our Supporters page.

While we rely on donors for support, none of our supporters have any say in what we cover or how we cover it.

We are proud to know our supporters and readers run the spectrum of political thought. That wide range of support illustrates the trust our readers have in us to continue to provide nonpartisan coverage.

[For more information about the Alabama School Connection’s business side, you’ll find all documents here.]

Please help. Donate in a few clicks online. You can make a one-time, monthly, or annual donation, and all donations are fully tax-deductible.

By supporting us, you’ll ensure we continue to deliver nonpartisan news and data to allow you to engage in the conversation and stay ahead of changes in education in Alabama.

Please help us continue to make K-12 education a part of everyday conversations in Alabama. Donate today.