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//Trisha Powell Crain

State Board of Education Work Session Notes – May 24, 2012

Here are notes from the Alabama State Board of Education’s work session on Thursday, May 24, 2012. A number of subjects were discussed including the newly-released four-year cohort graduation rate (the percentage of students who graduated four years after entering the ninth...
Posted On May 24 2012
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What Are Teachers Supposed to Be Doing in Our Classrooms?

UPDATE:  Here is the most current EDUCATEAlabama document, including all standards and accompanying rubric. There were changes to the numbering of the indicators, and slight changes to wording. Now is the time that many of Alabama’s children’s teachers are getting...
Posted On May 23 2012
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One More Day in the Legislative Session

One more day in the legislative session. Last week, the legislature managed to pass the ETF budget (which awaits the Governor’s signature).  It also managed to enact HB308, which provides for sports and local boards of education to develop policy regarding concussions.  It...
Posted On May 15 2012
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School Grading System Awaiting Governor’s Signature

HB588 has now passed both the House and the Senate.  It mandates the development of a grading system that uses A, B, C, D, and F to share with the school community how a school is performing on various measures.  It specifies that the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE)...
Posted On May 10 2012
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How Much Do We Really Spend on K-12 Education – Part 2

This series aims to give you the basics of how Alabama funds its schools.  It’s up to you to read it, ask questions, and do whatever you need to do to better understand how we currently fund schools. By the time you finish reading Part 2, you will learn a few more things...
Posted On May 09 2012
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New Analysis of Education Options Act of 2012

This bill has morphed into something fairly different in the Senate version from when it was originally introduced.  The House version is on the House calendar, but has yet to be considered by the full House. The Education Options Act of 2012 Analysis page now contains only a...
Posted On May 07 2012
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Four Days Left in the Legislative Session

Another week almost gone.  There are four days left in the legislative session.  So what got done legislatively this week in the world of K-12 education? Sixteen bills saw movement.  Two were enacted, a few more waiting on the Governor’s signature, other made progress...
Posted On May 04 2012
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Alabama Senate Passes Charter Schools Bill

The Senate passed a substitute version of SB513 with an amendment, and it now sits in the House for passage.  Here is the link to the Substituted bill.  Here is a link to the Ross Amendment.  
Posted On May 03 2012
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How Much Money Do We Really Spend on K-12 Education in Alabama?

In order to understand how Alabama funds K-12 education, it helps to have a basic understanding of budgeting “language” when you look at the budget.  By the time you finish reading this, you will have a better understanding of the following: What a fiscal year is....
Posted On May 02 2012
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Seven Days Left in the Regular Session – What Has Gotten Done?

With seven days left in the 2012 regular session, where do all these bills that we’ve been following stand?
Posted On Apr 28 2012
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Accountability and Assessment System Unveiled

State Superintendent Dr. Tommy Bice and the Assessment and Accountability Task Force unveiled their recommendations to the state board of education at their work session on Thursday, April 26. The recommendations are nearly a complete overhaul of Alabama’s current...
Posted On Apr 27 2012
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HB657 – Seniority No Longer Considered in Teacher Layoffs?

Seniority has long been a determining factor when Alabama’s school districts must contend with reducing staffing because of shrinking budgets.  Reduction-in-force (RIF) declarations allow school districts to lay off employees when their budgets shrink without violating...
Posted On Apr 25 2012
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Senate Version of the Education Options Act of 2012

The Senate version of the Education Options Act of 2012 has now been added to the Education Options Act of 2012 Analysis page.  Items particular to SB513 are indicated in red in the analysis.  It is similar to HB650, with the following exceptions: In schools seeking innovation...
Posted On Apr 21 2012
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Flexible School Calendar Act of 2012

[UPDATED April 21 to reflect favorable report from Senate committee, with amendment] Two bills, identical when introduced, propose to mandate certain parameters of the K-12 school calendar.  These bills, HB360 and SB517, propose to do two things: (1) Allow for flexibility for...
Posted On Apr 19 2012
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Reorganization of the Alabama State Department of Education

Here is the new organizational chart of the Alabama State Department of Education.  UPDATE:  October 6, 2012:  This is the Organizational Chart for the ALSDE, dated May 7, 2012.  Just found it on their web site and wanted to share it with you. State Superintendent Dr. Tommy Bice...
Posted On Apr 18 2012
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The Superintendent and the Board – A Cautionary Tale

While the focus and scope of the Alabama School Connection remains at the state level, a story developing in Birmingham should prove to be a cautionary tale for many school systems in Alabama and beyond.  A tale in the spirit of the Brothers Grimm, that is.  Sadly, there are...
Posted On Apr 12 2012
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Alabama State Board of Education’s Resolution to Investigate Birmingham City Schools’ Board of Education

The State Board of Education passed a resolution calling for an investigation into the governance of the board of Birmingham City School system at its regular meeting on April 12, 2012. Video of the discussion and the resolution is available here.  
Posted On Apr 12 2012
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Video of the Birmingham Board of Education Meeting – April 10, 2012

Because what is happening in Birmingham City Schools serves as a lesson for many, video is being shared from Tuesday’s Birmingham Board of Education meeting that resulted in the State Board of Education passing a resolution at their Regular Board Meeting this morning, April...
Posted On Apr 12 2012
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The Education Options Act of 2012 Is Now HB650

Because HB541 passed as a substitute with a number of amendments, HB650 has been introduced. HB650  replicates the bill that was passed by the House Ways and Means Education committee on April 5, amendments and all. HB650 has been placed on the committee meeting list for Tuesday,...
Posted On Apr 09 2012
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HB585 and HB588 – Performance Bonuses and Grading System

These two bills call for (1) the creation of a performance grading system to be developed by the State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Tommy Bice and (2) the disbursal of bonuses to schools and districts under a newly-created Legislative School Performance Recognition Program....
Posted On Apr 06 2012
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Substitute for Charter Schools Bill Receives Favorable Report from Committee

The House Ways and Means Education Committee gave a favorable report to the substitute for HB541, the Charter Schools bill, this morning. Here is the full substitute bill offered to the House Ways and Means Education Committee on April 4, 2012. Here is the...
Posted On Apr 05 2012
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Audio of April 4 House Ways and Means Education Committee

Click here to go to the post where the full audio from today’s House Ways and Means Education Committee is posted.  (You can always just click the “Tales from the Meeting” link in the menu bar to find notes from meetings.)  More comments from Dr. Bice today...
Posted On Apr 04 2012
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HB541 Committee Meeting – April 3, 2012

Click the player below to listen to the full proceedings of today’s meeting.   The meeting lasted nearly 2 hours.  The first 23 minutes of the meeting was about HB603, a bill to aid PACT participants in achieving a settlement with the PACT Board. The discussion about the...
Posted On Apr 03 2012
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School Board Governance Improvement Act of 2012

HB431 and SB361 aim to improve school board governance in Alabama.  That’s edu-speak for improving school board members’ knowledge base and thus their service to our school community. A school board that knows what it’s there for and stays focused on student...
Posted On Mar 29 2012
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State Board Work Session Notes from Last Thursday

Click here to read notes from the State Board of Education Work Session on Thursday, March 22. There is a lot going on at the state level, friends. The board had an impromptu discussion about charter schools before beginning work on the agenda. Worth a read.
Posted On Mar 25 2012
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