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The House Committee’s Version of the Education Budget

The Alabama House Ways and Means Education committee gave a favorable report to its version of the Education Trust Fund budget yesterday. It approved a package of bills, including the actual budget, a pay raise bill, and additional ordinary appropriation bills. Lots of news folks...
Posted On Mar 03 2016
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State Board of Education Primary Election Results

Two current state board of education members won their primaries, and two are headed to runoffs. Long-time board members Stephanie Bell (R-District 3) and Ella Bell (D-District 5) defeated their primary challengers. Stephanie Bell, first elected to the board in 1995, faces a...
Posted On Mar 03 2016
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Teacher Effectiveness Ratings Coming Soon? The PREP Act

The long-awaited teacher evaluation overhaul bill was filed by Sen. Del Marsh (R-Anniston) on Tuesday. Called the PREP Act (“Preparing and Rewarding Educational Professionals”), it changes everything about the way Alabama’s 43,000 K-12 classroom teachers,...
Posted On Mar 02 2016
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MAP: The “Failing” Public Schools & the AAA-Participating Schools

According to Alabama’s lawmakers, they created the Alabama Accountability Act (AAA) to allow parents to choose better educational options for their children. Getting a look at what choices there are, looking at where the non-public schools participating in the AAA’s...
Posted On Feb 25 2016
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State Board of Education Candidates Respond to Our Questions

Next Tuesday, March 1, in the primary elections, Alabamians in four state board of education districts will choose who they believe will better serve the children of Alabama. Four-year terms for state board of education districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 are on the ballot. Each of the four...
Posted On Feb 25 2016
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The Difference in What the Ed Department Wanted and What the Governor Recommended

Budgets indicate…and reveal…priorities. Each year, the Alabama Legislative Fiscal Office (LFO) publishes a spreadsheet of the Education Trust Fund (ETF) budget as it makes its way through the legislature, starting with the Governor’s recommended budget. [Yes,...
Posted On Feb 22 2016
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Education Savings Accounts: Parental Choice or Cost Savings for Public Schools?

Nearly 90,000 K-12 Alabama public school students will become eligible for Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) under HB84, which education reform groups say is about giving parents choice, but some House committee members said might help school districts save money on the high cost...
Posted On Feb 15 2016
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45 Education-Related Bills on the Radar

Week Three of the Regular Session has begun, and there are 45 education-related bills (and resolutions) on the radar. Check out the table here (also linked above in the main menu as “2016 Legislative Session“). No fewer than four separate bills have been filed to give...
Posted On Feb 14 2016
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Legislative Committees and Education-Related Bills – Wednesday, February 10

Legislative committees will be busy discussing education-related bills on Wednesday. Here’s the schedule, click the link to read the bill: 8:30 a.m., Room 727 – Senate Education and Youth Affairs Committee – Audio available at this link SB60 – Repeal of...
Posted On Feb 09 2016
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Hartselle Superintendent Talks Local Control in U.S. Congressional Hearing Wednesday

Hartselle City Schools Superintendent Dr. Paul “Vic” Wilson will be the only school district superintendent in the country with a seat at the table to talk with a Congressional subcommittee about the importance of local control under the Every Student Succeeds Act...
Posted On Feb 09 2016
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A Busy Week in Education Policy News

It has been a busy week (or two) in education policy, folks. From movement on the charter school front, to budget presentations, to new bills poised to change the landscape of public education (again), there’s a lot to keep up with. And oh yeah, the Alabama Legislature...
Posted On Feb 07 2016
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The Third Draft of the RAISE Act

UPDATE: On the evening of April 12, Sen. Marsh said he is shelving the PREP Act for this session.  The third draft of the RAISE Act, dated January 28, was recently published by the Montgomery Advertiser. The actual bill has not been filed yet, but here’s what’s...
Posted On Feb 06 2016
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Alabama’s High School Graduation Rates

Alabama’s meteoric increase in high school graduation rates, from 72% in 2011 to 89% in 2015, has some folks questioning those numbers. Governor Robert Bentley praised that increase in Alabama’s public school graduation rates in his State of the State speech Tuesday...
Posted On Feb 04 2016
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How Alabamians Feel About Public Education

How do Alabamians feel about public education? Depends on which question you ask, it seems. The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) has released the results of their annual public survey last week. Topics include taxes and public education and public priorities....
Posted On Feb 01 2016
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The 2016 Regular Session Starts Tuesday, February 2

The 2016 Regular session starts Tuesday, February 2. State legislators will have 30 calendar days (within 105 total days, or somewhere in mid-May) to complete the people’s business. If you want to keep up with legislation being considered by your elected state lawmakers,...
Posted On Jan 31 2016
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Do Your Kids Need Cash for College?

Do your kids need cash for college? Are your kids completing the free application for federal student aid, a.k.a. the FAFSA? There are folks here in Alabama that can help. [Check out the link for the basics about federal student aid, including a glossary of terms.] Kristina...
Posted On Jan 31 2016
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Has Your State Legislator Visited a Classroom This Week?

Alabama Teacher of the Year Jennifer Brown sent out a message through Twitter last Sunday afternoon encouraging teachers to invite legislators into their classrooms this week. Invite a legislator to your classroom this week. Educators are the only ones who can change this...
Posted On Jan 28 2016
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Spotlight on Education – Alabama Public Television

Alabama Public Television’s (APT) Don Dailey does a fabulous job sharing relevant information through the quarterly Spotlight on Education series. I was honored to be part of the discussion on the most recent episode, which aired January 21. State Superintendent Dr. Bice...
Posted On Jan 28 2016
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Graduation Rates for the Class of 2015 – Disaggregated

Every group of students graduated in higher percentages than the class of 2014, according to numbers released by the Alabama State Department of Education this morning. Here’s the spreadsheet from the ALSDE’s web site. The spreadsheet breaks down rates by subgroup and...
Posted On Jan 26 2016
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Controversial Special Education Change Scrapped by Alabama State Department of Education

The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) has scrapped the most controversial of their proposed special education due process changes which would have lowered the statute of limitations for filing a due process complaint from two years to one. As a result, parents will...
Posted On Jan 21 2016
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Updates and Deadlines for Participation: SEAP and ESSA

Two important updates and deadlines and participation about special education in Alabama: First, the Special Education Advisory Panel (SEAP) meeting is Wednesday, January 20 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The meeting is being held in Montgomery, but you can participate via WebEx by...
Posted On Jan 19 2016
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After Months of Discussions, Alex Will Return to School

After many months of difficult discussions, a resolution has been reached to allow 14-year-old Alex to return to his Limestone County high school—a development which delights his mother, Rene Hoover. “Alex is happy at school,” she said. “I want him to be happy.” It’s...
Posted On Jan 18 2016
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Wanna Weigh In on What’s Being Taught in Alabama’s Classrooms? Here’s Your Chance!

If you’ve ever wished someone would listen to you about what your child should be expected to learn at your neighborhood school….here’s your chance. You have until March 14th to weigh in. Each year since the state board of education adopted new math and English...
Posted On Jan 11 2016
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Alabama Superintendent Salaries for FY16

Found the FY16 Superintendent Salaries on the Alabama State Department of Education web site today. These salaries are published on a yearly basis. Superintendent salaries are paid with local tax money. Here are a few different ways to look at these salaries. Hover over a...
Posted On Jan 11 2016
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How Come Other States’ Students with Disabilities Do So Much Better on the NAEP?

Having heard lots of excuses justifications reasons for why students with disabilities score poorly on the Alabama-mandated ACT Aspire, it’s time now to look at the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to see how Alabama’s students with disabilities...
Posted On Jan 10 2016
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