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Special Education Conference for Families & Educators June 3

Three hot topics in special education will be discussed at the fifth annual Raising the Standards half-day conference, hosted by the Alabama Parent Training and Information (AL PTI) Center. The conference will be held in three locations simultaneously to allow for statewide...
Posted On May 17 2016
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Following the Money in State Lawmaking

Some say money buys influence. If there’s any truth to that, then it’s worth knowing who is buying how much influence over whom. Particularly when it comes to our state-level elected officials. As the 2016 Regular Session draws to a close, we continue to track nearly...
Posted On Apr 24 2016
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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...
Posted On Apr 21 2016
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Alabama Teachers! We Want to Hear from You!

Teachers are the most important factor in student learning in the classroom. Research has been clear. Research also shows that factors outside the classroom can impede and interfere with that learning. Those factors are typically outside of a teacher’s control. With Sen....
Posted On Mar 12 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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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 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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We’re Neighborly, But Not So Good at Solving Our Community’s Problems

Alabama ranked highly in neighborliness, but dead last when it comes to working with each other to solve our community’s problems, according to the 2015 Alabama Civic Health Index (ACHI), compiled and designed to measure indicators of our community’s civic health....
Posted On Nov 23 2015
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Please Support the Alabama School Connection – We Need You!

Today marks the beginning of something we’ve never done before: a fundraising drive. If you read the news we share, if what we do is meaningful to you and your community, please consider donating to the Alabama School Connection. The Alabama education environment is...
Posted On Nov 11 2015
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Bold Goals Coalition Connects Schools and Community Groups

Superintendents from 15 school districts in Jefferson, Walker, Blount, St. Clair and Walker counties attended a recent meeting of the Bold Goals Coalition for Central Alabama held in Birmingham. The Coalition works in three areas, Health, Education and Financial Stability, to...
Posted On Oct 11 2015
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Who Represents Your School District? You Oughta Know

State legislators are already talking about actions that might affect public education they plan to put on the table in the 2016 Regular Session, which begins February 2, 2016. State legislators have repeatedly said they really appreciate hearing from the folks back home when it...
Posted On Oct 04 2015
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Massive Inequity in Local School Funding, Illustrated

Opportunities available to children in Alabama’s K-12 public schools ultimately determine the haves and have-nots. While the state legislature is charged with funding K-12 schools equitably and adequately, we now know that is not the case. Without state dollars, districts...
Posted On Sep 22 2015
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Here’s How to Find What’s Happening in the Legislature

The Alabama legislature’s online web site, known as ALISON, got a facelift early in 2015. Here’s a brief video on how to find stuff on that web site. Here’s the direct web address: http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/alison/alisonlogin.aspx.
Posted On Sep 14 2015
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Alabama Parent Education Center Wins Federal Grant to Continue Serving Families

The Alabama Parent Education Center (APEC) has won a five-year federal grant to continue operating as Alabama’s Parent Training and Information Center, or AL PTI as they are commonly known. PTI staff help families of children with special needs navigate their child’s...
Posted On Aug 10 2015
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“Protect the Education Trust Fund”

The Hoover Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution at tonight’s board meeting, opposing any efforts the legislature might make to move money from the Education Trust Fund (ETF) to the General Fund or to unify the state’s two budgets. The resolution, read...
Posted On Aug 03 2015
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Education Matters – Let’s Meetup!

Ever heard of Meetups? The Meetup platform is a way for those folks who have a common interest to find each other and to communicate with each other. I figure that everyone who reads the Alabama School Connection has some sort of interest in education. So I created a Meetup...
Posted On May 25 2015
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Special Education Due Process Changes Shelved…for Now

Parents and families of children receiving special education services are elated that Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) officials have shelved their plans to change the way due process complaints are filed. While special education attorneys were first to raise the...
Posted On May 25 2015
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Alabama School Connection Earns Federal Tax-Exempt Status!

Yep. It happened. I found the letter on my kitchen table when I returned from the Education Writers Association conference last month. The letter was from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS granted the Alabama School Connection (ASC) federal tax-exempt status! HOORAY!...
Posted On May 19 2015
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Parents and Advocates Push Back Against Proposed Special Education Changes

Special education advocates are pushing back against the Alabama State Department of Education’s (ALSDE) proposed changes to the special education complaint process. In early April, a draft of the proposed changes circulated among parents and special education advocates,...
Posted On Apr 16 2015
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LIVE Storify from the Alabama House Public Charter School Bill Hearing – March 18, 2015

Not everyone is on Twitter, but Twitter is where it’s happening today. If you can’t tune in live, and you’re not on Twitter, check out the Storify below. Newest Tweets at the top, but you have to refresh to see new Tweets. [View the story “Alabama House...
Posted On Mar 18 2015
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Legislative Update, March 12 – Midnight

Wow. What a day. Check out the full table for where all bills stand as of midnight on March 12. Not only were key education bills discussed, but new bills have shown up of which you should be aware. What Happened Today Senate Education and Youth Affairs Committee: Gave a...
Posted On Mar 12 2015
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Questioning Education Reform in Alabama

Two of Alabama’s most outspoken advocates for public education, Jefferson County Superintendent Craig Pouncey and Larry Lee, shared their concerns about current education reform efforts in Alabama at the Tuesday night meeting of the Over the Mountain Democrats. Pouncey and...
Posted On Feb 25 2015
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Coming Soon: The 2015 Legislative Session

The 2015 regular session of the Alabama legislature begins on March 3. If this year is anything like the last few years in the legislature, education reform bills will fly fast and furiously through the halls of the statehouse. So it’s time to get those tables up so you can...
Posted On Feb 19 2015
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Talking About Education in Alabama: A Conference for Education Information Professionals

On Friday, January 30, the Alabama School Connection is hosting a conference for education information professionals. Who is an education information professional? Any member of any media who regularly reports on education and any school public information officer, who quite...
Posted On Jan 30 2015
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The Alabama Pupil Placement Law: Circa 1955

Every now and then, while doing research, a discovery is made that bears exposure. This is one of those discoveries. For those who doubt the resolve of the elected members of the Alabama legislature (all Democrats at the time, remember) to keep our schools segregated after the...
Posted On Jan 14 2015
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Past Editions of K-12 Must-Read News

August 29 to September 25, 2016
July 25 to August 28, 2016
June 24 to July 24, 2016
May 23 to June 23, 2016
May 2 to May 22, 2016
April 18 to May 1, 2016
March 16 to April 17, 2016
February 23 to March 15, 2016
February 1 to February 22, 2016
January 11 to January 31, 2016
December 21, 2015, thru January 10, 2016
November 30 thru December 20
November 11 thru November 30
October 21 thru November 10
October 6 thru October 20
September 14 thru October 5
August 24 thru September 13
August 3 thru August 23
July 16 thru August 2
June 18 thru July 13
May 19 thru June 17, 2015
May 18, 2015
April 27, 2015
March 30, 2015
March 11, 2015
February 2, 2015
January 5, 2015
December 16, 2014

All past editions available on Storify at https://storify.com/ALSchoolConnect

This website is intended for informational purposes only. The ASC is a nonprofit news organization and exists only to keep the public informed of issues as they relate to the K-12 education system in Alabama. In the event you feel an error has been made, please contact us immediately at the e-mail link below. The ASC does not maintain offices nor a working telephone number dedicated for the organization. Links are provided as a courtesy, not as an endorsement.