Given all the confusion, discussion and frustration of the last few days about the state board of education’s decision to bring in a non-educator to head Alabama schools, we decided to survey reader reactions.
Information gathered will be extremely useful in gauging public awareness, concerns and potential steps that should be made on behalf of our public schools. Info will be shared with members of the state board, educators, lawmakers, media and other interested parties.
Our schools and the 740,000 students they teach each day are at a critical juncture. Political ambitions–not what is right for education–are driving too many decisions. The collective wisdom of professional, dedicated educators are dismissed in favor of promises for support from political action committees.
This survey is possible only through the support of my blog guru, Deb Geiger of Daphne; and longtime friend, Dr. Gerald Johnson, who ran the Capital Survey Research Center for many years. Many thanks to them.
And many thanks to you as well for taking 2-3 minutes to share your thoughts here.
This is not a good idea. Madison County brought in a non-educator & it’s been a disaster for teachers, parents and students. Teachers are leaving in droves.
That is what I understand. Will be discussing this situation soon.
Thank you for starting this initiative. I appreciate your leadership in advocating for public education in Alabama. I am optimistic that parents and teachers are ready to speak up about the quality of education in our state.
Cheers,
Juliet Easlick
Parent of a child in Birmingham City Schools
The survey asks about an advocacy group, but in some ways, that is part of the problem in my opinion. The advocacy group that pretends to support education, but in reality desires to line their pockets….
This would be an organization made up of anyone who wanted to advocate for public schools. Would not represent a certain segment as you allude to. There are a number of such activities in other states. None I know about in Alabama.
I have been heading up the United Opt Out Alabama for the past few years and have my own advocacy organization, SOS Support Our Students, here in Alabama. I am finally moving forward with my 501(c)3. (www.facebook.com/SupportOurStudents)
I greatly appreciate everything you do for the students of Alabama and I look forward to your new organization forming, I sincerely hope we can work together!
I am embarking on my first year as principal in a school of over 1,000 students coming from a much smaller school where I served as principal for 9 years and have 26 full years in education (spending 18 of those as a classroom teacher). What allows me to make this transition, which is still not simple, is that I have a great knowledge and experience base in education and have always taken part in all aspects. It is even much more helpful that all my experience is from the state of Alabama so absolutely everything is not brand new. There is no way someone could step in and be a principal of a school and do a good job coming from no education background.
Why do we think a state superintendent will be any different?
Thanks Amy. Well said.
The focus of the survey was about an advocacy group, but in some cases, I have identified one of the problems. that part of the problem in my opinion is that we continue to function on the good old boy system. Teachers are not treated equal. Minorities are not given the same opportunities as other groups. The advocacy group that pretends to support teachers is not true. They pretend to be a support group on the surface only. This is my opinion.