The Lesson From Washington County For Rural Alabama
If someone from the Midwest showed up at your door and asked to see "rural Alabama," an excellent choice would be to get out a map and show them how to get to Washington County. You see, this sprawling county of 1,000 square miles and less than 17,000 people fits...
read moreHeading West
From time to time I have mentioned my friend, Charlie Johnson of Fort Worth, TX and the group he started a few years ago, Pastors for Texas Children. This effort encourages churches to partner with local schools, as well as advocate for them. They now have more than...
read more“I Just Feel So Unnecessary”
Once again I show my age because the headline quote was a favorite of the country musician-comic known as Stringbean. Years ago he was a regular on the Grand Ole Opry and later on the TV show Hee Haw. His words definitely seem to fit the world of public schools we...
read moreOne Meeting. Two Reporters. Two Very Different Views Of What Happened.
At some point we've all played the parlor game when someone tells the person next to them something, then they tell the next and so on until the last person relates what they heard. Often we are amazed at what gets lost in the telling. I could not help but think of...
read moreAmazing. A Politician Who Honestly Gets What Education Is All About.
John Kennedy is the junior U.S. Senator from Louisiana. He was elected in 2016 after serving as State Treasurer since 2000. A native of Centreville, MS, an hour's drive north of Baton Rouge, he attended Vanderbilt, the University of Virginia law school and Oxford....
read moreAs I Expected, Charter Commission Gives Woodland Prep A One-Year Extension
I listened today for 120 minutes as the state charter school commission discussed the request by Woodland Prep in Washington County to open in the fall of 2020, instead of 2019. While I was hopeful common sense might prevail, in my heart of hearts I knew it would...
read moreThe Stories We All Love
Too often lost in all the ranting and raving about what goes on at the statehouse or the charter school commission or the state board of education are wonderful stories of what REALY COUNT when it comes to education. Stories that are uplifting and show the...
read moreFinally, State Superintendent Reverses Course And Weighs In On Washington County Charter Debacle
For months, state superintendent Eric Mackey has said that he has no jurisdiction over the state charter school commission. (However, as we have pointed out numerous times, the charter law of 2015 clearly says that "The department shall oversee the performance and...
read moreCatching Up With Richard Bryant
The phone rang at 10:15 p.m. Sunday night. My first reaction was, "Who in the world is calling at this time of night?" When I saw that the my cell phone screen said UNAVAILABLE I was really curious. I immediately thought there was no way this was good news. But I...
read moreAll Eyes Turn To State School Board
Because terms of five current members of the state charter school commission expired May 31 and because the final selection of who serves on this board belong to the state board of education, people across Alabama will be closely watching who they pick for these seats...
read moreHere Is Why No One Has Confidence In The Alabama Charter School Commission
Here is another example of the incompetence of the state charter school commission. The following notice is from state department of education web site. "The Alabama Public Charter School Commission will have a meeting on June 7, 2019, at 10 A.M. at the Gordon...
read moreHouse Joins Senate In Saying “No” To Elected School Board.
If there was ever any doubt that the state board of education has friends in the legislature, they were erased today when the House voted 78-21 for an appointed, instead of elected, state board. The Senate had voted earlier 30-0 on the same legislation. For this...
read moreApparently Charter Commission Chairman Needs To Read The Law
WALA television in Mobile did a story about the Washington County charter school chaos May 29. They did a fine job in giving both sides of the story. (Though the achievement numbers presented by Woodland Prep supporters were out of date.) You can see it here. What...
read moreA Celebration Of Perseverance
Even though it was a Monday afternoon, the sanctuary of Freewill Missionary Baptist Church in west Montgomery was full. There were mamas and daddies and brothers and sisters and friends--and 12 teenagers in the first two rows in cap and gown. It was not an arena...
read moreDoes Soner Tarim Read His Own Words?
Last week, Soner Traim, spoke to the Texas version of the Alabama charter school commission, seeking approval of eight new charter schools in Texas. (As anyone reading this blog on a regular basis knows, Tarim has the management contract for both the Woodland Prep...
read moreSoner Tarim’s Explanation Of What Happened With Woodland Prep Application Is Stunning
Soner Tarim of Sugarland, TX owns Unity School Services. This company has management contracts with both Woodland Prep charter in Washington County, AL and LEAD Academy in Montgomery, AL. The applications seeking approval as a charter school were reviewed for both...
read moreSoner Tarim Bashes Alabama When Speaking To Texas Group.
Soner Tarim is the Muslim from Sugarland, TX whose company, Unity School Services, has management contracts with Woodland Prep charter in Washington County and LEAD Academy charter in Montgomery. No doubt he sings the praises of all things Alabama when he shows up...
read moreLike The Ostrich, Lawmakers Continue To Bury Their Heads In The Sand
Politicians are fascinated with the BIG idea, something that goes BOOM, something that will make voters stand up and listen. Don't believe me? Then listen to some of the things Senate pro tem Del Marsh says about education. On an appointed vs. elected state school...
read moreTwo More Systems Call For Accountability Act Repeal
Lost in all the recent commotion about the Washington County charter fiasco, the legislative effort to go from an elected state school board and much more, is the news that the Tarrant City and Conecuh County school systems have now joined with 22 other systems...
read moreHouse Committee Puts Another Nail In The Coffin Of State School Board and State Superintendent.
The bill to switch from an elected to an appointed state school board that passed the Senate 30-0, has now cleared another hurdle on its way to passage. The House Education Policy Committee passed the bill with only one nay vote (from Rep. Bob Fincher of Randolph...
read moreIllinois Trying To Shut Down State Charter Commission
Alabama is not the only place where people are questioning the antics of their state charter school commission. So is Illinois. And they have much more experience with charters that Alabama has. Here is an article that gives the entire picture. Here are highlights:...
read moreWe Need To Stop Drinking The Florida Kool-Aid
"He could sell snow cones to Eskimos." Nothing could be more true if some of the Eskimos are a handful of Alabama legislators and "he" is Jeb Bush. They gobble up any and everything Bush or his Foundation for Excellence in Education foundation peddles--no questions...
read moreState Senate Tells State School Board And State Superintendent To “Hit The Road Jack.”
In the strongest rebuke possible, the Alabama senate told the state school board and state superintendent Eric Mackey, last week that it is time to have an appointed state board, not an elected one. The vote was 30-0. Not a single, solitary soul said they wanted to...
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This Is What Education Is REALLY All About
It is far too easy to get all caught up in education “stuff’ that in the long run, doesn’t really matter so much. (Include me in this group sometimes.) But we fret about what happens at the state department of education, maybe even in Washington with the U.S....
read moreOnce Again, Woodland Prep Charter Puts Out Bogus Info
We've told you before how Woodland Prep charter supporters (as well as people at the state department of education in Montgomery) have tried to support their case by using numbers that are dead wrong. Read about this here. This time it is their high-priced management...
read moreTime For A Full-Scale Investigation Of The Charter School Commission
If you are an old-timer like me, or maybe just someone who listened while your daddy told you about the "good old days," you know that Dick Tracy was the square-jawed detective in the comic books and Sergeant Friday was the star of Dragnet back in the days of black...
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This Is Soner Tarim’s Six-bedroom Home In Texas. Now Some Folks Want Alabama Taxpayers To Send Him Money.
Soner Tarim created Unity School Services in Sugarland, TX. This is the company with management agreements with Woodland Prep charter school in Washington County and LEAD Academy in Montgomery. According to the contract Tarim has with Woodland Prep, he gets 15...
read moreState Superintendent Eric Mackey’s First Evaluation Leaves A Lot To Be Desired
Eric Mackey has now been on the job for one year. Which means it is time to grade his performance. So the last thing on the agenda at the May 9 state board meeting was giving him and all board members the results of his first evaluation. There was no discussion....
read moreMary Scott Hunter Speaks Out. But Does Anyone Listen?
HOLY COW BATMAN was my reaction when I came across an op-ed on AL.com by former state school board member, Mary Scott Hunter from Huntsville. Hunter was definitely a lightening rod during her two terms on the board. She was anything but shy and retiring and often...
read moreWashington County Hits Montgomery With A Bang
You knew something was up when the big charter bus pulled up to the Gordon Persons building, the home of the state department of education in Montgomery, the morning of May 9. The same day as a state board of education meeting. The bus brought nearly 60 people from...
read moreWe Found The Missing Children
A few days ago we wrote about Woodland Prep charter supporters and people at the state department of elucidation constantly saying that 900 children leave Washington County each day to go to private schools out-of-county. Turns out this number came from the...
read moreWashington County Charter Fiasco Is About Much More Than Washington County
Considering the present state of public education in Alabama, what is happening in Washington County about the proposed charter school is much, much more significant than it appears to the causal observer. For one thing, one very important one thing, it is about...
read moreAnd Then There Were Four
To be chosen as Alabama Teacher of the Year is a singular honor. I think of it as winning an Oscar. The greatest recognition an Alabama teacher can receive. This year's winner will be announced in Montgomery at a ceremony the evening of May 8. It is a special...
read moreWashington County Charter Supporters Continue To Use Bogus Number
For the past year supporters of a new charter school, Woodland Prep, in Washington County have repeatedly said that 900 students leave the county every day to attend private schools. In fact, five of the letters of support attached to the charter application referred...
read moreFollow Up To Washington Post Article
Yesterday, May 3, The Washington Post published an in-depth article about the ruckus in Washington County, AL about a proposed charter school planned for there. Among the things mentioned was that the charter, known as Woodland Prep, identified their new principal on...
read moreWashington Post Digs Into Washington County Charter Fiasco
When a newspaper with the national impact of The Washington Post covers a story out of tiny Washington County, AL, you immediately know there is something serious afoot. In this case, it is the Washington County charter fiasco that got the attention of veteran...
read moreHelp Washington County Fight Unwanted Charter School
People in Washington County have been battling against a planned charter school for more than a year. Seems that at every turn they have faced roadblock after roadblock. The state charter school commission has denied their opposition exists and information that...
read moreNew SGO Joins The Alabama Accountability Act
A brand new scholarship granting organization (SGO) in now in operation to take in contributions and direct them to private school scholarships. Read about it here. However, this one is unique as only students attending Catholic schools in central and north Alabama...
read more“We Don’t Want No Charter School And We Don’t Want No Muslims”
The gentleman who made this statement was one of 200 people who came to the Washington County high school in Chatom on Monday night, April 29. He was probably in his 60's. His face was weathered and he wore a baseball cap and work shirt. Like everyone else in the...
read moreWashington County Charter Support Letters Raise Lots Of Questions
Part of the process of getting any charter school application approved is for those seeking the school so show support from the local community by attaching letters of support to the application. And though these letters are public record, they only surfaced in...
read moreDetails Continue To Surface About Washington County Charter Fiasco
Information about the workings of the state charter school commission have not been easy to find. But slowly and surely, thanks in large part to the persistence of people impacted by what is going on, we are learning more and more. For example, even though this is a...
read moreAll Roads Lead To Chatom, AL
At least that may be the case Monday night, April 29, when documentary film maker Mark Hall of Austin, TX, comes to Washington County high school in Chatom to screen his movie, KILLING ED. This will be in the school auditorium at 6:15 p.m. Those I talk to expect an...
read moreWhy Are There So Few Charter Schools in Rural Locations?
The best guessimation I can find is that there are just over 7,000 charter schools in the U.S. Of these, only about 10 percent are in rural locations. Why so few? Peter Greene is a former public school teacher of many years in rural Pennsylvania. He has written an...
read moreA Blue Sky And Thoughts That Go With It
The sky was brilliant blue. Not the sorta kinda blue that you see in a big city, but the blue of open spaces. Not a cloud in the sky. Not even the feathery trail of a jet five miles high hurrying people across the country. I was in a place I've been many times. ...
read moreThe Joy Of Growing Older
As I was about to leave the house this afternoon, I realized I did not have my phone (a very old flip phone model) and checked in my "office" where I thought I left it. Nope. Then the dining room table, shuffling the papers that clutter it. Nope. Then kitchen. ...
read moreApparently Charter School Commission Has Little Regard For Common Sense
Common sense. Something we hear about all the time, but sometimes appears to be beyond the reach of some folks to actually put in practice. One definition says: Sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts. Then you look at the...
read moreWhy Is The State School Superintendent Missing In Action?
From the moment I first heard about the charter school ruckus in Washington County, I wondered why Eric Mackey, state superintendent, was not looking into the situation. I was told that neither the state school board, nor Mackey, has jurisdiction over the charter...
read moreA Fascinating Talk With Filmmaker Mark Hall
Mark Hall lives in Austin, TX and practiced law for 25 years. But even as a child he was fascinated by film making and recalls trying his hand with an 8mm camera back then. So when he hung out his law shingle in Austin 20 years ago, he also joined the Austin Film...
read moreWashington County Educator Writes The Governor
If you think Millry, AL is small, (population 546 in 2010) then go a few miles west of town to the Aquilla community. Its the kind of place that are sprinkled across the state. You know, you see one of those little green signs with a name, but nothing more. This was...
read moreEvaluators Slammed Washington County Charter Application
All charter school applications must be evaluated by a qualified entity before action by the state charter school commission. From the outset, this was done by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers based in Chicago. Today it is being done by the...
read moreWashington County Charter School Fiasco Gets National And International Attention
As we all know, news travels fast in this high-tech world we all live in. Even if it is news coming out of rural Washington County, AL. Dr. Diane Ravitch is in New York City. A former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education, she is founder of the Network for Public...
read moreIs There Life After Sweet Tea?
Like most deep-friend southern boys, I like sweet iced tea. Like it a lot. Never one for coffee, I have gulped down gallons and gallons of sweet tea, morning, noon and night. A nectar of the Gods so to speak. Regardless the weather outside, nothing beats a tall...
read moreJosh Moon Exposes Washington County Charter School Debacle
Just as I did, John Moon with the Alabama Political Reporter, got a whiff of the stench coming from Washington County and started asking questions and digging. Josh is a veteran investigative reporter with a track record of exposing wrong doing. You can see his...
read moreThe Rape Of Washington County
If you are looking for peace and quiet and not many neighbors, my advice is to head for Washington County, AL. The first county north of Mobile County and bordered on one side by Mississippi and the Tombigbee River on the other, the last census showed only17,629...
read moreA Superintendent Has His Say
John Mullins is superintendent of the Arab city school system in Marshall County. Like most Alabama educators, he feels strongly about Senator Del Marsh's effort to repeal the Alabama College & Career Ready academic standards. Mullins is opposed to Marsh's plan. ...
read moreThose Who Ignore The Past Can Not See The Future
As I read the pontifications of present and former politicians who have all the answers for education in Alabama, my first inclination is to laugh. But I don't because it is obvious that they have either forgotten the state's past--or never knew it. So instead of...
read moreAnother NAEP Wild Goose Chase
We have discussed the National Assessment of Educational Progress test many times and talked about the silliness that politicians read into the numbers. How they constantly single out scores from just one year and treat them as if they came from a burning bush. How...
read moreAlabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund Cranks Up Spin Machine
From time to time one of the folks working for an Alabama scholarship granting organization speaks out. Which is well, fine and good and what they are paid to do. However, more often that not their message is long on fluff and short on facts and simply ignores the...
read moreWhat Impact Do Standards Have On NAEP Scores?
As we listen to the phony info about NAEP scores put out by those who support Del Marsh's politically-motivated attempt to repeal the Alabama College & Career Ready standards, we have to wonder SO WHAT? Like in SO WHAT do standards have to do with how a state scores...
read moreTwo More School Boards Pass Accountability Act Repeal Resolutions
Recently Morgan County and Washington County school boards joined the other 20 local systems who have passed resolutions calling on the legislature to repeal the Alabama Accountability Act. These 22 systems represent 204,505 students. This is almost 29 percent of all...
read moreAre You Ready To Go To Work?
Now that the latest "Marsh Monster", otherwise known as SB119 has passed the state senate, it will move downstairs to the House of Representatives. As you probably know, this is the bill to repeal the Alabama College & Career ready academic standards and insure that...
read moreDel Marsh And His Standards Repeal Farce
One of the definitions of "farce" is "an empty or patently ridiculous act, proceeding, or situation." I can think of no better example than the effort by Senator Del Marsh to repeal the Alabama College & Career Ready standards. First Marsh was a staunch supporter of...
read moreRep. Terri Collins Raises Valid Questions About Standards Repeal
Rep. Terri Collins of Decatur chairs the Education Policy committee in the Alabama House of Representatives. This means she will have a lot of input as to how Del Marsh's attempt to repeal the Alabama College & Career ready standards proceeds when it comes across the...
read moreThis Is Impossible. Numbers Don’t Support Del Marsh’s Claims
As we have mentioned repeatedly lately, Senator Del Marsh has declared war on the Alabama College & Career standards. Why? He says it is because Alabama students are going backwards and we have to blame it on something. (Even though he admitted to a principal this...
read moreSenator Marsh Using Mis-Leading Numbers To Push Legislation
Politicians love numbers. Even ones that are deceptive. I suppose they think the public is too dumb to catch their sleight of hand. Which means that no one should be surprised that the "talking points" put out by Del Marsh to promote his bill to roll back our...
read moreA Principal Takes Action
Courtney Wilborn is principal of White Plains Middle School in Calhoun County. This school has received numerous recognitions for its performance and Courtney was Alabama Middle School Principal of the year in 2018. All of which is to say that she personifies...
read moreGenerals Bring Common Sense To Standards Discussion
James Rogers, Tony Jones and Jim Myles have three things in common. 1. They all live in the Huntsville area. 2. They are all retired Army generals. 3.They think the idea of repealing the Alabama College & Career Ready standards is a very bad idea. Reporter Lee...
read moreNo Kidding, Del Marsh Wants Legislature To Decide On Alabama Education Standards
Senator Del Marsh obviously has little respect for teachers--and any other education folks. Apparently he does not consider teachers as professional or education to be a profession. Why do I come to this conclusion? Because his latest "Creature from the Black Lagoon"...
read moreDel Marsh Takes Aim At University Of Alabama Football
Republican Del Marsh singlehandedly passed the infamous Alabama Accountability Act in 2013 that has diverted $145 million from the state's public schools and has done nothing to help struggling schools. Now he has launched another sneak attack on public schools by...
read moreMarch 18, 2019: The Day My World Changed
Since my car is 20 years old, I am never too surprised when I have to take it to the shop. So why am I bewildered when my body--which is 56 years older than my car--needs the oil changed and brakes redone? Still I am. I'd not been at the top of my game for several...
read moreSenator Del Marsh Stoops To “Alternative Facts”
President Trump had hardly taken the oath of office in January 2017 when his advisor, Kellyanne Conway, told us on Meet The Press about "alternative facts." She was trying to defend press secretary Sean Spicer for disputing how many people attended the Trump...
read moreWhat Happened To Alabama Values?
How many times have we listened to some Alabama politician rant and rave about "Alabama values:? The obvious implication being that if you are not from Alabama, you are not as smart, good-looking and genteel as we are. Remember when George Wallace proudly claimed...
read moreMore Fake News
It is dumbfounding how far some folks will distort the truth so that they can claim they are the only people with the right answers. Basically if the facts don't fit their pre-conceived narrative, then why bother with them? I hold in my hand a flier promoting an...
read moreLiving In A Make Believe World
Huntingdon is a small college of 1,100 students here in Montgomery. They have a football team that belongs to the USA South Athletic Conference. They play schools such as LaGrange College, Brevard and North Carolina Wesleyan. Now join me in suspending reality for a...
read moreThree More School Boards Pass AAA Repeal Resolution
Roanoke City, Covington County and Blount County are the latest school boards to pass resolutions calling for the repeal of the Alabama Accountability Act. This brings the total to 20--with more on the way. According to information from Scholarship Granting...
read moreSchools Of Distinction Make Us All Proud
Each year the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools host a luncheon to recognize 24 schools from around the state that have been chosen as SCHOOLS OF DISTINCTION. There are eight state school board districts. Three schools are picked from each district. And one of...
read moreWhy Are Alabama Taxpayers Footing Mary Scott Hunter’s Legal Bill?
Most readers are well aware of the very, very messy search process that brought Mike Sentance to Alabama in 2016 as state superintendent. The stench got so bad that state senators Gerald Dial and Quinton Ross conducted an investigation into what took place. I...
read moreBradley Byrne Joins Forces With Betsy DeVos
Congressman Bradley Byrne, already an announced candidate for U.S. Senate in 2020, took the stage with Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, to announce his support for a program offering Federal tax credits for donations to scholarships for private schools. Think of...
read moreAnother Look At Basketball And AAA Scholarships
We posted a few days ago about the fact that some of the private schools competing against public schools for basketball state titles have quite a number of Alabama Accountability Act scholarships. In fact, of the six schools vying to be state champs in divisions 1...
read moreHuntsville Student Wows Today Show Interviewers
Ashley Kimble is a senior at Grissom High in Huntsville. It is doubtful that when she got involved in designing an artificial foot for Kendall Bane, a wounded Marine, she had any notion that her work would end up with she and Bane being on NBC's Today show. AL.com...
read moreWell Hell. When Things Just Don’t Seem Right
There is sadness in little Georgiana, AL tonight. Because this morning in Birmingham in the final four of the state high school basketball tournament, the team from this little hamlet lost 60-58 to a private school in north Alabama in the smallest division schools...
read moreBasketball Teams And Accountability Act Scholarships. Any Connections?
High school basketball season for schools playing in a public league end this week with the state tournament in Birmingham. There are seven size classifications ranging from schools with less than 100 students to Hoover high with 2,177. The smallest division goes to...
read moreTime To Show Some Love
When I posted Thursday night about local school boards who have passed a resolution to repeal the accountability act, I was unaware that Opp city schools joined the parade at their Feb. 21 meeting. That makes 17 systems in all who have taken a public stance that they...
read moreThree More School Systems Pass Repeal AAA Resolutions
Add Geneva and Butler counties and Andalusia city to the growing list of school systems calling for the legislature to repeal the Alabama Accountability Act. They join: Baldwin, Blbb, Henry, Houston, Jefferson, Marion, Mobile, Montgomery, Randolph and Tallapoosa...
read moreSenator Not Happy With State School Chief
Chris Elliott is the brand new Republican state senator from Baldwin County. While he is new to the Senate, he is not new to politics, having served as a county commissioner for years. We've told you about the dispute between the county school board and the city of...
read moreBaldwin County Says They Will Stand Their Ground In Showdown With State Superintendent
In a press conference that lasted nearly 30 minutes Monday, Feb. 18, Baldwin County superintendent Eddie Tyler, school board chairman Cecil Christenberry and attorney Don Beebe explained in detail why the county filed suit against state superintendent Eric Mackey last...
read moreWhy Is The State School Board Missing In Action?
Let's go back to the survey we did in early January that got more than 600 responses and take a closer look. One thing that jumps out is how the public regards the state board of education and their lack of activity when it comes to the accountability act. We asked:...
read moreBaldwin County School Board Sues State Superintendent Eric Mackey
Three weeks ago we told you about the mess in Baldwin County regarding the effort of Gulf Shores to start its own city school system. The county school board was not happy at all with the way in which state superintendent Eric Mackey seemed to be tipping the scales...
read moreRepeal Resolutions Just Keep On Coming
As we bring down the curtain on this week, I am happy to report that a grand total of SIX school boards passed a resolution this week calling for repeal of the Alabama Accountability Act. They were: Houston, Bibb, Henry and Marion counties and the city systems of...
read moreThe Figs Found My Mailbox
This afternoon I go to the mailbox and lo and behold, there is a well-wrapped box from Texas with two pint jars of whole fig preserves inside. Like a kid at Christmas, I tore into the package with great anticipation. And then--discovered that Santa did not bring me...
read moreNever Forget To Laugh
In this crazy, hyper active wired world of today, we encounter a tsunami of information each day, way too much of which reminds us of what a mess we deal with all the time. A constant barrage of bad, depressing news. (And I admit that I do my own share of passing...
read moreStop The Presses. Two More Systems Pass Resolutions.
After posting last night about Bibb and Marion county school boards passing repeal accountability act resolutions, I learned this morning the Leeds city system also passed a resolution yesterday, while Houston County did on Monday. That means 11 systems with a total...
read moreTwo More School Boards Pass Accountability Act Repeal Resolutions
Feb. 12 was a double-header for school boards passing resolutions calling for a repeal of the Alabama Accountability Act. Bibb and Marion counties joined the previous seven systems to take such action. Others are: Baldwin, Jefferson,.Mobile, Montgomery, Randolph,...
read moreHomage To Alpha Lee’s Biscuits And Fig Preserves
Mama was Alpha Lee Stuart before she married and became Alpha Lee Stuart Lee from Rt. 2, Red Level, AL. She was put on the earth to worry about things she could not do anything about--and cook. I could not do anything when she said, "I'm worried about such and such,"...
read moreRemembering Feb. 28, 2013 And The Politics Of Contempt
Feb. 28, 2013 was just another late winter's day in Montgomery. The temperature was in the 50's, the legislature was in session and the State Board of Education was having a work session. State Superintendent Tommy Bice was at the work session with no clue that Hell...
read moreCalifornia Here I Come
No doubt it was bound to happen. The moment when my reputation as a wise ole owl spread far beyond Alabama. In fact, all the way to California. So at 4:30 p.m. central standard time this afternoon, Feb. 8, I will be interviewed on KPFA in Berkeley, CA. Dr. Kitty...
read moreCraig Ford Takes Alabama Policy Institute To Task
Former state representative Craig Ford served several teems in the legislature representing Etowah County. He was never accused of being shy. And from 2010 to 2018, Phil Williams served from Etowah County in the state senate. While the two represent the same folks...
read moreCraig Pouncey Pulls No Punches
Jefferson County school superintendent Craig Pouncey is one of the more well-known educators in Alabama. Considering that he has more than 30 years in the profession as teacher, superintendent of Crenshaw County schools, chief of staff for state superintendent Tommy...
read moreWill Someone Help Del Marsh With His Homework?
No doubt Senator Del Marsh is a very busy guy. Being majority leader of the Alabama senate is not an easy task. You have about a dozen balls in the air at all times. Of course, Marsh is the champion of the Alabama Accountability Act, the legislation that has...
read moreJefferson County Board Calls For Accountability Act Repeal
In what is the strongest rebuke yet of the Alabama Accountability Act, the Jefferson County school board, the second largest system in the state, has passed a resolution calling on the legislature to repeal AAA. They are the seventh board to take this step. This is...
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