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Education

Five central Alabama school systems closing immediately amid COVID outbreak

Five central Alabama public school systems have decided to close immediately as the numbers of coronavirus cases in the state continue to mount. Birmingham City Schools, Homewood City Schools, Oneonta City Schools, Vestavia Hills City Schools and Jefferson County schools are all closing immediately. Vestavia Hills City Schools statement on closure  “Vestavia Hills City Schools … Continued
March 14, 2020

JSU student being tested for coronavirus. Classes move online Friday

A Jacksonville State University student was being tested for coronavirus and all class begining Friday would move online, the university announced Thursday.  “The student felt ill Sunday evening after returning from out-of-state,” the university said in a statement.  Since falling ill the student visited three locations on campus  – the weight training area at Kennamer … Continued
March 13, 2020

ASU names new president of the Entomological Society of America’s Southeastern Branch

ASU’s Dr. Michelle Samuel-Foo is the new president of Southeastern Entomological Society of America. She is a recent newcomer to the ASU faculty, having joined the Hornet Nation in Jan. 2018 as an assistant professor, and is involved in both research and teaching on campus.  Samuel-Foo has been very involved in various entomological-related organizations. She has served two … Continued
March 12, 2020

Alabama school officials cancel overseas travel over coronavirus concerns

The Alabama Department of Education has asked local school systems to disallow school-sponsored overseas travel as the department works to prevent a coronavirus outbreak.  Mackey said that the state Department of Education has asked that local school districts cancel overseas travel “over the next several weeks.”  “It’s not necessarily just about catching the virus overseas … Continued
March 11, 2020

House passes bill to end ban on yoga in Alabama schools

The Alabama House of Representatives has passed a bill ending a ban on yoga in Alabama public schools. HB235 is sponsored by State Representative Jeremy Gray, D-Opelika. Yoga has been prohibited in Alabama schools since 1993. Under existing law, instruction in yoga is specifically prohibited in Alabama public schools. HB235 would authorize local boards of … Continued
March 11, 2020

Catholic schools say they’re harmed by decline in scholarship granting organizations

In 2019, not enough Alabamians specified that their income tax be allotted to the Scholarship Granting Organizations that help Alabama students assigned by the state to Alabama’s poorest-performing schools. That shortfall has adversely affected thousands of Alabama children, who may lose their scholarship funding, proponents say. Nowhere has that been felt more than in Alabama’s … Continued
March 6, 2020

Amendment One goes down in flames

We’ll pick our own school board members, thanks.  That was the message Alabama voters overwhelmingly sent to Gov. Kay Ivey and Alabama Senate President Del Marsh on Tuesday, defeating a measure that would have replaced the current state school board with an appointed one.  More than 75 percent of voters had voted against Amendment One, … Continued
March 4, 2020

Chris England joins the growing opposition to Amendment One

Alabama Democratic Party Chairman Chris England and the Alabama Republican Party Executive Committee agree on at least one thing and that is that voters should go to the polls on Tuesday and vote no on Amendment One. The voters go to the polls on Tuesday to vote on whether or not to replace the elected … Continued
March 2, 2020