Alabama State Department of Education Archives • Page 2 of 5 • Alabama Political Reporter

Alabama schools report 1,056 new cases among students, staff

The increase is likely due to many more districts reporting data than had done so previously.

November 7, 2020

Alabama’s virtual schools weren’t supposed to be like this

If used properly, the virtual schools model could have been quite a money-maker for cash-strapped districts where parents were opting for private schools or homeschooling. It has mostly not worked like that.

August 17, 2020

Dr. Wayne Reynolds should resign from the State Board of Education

Dear Dr. Wayne Reynolds, Thank you so very much for apologizing to our awesome Gov. Kay Ivey for your comments made recently. First, let’s talk honestly about the little girl with freckles from Camden, Alabama, who grew up to be our nation’s best governor. In Alabama, the most trusted and powerful elected officials are Sen. … Continued

August 3, 2020

ALSDE: Accreditation issues with virtual school provider won’t affect Alabama delivery

SchoolsPLP’s claims of accreditation on their website — by Cognia, AdvancED, California A-G and the NCAA — all appear to be bogus.

July 27, 2020

Teachers are scared and frustrated about starting school. Many aren’t coming back

Teachers are scared to death. And the biggest reason they’re scared to death is because they haven’t seen any sort of real, aggressive plan from anyone.

July 13, 2020

Governor awards $48 million to Department of Education, up to $50 million for higher education

Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday awarded $48 million of the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEERF) to the Alabama State Department of Education in response to challenges related to COVID-19. This allocation will enable schools to enact policies established in the Alabama State Department of Education’s Roadmap to Reopening Schools. As schools across Alabama are … Continued

July 6, 2020

State releases plans for expected school reopenings in the fall

Schools are expected to reopen at the start of the school year but rules will vary by district and by school, with guidelines and recommendations from the Alabama State Department of Education instead of a mandated statewide plan. Remote learning will be key, said State Superintendent of Education Eric Mackey on Friday. Many parents around … Continued

June 26, 2020

When public schools reopen, nurses could be the key to combating coronavirus

When Alabama’s public schools open their doors to students in the fall, there will be one group of people on the front lines, entrusted with the monumental task of identifying and isolating potentially sick students and tracing their contact with other students. School nurses. The already overworked and underappreciated (and usually under-compensated) nurses that care … Continued

May 14, 2020

State Superintendent Mackey addresses concerns about plans for public schools

Over the last few days, several public school principals in Alabama — most of them from more rural districts — have spoken with APR about a number of concerns they have about the state’s plan for moving forward with the 2019-2020 school year in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak. The principals were not angry … Continued

April 2, 2020