Skip to content

Board of Education

Ivey tells PARCA to vote yes on Amendment One

Friday, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R) addressed the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) at the annual Albert Brewer Legacy lunch at the Harbert Center in Birmingham. Albert Brewer (D) (1928-1917) was elevated to Governor in 1968 when Lurleen Wallace (D) died in office from cancer. Later in life, while on the faculty at … Continued
February 3, 2020

Stop electing judges, not school board members

I’m cheering for state Board of Education member Jackie Zeigler in her effort to make sure voters understand that when they vote on Amendment One next March, they clearly understand they’re voting to dissolve the elected state school board and replace it with an appointed board called the “Alabama Commission on Elementary and Secondary Education.” … Continued
November 22, 2019

Texas school board member minces no words about Soner Tarim

Since Soner Tarim of Sugarland, Texas, has management contracts for both Woodland Prep and LEAD Academy charter schools, I watched with great interest when he appeared before the Texas Board of Education on June 14 trying to get approval to open eight new charter schools in Austin and Houston. Board member Georgina Perez of El … Continued
June 27, 2019

Takeaways from 2019 Legislative Session

The 2019 Alabama regular Legislative Session is over, and a lot happened that could substantially change how Alabama is governed. While hundreds of bills passed, here are the 11 biggest takeaways from the regular session that just ended and the special session. The state has more money for education. Following the Great Recession payments to … Continued
June 3, 2019

Legislature to address education reform this week

For decades, Alabama state government has largely deferred decision making on educational matters to the elected state school board. The governor and legislature prepared budgets and the state school board and their appointed superintendent largely did things their way without a lot of interference. This week the legislature is considering a broad spectrum of bills … Continued
May 27, 2019

Ivey supports Marsh’s school reform ending state’s elected state school board

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey delivered a letter to the State Board of Education Thursday announcing her support for a sweeping education reform proposal being filed by Senate President Pro Tempore Del Marsh, R-Anniston. The bill would change the state’s current elected State Board of Education to a commission appointed by the governor and confirmed by … Continued
May 10, 2019

Survey says time for Accountability Act to go

More than 600 people have responded so far to a recent online survey about the Alabama Accountability Act.  They are loud and clear as to how they feel.  Seventy-six percent say it should be repealed.  Another 17 percent say it should be modified and only one percent say it should be left as is. This is not … Continued
January 15, 2019

More fake news from Alabama Policy Institute

The Montgomery County board of education passed a resolution in October calling for the repeal of the Alabama Accountability Act. I was on the board that did this, I wrote much of the resolution and I voted for it. So, I was more than a little surprised when I read a recent article by Rachel … Continued
December 13, 2018

Pringle to co-chair state joint committee on reapportionment

State Representative Chris Pringle, R-Mobile, was elected Tuesday to serve as co-chairman of the Permanent Legislative Committee on Reapportionment. The committee oversees the process of redrawing the boundaries of the 105 House districts and 35 Senate districts, as well as the state’s seven congressional districts and eight State Board of Education districts. “I’m looking forward … Continued
September 27, 2018