Mac Buttram

Charter schools are not all bad.  Let’s get that out of the way right at the top. There are charter schools out there that do a wonderful job educating children and filling a need that isn’t being met by the local public school system.  That was sort of the goal of charter schools when they … Continued

When the Senate sent its education budget to the house during the past legislative session, the line item for the charter school commission was increased from $200,000 to $900.000 and there was an additional $500,000 for New Schools for Alabama. I could not find anyone who knew what New Schools for Alabama was, what they … Continued

The Alabama Charter School Commission is a mess. And that might be an insult to messes. Friday morning, the 10-member Commission, which has, apparently, full authority to approve or deny charter schools that suck millions of dollars from our already underfunded Alabama public schools, will meet with just four members in good standing. The chairman … Continued

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 education reporter Valerie Strauss, who has worked for this newspaper for nearly 30 years. Because … Continued

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—Speaker Mike Hubbard and former Gov. Bob Riley poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into the House race in District 12, only to come up embarrassed and empty-handed. Hubbard even employed a large force of current legislators to descend on Cullman County, in a vain attempt to recuse his … Continued

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter CULLMAN—On Saturday, pictures of a pudgy Speaker Mike Hubbard began to appear on social media. Hubbard was in Cullman County going door-to-door for incumbent Rep. Mac Buttram. Not only did Hubbard take to the streets for the beleaguered Buttram, but former Gov. Bob Riley and a who’s who of … Continued

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—State Representative Mac Buttram, R-Cullman, wants another bite off the legislative apple and California-based StudentsFirst is on the ground in Cullman to see that he succeeds. Incumbent Legislator Buttram is facing a run-off primary against Good Hope Mayor Corey Harbison. The question is why would StudentsFirst, former Gov. Bob … Continued