Mary Scott Hunter

News

The beginning of the end for Michael Sentance?

By Josh Moon Alabama Political Reporter “It’s a mess.” That’s the way a longtime employee at the Alabama State Department of Education described the last few months since Michael Sentance took over as State Superintendent of schools in August. That person was not alone in criticism of Sentance and his management style. At least a … Continued

Josh Moon

March 8, 2017

Opinion

A dumb political scheme

By Josh Moon Alabama Political Reporter Political schemes are dirty. The backroom dealings, backstabbing, lies, trickery, illegal acts and coverups represent the absolute worst in our government system. But successful schemes – the ones that deftly block an appointment or shut down a multi-million-dollar deal or backdoor some cash for politician’s brother-in-law, they take smarts. … Continued

Josh Moon

January 19, 2017

APR’s Top 5 Under-reported stories of 2016

By Josh Moon Alabama Political Reporter Over the past year, APR has broken a number of prominent, statewide stories. While many of those have been picked up by other news outlets – some of them lifted nearly verbatim from APR’s website without attribution – a few stories have gone almost unnoticed and with little follow-up … Continued

Josh Moon

December 29, 2016

Opinion

The irony of righteous indignation

Education Matters By Larry Lee When State Superintendent of Education Mike Sentance told the State School Board Dec. 8, that the Office of Inspector General of the US Department of Education had determined that the State’s high school graduation rate was inaccurate, reaction was swift and true to form. Members of the Legislature who consistently … Continued

Larry Lee

December 16, 2016

Hunter says that graduation rates were misstated

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Thursday, December 9, 2016, Alabama Superintendent of Education Michael Sentance reported to the Board of Education that the State of Alabama has been giving high school students diplomas that they did not really qualify for. Sentance had to admit that the State was deceiving the students and people of … Continued

Brandon Moseley

December 12, 2016

Opinion

Nixonian plots, half-wit schemes

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter The scheme to defame the State’s former top law enforcement officer, Spencer Collier, is very similar to the New Jersey “Bridgegate” trial that has seen two of Governor Chris Christies’s allies convicted of using state resources and personnel for political retribution. Now, an investigation by Senators Gerald Dial and … Continued

Bill Britt

November 14, 2016

Opinion

Doing it for the kids

By Larry Lee Education Matters “I did not know the rules.” These words won’t leave my head. Round and round, “I did not know the rules.” The reply given by state school board member Mary Scott Hunter to State Senator Gerald Dial when asked in a Nov. 10 committee meeting if she knew the Ethics … Continued

Larry Lee

November 14, 2016

Opinion

Political Deceit Laid Bare

By Josh Moon Alabama Political Reporter The conversation in room 727 of the Alabama State House on Thursday afternoon had turned into something halfway between comedy and unchecked disbelief. Standing before a Senate committee chaired by Sens. Gerald Dial and Quinton Ross, Hugh Evans, the longtime General Counsel for Alabama’s Ethics Commission, was attempting to … Continued

Josh Moon

November 11, 2016

Opinion

Dial Committee Gets To Work

By Larry Lee Education Matters The committee created by Senators Gerald Dial and Quinton Ross to find out how anonymous info given to the state school board made its way into public heard from their first “witnesses” earlier today. Senator Dial stressed again that the legislature has gone to great lengths to make sure anonymous … Continued

Larry Lee

November 4, 2016

Opinion

Fact Checking State School Board Member

By Larry Lee Education Matters “Hyperbole” should be the middle name of most all politicians. They are masters of embellishment, of overstatement, of stretching the truth and tall tales both big and small. As we’ve all be told from birth, “take it with a grain of salt” is super advice when listening to a politician … Continued

Larry Lee

October 28, 2016