public schools

Writers of Accountability Act never heard of the Good Samaritan

Most of us heard the parable of the Good Samaritan at an early age. Probably in a Sunday School Class. And in Alabama, it was probably a Baptist Sunday School. As you remember, Jesus told the story of a Jewish traveler who was beaten and left by the side of the road. A priest saw … Continued

January 8, 2019

Montgomery’s struggles will be Alabama’s future if public education funding isn’t addressed

The report cards for Alabama’s public schools dropped this week, and once again, we’re all failing. Oh, don’t get me wrong, Alabama’s public schools are doing a fine job educating the overwhelming majority of students who enter their doors each day. There are fantastic teachers in those schools, great administrators and some of the finest … Continued

January 2, 2019

Once again, Godspeed Speaker McCutcheon

When Alabama’s Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon released a statement regarding the 2018 House election results in legislative districts across the state, he did more than take a victory lap, he actually laid out a list of priorities for the next four years. McCutcheon wrote, “Our infrastructure is in decay, and our roads and … Continued

November 9, 2018

Alabama Black Belt Adventures celebrates long, successful relationship with Raycom Media

For almost a decade, the Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association (ALBBAA) has worked to share the good news about outdoor tourism – the most profitable and attractive industry in a historically economically challenged region of our state. ALBBAA was formed in 2009 to promote outdoor recreation like hunting and fishing, as well as its rich … Continued

September 21, 2018

The yoga ban in Alabama schools explains so much

Yoga is illegal in Alabama public schools. If you ever wanted to sum up this state, that sentence — and the explanation behind it — should more than suffice. In a nutshell, it’s this: Alabama lawmakers were, in the early 1990s, so concerned with the spread of the Hindu religion, by way of strenuous stretching, … Continued

August 31, 2018

Thank goodness, I’m an “outside agitator”

I guess I’m an outside agitator. Alabama politicians love to throw that phrase around. Seems like anytime somebody disagrees with one of Alabama’s horrible laws or policies or acts, the politicos throw out that line, or something like it. In defending his law to prohibit removing monuments more than 40 years old, state Sen. Gerald … Continued

April 26, 2018

Why is the state takeover of Montgomery’s schools so shady?

There was much hand-wringing inside the Gordon Persons Building in downtown Montgomery on Wednesday, as interim state superintendent Ed Richardson and — for some reason not fully explained — Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange held a press conference to discuss the “dire state” of Montgomery’s public schools. They might as well have been selling special skillets … Continued

April 12, 2018

Senate committee approves bill to allow display of Ten Commandments on public property

By Chip Brownlee Alabama Political Reporter An Alabama Senate committee approved a bill Thursday that will allow for the public display of the Ten Commandments on public property including government building grounds and public schools. The bill, by Sen. Gerald Dial, R-Lineville, received a unanimous vote from the Senate Constitution, Ethics and Elections committee after … Continued

February 9, 2018

State Rep. Corley Ellis to join education budget-writing committee

By Chip Brownlee Alabama Political Reporter House Speaker Mac McCutcheon, R-Monrovia, has appointed State Rep. Corley Ellis, R-Columbiana, to the influential committee responsible for writing the Education Trust Fund budget, which appropriates more than $6 billion in funding for Alabama’s public schools and colleges. Ellis will serve as the House Ways and Means Education Committee’s … Continued

December 28, 2017

Are Our Schools Really Failing?

House Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford A lot has been said about the state of Alabama’s public school system. And for the last six years, State leaders have been obsessed with defining public schools as failing, even going so far as to require by law that at least 6 percent of all schools must be … Continued

January 30, 2017