An in-depth exploration of education in the 21st century South.
One round of testimony is over, but the long road to legal closure in the battle over Birmingham Schools is not. At least not yet. After two sometimes arcane, sometimes fiery days of testimony, Jefferson County Circuit Judge Houston Brown on Thursday extended two temporary injunctions against the Birmingham Board of Education by 10 days or until further notice. He could make a permanent ruling next week.
Tuesday night’s Birmingham school board meeting made national news, prompting many observers to think the action and emotions involved had reached a peak. They were wrong. In the following few days, things escalated even further. Changed locks, security guards, and the courts were involved. The SED’s Dan Carsen was at Tuesday night’s meeting and has this web-exclusive story.
The Birmingham School System has met the first part of a state-mandated deadline by submitting a detailed cost-cutting plan. But the state still could take over the local system’s fiances soon. The SED’s Dan Carsen has this late-breaking Friday web exclusive.
Clearly, just because school is out doesn’t mean the Alabama education beat is slowing down. The question on many people’s minds is, what’s going on with Birmingham City Schools and the imminent state takeover? WBHM’s Tanya Ott interviews Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen on that, tuition increases, “digital districts,” and a grant meant to make cancer treatment more cost effective.
The Alabama State Board of Education voted to have the state oversee the Birmingham School Board’s day-to-day financial operations, specifically its implementation of a cost-cutting plan. But that could be just the beginning of state involvement. Dan Carsen has this web-exclusive story and national newscast spot.
In another heated meeting full of surprises, the Birmingham Board of Education has — on its third try — approved a state cost-cutting plan meant to help bring the system in line with state law. Board members hope the vote will forestall a state takeover of the system, which could be approved by the state board of education as early as Thursday. The SED’s Dan Carsen has this web-exclusive story.
A lot has been happening since our last installment of “All Things Education Alabama,” but one story continues to dominate the beat and make national news: the Birmingham School Board. A slim majority recently rejected a state cost-cutting proposal, but ironically, that defiant move could result in the board losing what little autonomy it has left. WBHM’s Tanya Ott interviews Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen on that controversial subject and more.
In a 5-4 vote along increasingly familiar lines, the fractious Birmingham Board of Education on Tuesday rejected a cost-cutting plan proposed last week by the Alabama education department team currently investigating the board. An outright state takeover could be imminent. The SED’s Dan Carsen has this web-exclusive story.
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