An in-depth exploration of education in the 21st century South.
A recent study shows there’s good news for college graduates looking for jobs in STEM fields. Dr. Willie May, a graduate of Birmingham’s Parker High School, struck out on a path in science more than 45 years ago. Today, he’s one of nation’s chief scientists and heads the National Institute for Standards and Technology.
There’s never a shortage of stories coming from Alabama’s schools. But before the WBHM/Southern Education Desk’s “Issues and Ales” education forum Thursday evening, we wanted to shed as much light as possible on the big picture behind the headlines because — for better or worse — that backdrop always includes money and therefore politics.
Birmingham City Schools have experienced segregation, desegregation, white flight and dwindling enrollment over the past 50 years. But can the system use lessons from the past to build a stronger future for its students? Dr. Tondra Loder-Jackson, a UAB professor in the School of Education, has researched the topic and discusses her findings.
The U.S. Secretary of Education recently recognized Alabama for having one of the nation’s steepest increases in high school graduation rates. Birmingham City Schools’ rate increased even more – up roughly 23 percent in the last four years. The latest data reported to the state education department puts the system’s rate at 79 percent — just below the national average. Alabama reporter Dan Carsen sits down with James Hanks, an 18-year-old who just graduated through Birmingham Schools’ Dropout Recovery Program.
NOTE: This WWNO series, “Closing Costs,” follows three New Orleans schools who lost their charters. Part one is available here. At Lagniappe Academies, some administrators tried to hide a lack of services for students with disabilities. The state and Recovery School District chose to close the school, which is a cluster of [...]
The Alabama State Department of Education’s intervention team is now monitoring Birmingham City Schools from afar, a year and a half after it first took control of the city school system. The district had been facing major challenges, including a board so dysfunctional it made national news. But that’s only part of the picture. In this first of a three-part series, our Alabama reporter Dan Carsen delves into the complex and often painful situation leading to state intervention.
Since before the recession, the number of dollars Alabama spends per student has dropped more than it has in any other state. Percentage-wise, Alabama’s decrease was second only to Oklahoma’s. That’s all according to a recent report from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. Our Alabama reporter Dan Carsen caught up with Alabama schools Chief of Staff Craig Pouncey to find out why, and what it all means.
In this Birmingham’s historic Kelly Ingram Park, there’s a statue of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. One of the names on the stone pedestal is Robert Corley. Among other things, Dr. Corley teaches history at UAB. He was a founding member of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute board and has served on the city school board. SED reporter Dan Carsen recently sat down with him while researching stories for our School Resegregation series. Corley says today’s students are missing some vital history on the subject.
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