More on the Alabama education reforms

A bit more background surrounding the issue of educational reforms in Alabama beginning with Craig Ford's initiative.

House Minority Leader Craig Ford, D-Gadsden, said today that legislators should repeal Alabama's "failed" school choice program and instead use the money to expand a math and science initiative.

Ford said he will introduce legislation to repeal the Alabama Accountability Act and use any leftover funds to expand the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative, also known as the AMSTI program.

“The Accountability Act has clearly failed,” said Ford, who has been a vocal opponent of the legislation.

“So let’s use that money for its intended purpose: to improve the quality of public education in every school Alabama,” Ford said.

Ford said AMSTI is proven to work.

Alabama's PLAN 2020 approved by U.S. Department of Education

Alabama's PLAN 2020 to measure public school achievement has been accepted by the United States Department of Education, the Alabama State Department of Education announced today.

PLAN 2020 will be in effect after a request made by the ALSDE to be removed from many of the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was granted. State Superintendent Dr. Tommy Bice said No Child Left Behind was a good start, but expectations of Adequate Yearly Progress didn't give districts credit for the growth they experienced.

What is interesting to note, PLAN 2020 is not without its own controversy.

Some black parents like Tim Robinson whose two sons attend Alberta Elementary and Englewood Elementary, are taking exception to lower standards for minority children. Robinson’s view that the lowered standards are “preparing our boys for prison” is more extreme than most, but concern over a bar lowered for minority students is widely expressed.

Other parents raised issue not only with the difference in expectations, but also that families weren’t properly notified of the changes.

Not to disregard the concerns stated, I think it is important to realize that race will play a part in this program, but not in the manner assumed. A point the original article highlighted:

It is clear that, under the Alabama Accountability Act, “choice” depends on how much your family makes and where you live. It discriminates against impoverished students in Alabama’s Black Belt and elsewhere. That’s why the SPLC filed a federal lawsuit to stop it.

Poor schools do not fair well and money talks!!