Vol. 22, No. 1
January 15, 2010
Click here for past issues of the For Your Information newsletter.
STATE BOARD VOTES TO ENCOURAGE LEGISLATURE TO PASS CHARTER SCHOOL LEGISLATION
On Thursday, the state Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution encouraging the Alabama Legislature to adopt a charter school law during the regular session that began Jan. 12. Alabama is among 11 other states that don’t have laws permitting charter schools.
Ex-officio state Board President Gov. Bob Riley and state Superintendent of Education Dr. Joe Morton hope the resolution helps make the case for the state as it applies today for up to $200 million in federal Race to the Top funds.
Alabama loses 40 of the 500 available RTTT application points without a charter school law. The board learned at its first K-12 meeting of the year that 70 percent of local school boards will support the state’s Race to the Top efforts.
About 50 percent of the funds secured through RTTT would go to local school boards that signed memorandums of understanding in support of the state’s education reform efforts.
The Alabama Association of School Boards has concerns about the charter school bills currently before the Alabama Legislature and is working to ensure legislation on the charter schools issue promotes the interests of public schoolchildren and local decision-making, while not creating a legal and financial albatross. Former National School Boards Association attorney and charter schools expert Thomas Hutton will present an informational webinar for AASB and its member school boards Jan. 19.
At the state board meeting, the charter schools resolution did draw some discussion – from allowing charters as another option for parents and students to a concern about combining the charter school debate with the need to fund professional development and expand effective initiatives.
In the end, the measure passed, as did a procedural resolution that paves the way for discussion of the state’s Social Studies Courses of Study. A committee is expected to present its report at the board’s Jan. 28 work session.
Good news regarding Alabama’s declining dropout rate was shared with the state board at its meeting. Since implementation of the year-old First Choice high school graduation standards, the dropout rate has been reduced by 26 percent or 1,320 students.
In other business, the state board recognized January as Board Member Recognition Month. Materials for celebrating this observance are available for download at www.AlabamaSchoolBoards.org.
STILL TIME TO ATTEND AASB WINTER DISTRICT MEETINGS
Now through Feb. 18, AASB will be conducting its Winter District Meetings to help school boards better understand the legislative edict from the Student Harassment Prevention Act that requires each school board to adopt a local policy by July 1. The event includes a review of the model policy created by the state Department of Education, as directed by the statute, to guide local boards of education. Student Anti-Harassment: What Boards Should Know will feature Dr. Sue Adams, retired director of the state Department of Education’s Prevention and Support Services Section. Participants will also receive a fiscal/legislative look ahead, as well as updates on AASB news and the mandate for putting local board training policies in place by March 1 (click here for model board training policy). Register for District Meetings or download the brochure. If you've missed the meeting in your district, please attend any other meeting of your choosing. For details, call 800/562-0601.
CHARTER SCHOOLS 101 WEBINAR/TELECONFERENCE SET FOR JAN. 19
Register now to participate in the timely Alabama Association of School Boards' Charter Schools 101 Webinar/Teleconference from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. central time on Jan. 19. The cost is only $35 per caller or per group within a board of education/school system. AASB wants to help school boards learn the terminology and basic concepts behind public charter schools. Join former National School Boards Association attorney Thomas Hutton as he provides a basic primer on charter schools and discusses the local implications of public charter schools, including local boards of education as charter school authorizers. Following that presentation will be a question and answer period and an opportunity for callers to provide their feedback on the charter school issue. Participating school board members will earn 2 hours in the School Board Member Academy. To find out more, contact dhendricks@AlabamaSchoolBoards.org or call 800/562-0601.
FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACADEMY COURSE SET FOR MARCH 19-20
Register now for the AASB School Board Member Academy core course on Leadership for Financial Accountability set for March 19-20 at The Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham. Unfortunately, as the economy continues to languish, school systems face difficult choices. Attend this spring conference to discover the value in funding, what matters most. And, don’t forget to register for the March 19 Early Bird Workshop, Governing for Higher Achievement, to learn from school-board-and-superintendent teams that are participating in Alabama’s Governing for Achievement Project and how your board can do more to impact student learning. The early bird workshop fee is $65 for members and $130 for non-members. The conference registration fee of $125 for members and $250 for non-members includes all conference materials, breaks and breakfast on Saturday. A $10 late fee will be added to all onsite registrations. To find out more, contact us or call 800/562-0601. Register for the conference by March 15 and make hotel reservations (www.Wynfrey.com or 800/966-3739) by March 4 to avoid penalty. Contact us for details, 800/562-0601 or visit www.AlabamaSchoolBoards.org.
FAIR CAMPAIGN PRACTICES ACT ANNUAL REPORTS DUE JAN. 31
Elected school board members and superintendents have until Jan. 31 to file their annual Fair Campaign Practices Act reports. The report, which details contributions to and expenditures by elected officials and candidates in 2009, is available through the secretary of state’s office and local probate judges’ offices and can be downloaded from the secretary of state’s Web site.
Also, anyone who ran for office in 2009 and has not yet dissolved his or her election committee must file a termination report along with dissolution of committee form, available on the secretary of state’s Web site. Those who wish to maintain their committees must only file the annual report. Local officials should file with their probate judge; state officials file with the secretary of state. Refer questions to 334/242-7200.
PER YOUR REQUEST SUMMER CONFERENCE IS NOW IN JUNE,
BOOK YOUR ROOMS NOW!
Plans are underway for this year’s AASB Summer Conference, as well as the leadership orientation course designed for new school board members. These vital, educational sessions come at the start of summer vacations, so you'll want to beat the housing rush. Make housing reservations early at the Perdido Hotel in Orange Beach, 800/634-8001 (mention AASB to receive the discounted hotel rate). The orientation course, Leadership I, is set for June 12, and the annual summer conference runs June 13-15. Expect detailed information to be posted soon at www.AlabamaSchoolBoards.org/Conferences.htm.
WANT TO BE MORE INVOLVED?
AASB members participate in association governance through standing committees and ad hoc committees formed as needed. Committee members are appointed for one-year terms by AASB’s president with the approval of the Board of Directors. School board members interested in taking a more active role in AASB are encouraged to serve on one of the following committees: Budget and Finance, Academy Advisory, Resolutions, Bylaws, Pre-K & School Readiness (ad hoc) and Multicultural (ad hoc). To volunteer, notify AASB Executive Director Sally Howell, J.D., (P.O. Drawer 230488, Montgomery, AL 36123; 800/562-0601 or 334/270-0000, fax). The deadline to apply for committee membership is Feb. 22.
EDUCATION TRUST FUND UPDATE
The Education Trust Fund receipts report for December 2009 reflected 13 percent increase over the same month last year, which has resulted in a 6 percent increase in receipts for the quarter ending Dec. 31 compared to the same quarter last year. However, there were several one-time events, including a decline in sales tax used to pay PSCA debt, reversions of sales tax from the Department of Human Resources, surplus deposits of utility tax to be credited back to utility companies and accelerated income tax refunds in September 2009 that impacted the “real” growth. After factoring in these anomalies, the “real” ETF growth rate is approximately a negative 4 percent. This growth rate supports the widely held belief that the best case scenario is no growth for the ETF in the current fiscal year with a moderate decline certainly possible, leaving open the possibility of additional proration in the current year.
WINNERS OF FREE CONFERENCE REGISTRATION ANNOUNCED
Congratulations to Ollie Evans Board of Education member from Hale County, who recently attended AASB’s Annual Convention, and Morris Hardy from Greene County, who attended the Leadership II course, won free registration for either the March 2010 or October 2010 AASB School Board Member Academy conferences. They were chosen from those who completed and returned AASB evaluation forms at the December events.
QUALITY COUNTS 2010
Alabama ranks 31st on Education Week’s Quality Counts 2010 index that studies education performance, improvement and opportunities.
Review Alabama’s Quality Counts report card.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Webinars
Charter Schools 101 Webinar/Teleconference
11 a.m. (CST), Jan. 19
$35, Register
Contact dhendricks@AlabamaSchoolBoards.org, 800/562-0601
Paperless Board Meetings, Strategic Planning and More! (Sponsored by AASB & eBoards)
9-10 a.m. (CST), Jan. 21 and 27
Free
Register for Jan. 21
Register for Jan. 27
Multi-Modal School Site Planning, Design and Transportation
for Primary Grades (Grades K-8)
12-1:30 p.m. (EST), Feb. 24
$25, http://www.ite.org/education/webinars_SRTS.asp
Contact: Bill Luckerson, luckersonb@dot.state.al.us.
Upcoming Events
April 10-13
NSBA Annual Conference and Exposition, Chicago, Illinois
July 10-13
NSBA/Southern Region, Williamsburg, Virginia
December 2
AASB Leadership II, Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham
December 2-4
AASB Annual Convention, Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham
Go online to www.AlabamaSchoolBoards.org/Lobbying.htm
to stay current on legislative issues!
— Denise L. Berkhalter,
publicrelations@AlabamaSchoolBoards.org
Alabama Association of School Boards:
Developing excellent school board leaders through quality training, advocacy and services.
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