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STATE SUPERINTENDENT SUGGESTS
LARGER CLASS SIZES, FEWER CONTRACT DAYS

Gov. Robert Bentley’s budget proposal “greatly underfunds” transportation and the Other Current Expense budget line item local boards use to operate and maintain schools, said state Superintendent of Education Dr. Joe Morton at Thursday’s K-12 state Board of Education meeting.

In an attempt to prevent “financial harm on a great number of our school districts,” Morton recommended trimming two days from the 187-day teacher and 182-day support worker contracts. He also said $81 million could be recouped if divisors – which impact class size – are raised by one-half. That move would mean the loss of 1,251 teacher units, which Morton said amounts to the number of teacher retirements in a year. This plan is jointly endorsed by a number of education leaders, including the Alabama Association of School Boards and School Superintendents of Alabama.

“We have hit bottom, and I don’t know where else to cut,” Morton said, adding that he hopes reduction of student instructional days is the “last thing that we ever reduce. We have really hit a funding crisis in this state for K-12 education.”

Morton said, if the governor’s budget is enacted intact, Alabama would have 49 school systems, or 37 percent, with budget shortfalls by the end of fiscal year 2012, and a number of them are already borrowing money to stay afloat. “We’ll have systems that can’t get their kids to school because they can’t afford to buy diesel fuel,” Morton said. “We can’t have school with 49 of our systems in a deficit budget.” (Read Morton’s March 9 memorandum to superintendents.)

Vice President Randy McKinney saw hope in the state board’s recognition of award winners and finalists in Florence, Haleyville, Hartselle, Hoover, Muscle Shoals, Piedmont, Baldwin County, Jefferson County, Mobile County and Shelby County school systems.

“Even though the financial news is a challenge, we’re having a great victory in Alabama on what’s happening in the classroom and what’s happening with the students,” McKinney said. “This board will continue to work on ways to work through policy that helps local superintendents to do their jobs with the resources they have. …We will work our way through this. This too shall pass.”

Morton also took the opportunity Thursday to thank representatives of the National Math and Science Initiative who attended the meeting. In 2008, Alabama was one of six states to receive NMSI grant funds to pay for Advanced Placement training and incentive programs and to spark student interest in math and science careers. Alabama received $13.2 million to be funded over six years. The state’s A+ College Ready AP program is now in 63 schools. AP is administered by The College Board, which recently lauded Alabama for its progress in increasing the number of students who take and do well on AP exams.

In other business, the state board also appointed the 2011-12 state Mathematics Textbook Committee, accepted updated editions of previously approved textbooks, passed a resolution approving a teacher education program at Huntingdon College and authorized the recommended appointments to the Alabama School of Fine Arts Board of Trustees.

The upcoming elementary and secondary education work session will be March 24 at 10:30 a.m. in Montgomery. The next regular meeting for K-12 is set for April 14.

EDUCATION TRUST FUND UPDATE

Education Trust Fund receipts continued to show promise in February with a 23 percent increase for the month compared to February 2010, resulting in a 4.8 percent increase for the current year compared to the same period last year. However, this was primarily due to the state leaving individual income tax refunds unpaid. Last year, refunds were made earlier in the year, thus skewing the analysis of yearly comparisons of income tax receipts to the fund. Therefore, receipts were not nearly strong enough to stave off a third consecutive year of proration, the 3 percent called recently by the governor. While the recent receipts to the fund have been a cause for optimism, school boards continue to deal with the devastating cycle of mid-year cuts to their budgets.

The sluggish receipts are further evident in the 2012 FY budget submitted by the governor. The $5.49 billion budget represents essentially the same amount as the current year pre-prorated budget. Fully funding the proposed budget would require 3 percent growth in ETF receipts during the 2012 fiscal year.

WATCH “WAITING FOR ‘SUPERMAN’” AT MARCH CONFERENCE

Pick up your movie snack and bring it along to the viewing of Waiting for ‘Superman’ at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 18. AASB’s 2011 March Conference on Leadership for Developing a Highly Effective Staff is March 18 and 19 at The Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham. This is a free bonus session for conference attendees. Guests are welcome.

Friday morning kicks off with a 1 p.m. Early Bird Workshop that includes the Governing for Achievement Progress Report along with bonus, state-mandated ethics training. School boards must be trained by April 30 to satisfy the ethics training requirement.

At 3:30 Friday afternoon, enjoy Fairfax, Va. Schools Superintendent Dr. Jack Dale as he discusses Maximizing Performance in the 21st Century. The first day rounds out with a 5:15 p.m. panel on Building a Better Principal: How Training Changes Will Affect Your Schools. That panel will include Drs. John Bell of the state Department of Education, Jeanie A. Box of Samford University, Frances Kochan of Auburn University and Agnes Smith of the University of South Alabama. Saturday morning begins with a round of breakout sessions on motivating Generation Y employees, understanding state law pertaining to education personnel and the hotly debated topic of effectively evaluating Alabama’s education employees and measuring their performance. Shortly after 10 a.m. motivational speaker Darrell “Coach D” Andrews will tell you why Nobody Rises to Low Expectations.

For registration and overflow accommodation information, go online at www.AlabamaSchoolBoards.org or call 800/562-0601.

ENCOURAGE YOUR SCHOOL BOARD SECRETARY TO ATTEND APRIL 28 TRAINING

Have a new school board secretary who is not sure where to turn for help? Have a veteran school board secretary in need of a refresher course and the latest updates? Ask him or her to join peers for the 2011 Secretaries Workshop from  9 a.m. until 3 p.m. April 28 at The Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham. The administrative assistants will learn about the board secretary’s role, how to prepare agenda packets and take minutes, the key to handling difficult people, the benefits of paperless board meetings, how to update board member information in AASB’s eMembership database and what the law says about open meetings, public records and personnel files. They will also have a rare opportunity to network with and learn from fellow board secretaries.

The cost is only $100. They can register online at www.AlabamaSchoolBoards.org and should make hotel reservations by April 11 to get the discount rate of $119. Rooms go fast and are first-come, first-served. The Wynfrey can be contacted at 800/996-3739 or 205/987-1600 (AASB’s group code is 1BA2OY). 

REGISTER FOR APRIL 20 WEBINAR ON CHARTER SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS

Patte Barth is director of the Center for Public Education and has more than 20 years experience working with education issues and policy. Hear her perspective on Charter School Effectiveness: What the Research Says. This April 20 webinar runs from 10:30 a.m. until noon and is worth 1.5 School Board Member Academy hours. This webinar/teleconference explores charter schools and whether the data supports their reputation as the next great education innovation or their potential use as another tool in educators’ toolbox.

The webinar costs just $40 for individuals and $150 for groups and is the latest installment in the 2011 AASB Webinar Series. It is an affordable and easy way for school board members, superintendents, school personnel and others to learn. Go to www.AlabamaSchoolBoards.org to register at least 48 hours prior to the webinar to receive a one-time use access code. Schedule conflict? No worries. Just order webinar CDs for $40 each. Upcoming webinars (subject to change) include:

• May 17 - Preparing the Media & Community for the Release of Student Assessment Data
•  July 20 - Relaxing the Rules to Support ‘Innovation Schools’
• Aug. 16 - Defining ‘College & Career Readiness’
• Sept. 21- What School Boards Should Know About the Fair Labor Standards Act
• Nov. 15 - Get Out the Good News (how to share school success)

ETHICS LAW TRAINING VIDEO AVAILABLE

The Alabama Ethics Commission has now posted online a 55-minute training video that will enable public officials and public employees to meet the training requirements under the revised state Ethics Law. The video is posted at www.ethics.alabama.gov. For those with slower Internet connections, the commission also has copies of the video available on DVD. To order it, call the commission at 334/242-2997. The revised Ethics Law gives public officials and certain public employees until April 30 to receive training approved by the Ethics Commission. In addition to the training available through the commission’s video, Jim Sumner, director of the commission, has approved the training provided through AASB’s March 18 early bird workshop.

LOOKING FOR YOUR LEGISLATIVE NEWS?

Advocate for Schools, formerly Leg-Alert, has officially launched and is sent electronically to all AASB members in the association’s database. The newsletter provides a weekly update on education legislation and policy during the legislative session. If you’re missing your copy, check spam filters and make certain your contact information is up to date in AASB’s eMEMBERSHIP database. To change your member profile, contact your school board secretary or call AASB at 800/562-0601.

SUMMER CONFERENCE ROOMS GOING FAST ALREADY!

Traditionally, even before the Summer Conference 2011 brochure hits the mail, housing at the host hotel goes fast! Make housing reservations early at the Perdido Hotel in Baldwin County, 800/634-8001 (mention AASB to receive the discounted hotel rate). This year’s conference focuses on Strong Teams, Strong Schools and will feature expert speakers and hands-on workshops for full board teams and school board members interested in enhancing the working relationship of their board. The conference is June 9-12.

CLINIC PROPOSALS FOR AASB CONVENTION DUE APRIL 1 

AASB is searching for the best-kept secrets in Alabama’s public schools. If you have an outstanding idea, unique approach or innovative solution to a perplexing problem in education or school board governance, tell school board members across the state! Submit a proposal to present a Dec. 9 clinic during AASB’s Annual Convention at the Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham. Download a submission form from www.AlabamaSchoolBoards.org, fill it out and return it to Meeting/Marketing Coordinator Angela Ing, angela.ing@AlabamaSchoolBoards.org or fax 334/270-0000 by Friday, April 1.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

March 18 REGISTER NOW
Governing for Achievement Progress Report & State-Mandated Ethics Training
“Early Bird” Workshop (2 Academy hours)
Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham

March 18-19 REGISTER NOW
Academy Core Conference
Leadership for Developing a Highly Effective Staff * (6 Academy hours)
Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham

April 9-11
NSBA Annual Conference and Exposition (3 Academy hours)
San Francisco, California

April 20 REGISTER NOW
AASB Webinar (1.5 Academy hours)
Charter School Effectiveness: What the Research Says

May 17
AASB Webinar (1.5 Academy hours)
Preparing the Media & Community for the Release of Student Assessment Data

June 9-10
Academy Core Conference
Roles and Responsibilities Orientation * (8 Academy hours)
Perdido Hotel

June 10-12
AASB Summer Conference (7 Academy hours)
Strong Teams, Strong Schools
Perdido Hotel

July 13-15
National School Boards Association Southern Region Conference
(3 Academy hours)
Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC

July 20
AASB Webinar (1.5 Academy hours)
Relaxing the Rules to Support 'Innovation Schools'

August 16
AASB Webinar (1.5 Academy hours)
Defining 'College & Career Readiness'

September 21
AASB Webinar (1.5 Academy hours)
What School Boards Should Know About the Fair Labor Standards Act

October 2-3
Academy Core Conference
Leadership for Community Engagement * (6 Academy hours)
Renaissance Montgomery Hotel

November 15
AASB Webinar (1.5 Academy hours)
Get Out the Good News

December 8
Academy Core Conference
Effective Boards and Relationships Orientation* (6 Academy hours)
Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham

December 8-10
AASB Annual Convention
Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham

— Denise L. Berkhalter,
publicrelations@AlabamaSchoolBoards.org

Alabama Association of School Boards:
Developing excellent school board leaders through quality training, advocacy and services