CLAS School Leader - Summer 2024

CLAS SCHOOL

Elevate Your Education Journey With The University of Alabama Online

Whether you want to excel as a school administrator or to lead from the classroom, UA Online offers more than 25 programs to advance your career!

Flexible Learning: Balance work, life and academics seamlessly.

Top-Ranked Curriculum: Stay at the forefront with hands-on skills and knowledge.

Distinguished Faculty: Learn from experts dedicated to your success.

Interactive Community: Engage with peers nationwide for support and networking.

Begin Your Legendary Journey Today

Where Legends Log In

2023-2024 CLAS Board of Directors

CLAS Officers

President Chris McCullar

Walker County Center of Technology

President-Elect Michelle Washington Lee County Schools

Past President Bob Lawry

Hoover City Schools

Alabama Association of Secondary School Principals (AASSP)

Carrie Busby Mountain Brook High School

Jeff Cole ........................................ Winston County High School

David Diaz Satsuma High School

Drew Glass Tallassee High School

Antjuan Marsh ................................................................. Retired

Willie Moore Athens High School

Bennie Shellhouse.................................. Andalusia City Schools

Seth Taylor Saks High School

Alabama Association of Elementary School Administrators (AAESA)

Dana Bottoms W J Carroll Intermediate School

Veronica Coleman ...................... Chastang-Fournier K-8 School

Charles Gardner Hokes Bluff Elementary School

Margaret Jones........................... Edgewood Elementary School

Waller Martin Brookwood Elementary School

Sheneta Smith Howell-Graves Preschool

Stan Stokley Saraland Elementary School

Dilhani Uswatte Rocky Ridge Elementary School

Alabama Association of Middle School Principals (AAMSP)

Andy Carpenter ........................................ Wellborn High School

Tamala Maddox i3 Academy - Middle School

Ross Reed Auburn Junior High School

Tony Sanders Greensboro Middle School

Alabama Council of Administrators of Special Education (ALA-CASE)

Christy Jackson Fort Payne City Schools

Bruce Prescott ..................................... Tuscaloosa City Schools

Lana Tew Pelham City Schools

La’Keisha Newsome Henry County Schools

Alabama Child Nutrition Directors (ACND)

Melinda Bonner

Hoover City Schools

Alabama Leaders Advocating for English Learners (ALA-EL)

Stefanie Underwood Decatur City Schools

Alabama Association of 504 Coordinators (ALA504)

Annie Spike Marshall County Schools

Alabama Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (AASCD)

Lisa Beckham Samford University

Ashley Catrett ................................... Crenshaw County Schools

Patrick Chappell. Retired

Justin Hefner ....................................... Homewood City Schools

Chris Mitten Dale County Schools

Carlos Nelson Sheffield City Schools

Evelyn Nettles-Hines Birmingham City Schools

Tiffany Yelder Opelika City Schools

Alabama Association for Prevention, Attendance and Support Services (AAPASS)

Floyd Collins .............................................. Pelham City Schools

Amanda Hood Mountain Brook City Schools

Bobby Jackson Retired

Alabama Association of Career/ Technical Administrators (ACTA)

Connie Davis ......................................... Demopolis High School

Chris McCullar Walker County Center of Technology School Superintendents of Alabama (SSA)

Suzanne Lacey Talladega County Schools

Chuck Ledbetter Pelham City Schools

Ed Nichols Madison City Schools

Cindy Wigley Marshall County Schools

Timothy Thurman......................................... Linden City Schools

Alabama Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA)

David Asbury Gadsden City Schools

Allison Mays Tuscaloosa County Schools

Alabama Alliance of Black School Educators (AL-ABSE)

Christopher Blair Retired

Affiliate Presidents

Seth Taylor.......................................................AASSP President

Karissa Lang AAESA President

Caroline Obert AAMSP President

Charla DeLeo ALA-CASE President

Patrick McGavin ACND President

Jason Barnett ................................................. ALA-EL President

Jan Tribble AASCD President

Amanda Hood............................................... AAPASS President

Chris Kennedy ACTA President

Heath Grimes SSA President

Resia Brooks AASPA President

Christopher Blair AL-ABSE President

Where will your road lead you?

Greetings and salutations,

I hope this issue of CLAS School Leader finds you well. The legislative session has wound down now with the legislature adjourning sine die on May 9, 2024. Chief among these is the ETF Budget which was sent to Governor Ivey on the last day of the legislative session. Overall, we are reasonably happy with this budget.

The ETF budget contains a two percent raise for educational employees; an increase in the ETF for assistant principals in elementary and middle schools with 300+ students; funding for principal and assistant principal stipends; funding for new principal mentors; and more. We had hoped to get assistant

DIRECTOR’S view

Dr. Vic Wilson Executive Director CLAS

principal funding for all schools with more than 250 students. That overall amount was too high, but we were able to get movement in the right direction. Hopefully, this will be increased in years to come.

The 2024 session has been good in many ways, and not so good in others. It does depend on perspective. From my perspective, education took several funding hits this year. The CHOOSE Act passed early in the session. This act creates an Educational Savings Account (ESA) for students who want to attend a qualified private, parochial, or home school. The amount is $7,000 for private and parochial schools and $2,000 for a home school student. This act will go into effect

in the fall of 2025 and will cost a minimum $100 million from the ETF annually. In addition to this act, several bills passed that give tax credits for certain goods and/or entities. Each credit comes at the expense of the ETF. In fact, the credits and/or cuts from the previous two legislative sessions total in the hundreds of millions of dollars from the ETF. With ETF receipts coming in flat, this does not bode well for future budgets.

We have a convention coming up! I hope you have made plans for Mobile for June 10-12, 2024. We are ready to get on the road because “All Roads LEAD to Learning.” As always, we have some great speakers lined up for you. Dr. Sanders has worked hard to get some great speakers and presenters, and everyone at CLAS has worked to ensure that the convention experience will be fabulous for those who attend.

I look forward to networking with old friends and new at the convention, and I know you feel the same way. We want to learn and laugh at high levels during the convention, and we can’t do that without you being there. So, if you have not done so, visit the

CLAS Convention website and sign up for the 2024 Summer CLAS Convention where “All Roads LEAD to Learning!”

See you soon!

Sincerely,

Immersive Learning Experiences

~Virtual Reality Without the Headset~

What is Immersive Technology?

PowerUpEDU’s newest Active Learning Solution for the Classroom!

An Immersive Learning Space is a shared environment, where multiple people can discover together and engage with a world beyond the restriction of the room. With the utilization of stateof-the-art technology, an Immersive Learning Space becomes a multimedia, interactive platform that engages learners of all grades and abilities.

Dynamic and versatile, Immersive Learning Experiences offer unique and collaborative opportunities to reinforce state standards, develop key life skills, encourage independence, promote group participation and social interaction and build confidence.

Plan a visit to north GA to

2024 CLAS CONVENTION AGENDA

SUNDAY, JUNE 9

1:00 - 5:00 Registration

1:00 - 3:00 CLAS Board Meeting

3:30 - 5:30 Affiliate Board Meetings: AAESA, AAMSP, AASCD, AASPA, AASSP, and ALA-EL

4:30 - 6:00 CLAS Board Meet & Greet

6:30 - 8:30 CLAS Board Dinner

MONDAY, JUNE 10

7:00 - 4:00 Registration

7:00 - 4:00 Exhibits Open

7:00 - 8:00 Continental Breakfast with Partners

8:00 - 9:15 Clinic Sessions

Culturize – Every Student. Every Day. Whatever it Takes. Jimmy Casas

Attracting & Retaining the Next Greatest Generation Kristin Scroggin

REIGNITE: Avoid Burnout, Increase Outcomes, and Learn to Love Education Again Chase Mielke

Leading With Inclusion: Championing ELL

Success Berwick Augustin

The Art of Leading Transformation Amy Dujon

Share Tables Various Topics

9:15 - 10:15

Refreshment Break and Visit Exhibits

9:20 - 3:20 Learning Labs in Exhibit Hall

10:00 - 1:00 Photo Session for Current and Incoming CLAS Board and Affiliate Presidents

10:15 - 12:30 Clinic Sessions Repeated

11:30 - 1:00 Lunch on Your Own/Visit Exhibits

1:00 - 2:45 Opening General Session Jimmy Casas

2:45 - 3:45 Refreshment Break and Visit Exhibits

3:45 - 4:30

Affiliate Meetings: AAESA, AAMSP, AASCD, AASPA, AASSP, AAPASS, ACND, and ALA-EL

TUESDAY, JUNE 11

7:00 - 11:30 Registration

7:00 - 11:30 Exhibits Open

7:00 - 7:45 Continental Breakfast and Visit Exhibits

7:45 - 8:45

Morning Breakout Sessions

ATOT Scoring Rubric: Taking the Guesswork Out of Rating Instructional Practices Barry Wiginton Knowledge of Special Education Discipline: Implications for All School Leaders

Chelsea Bayko and Kristen Westwood

Skills for Success: An Authentic CRI

Houston Blackwood and Matt Heaton

Leveraging SEL to Support Student and Educator Engagement and Well-Being

Quinae Jackson

Latest Developments from the State Department of Education (7:45 A.M. ONLY) Melissa Shields

Developing Computational Thinking Pathways in Rural Alabama High Schools: Results and Lessons Learned (11:15 A.M. ONLY)

Tina Blankenship, Kathleen Haynie, and Dawn Morrison

Legislative Session Recap Whitney Miller-Nichols

9:00 - 10:30

Second General Session Brandon Fleming

10:30 - 12:00 Refreshment Break and Visit Exhibits

11:15 - 12:15 Morning Breakout Sessions Repeated

12:25 - 2:05 Awards Luncheon

2:15 - 3:15 Afternoon Breakout Sessions

A National Model for Advancing Cyber Concepts and Engineering Learning

Amy Mason and Chase Golden

Setting the Tone: Effective Communication and Positive Energy in an Organization Tracy Smith

Understanding the Principal Act and Alabama New Principal Mentoring Program

Anna Shepherd-Jones, Brenda Mendiola, Ellen Hahn, Yvette Bynum, and Linda Searby

Confessions of a Hacker: Ways to Avoid Becoming a Victim of Cybercrime Jeremiah Baker

Special Education Evaluations and Services for Private School and Homeschool Students with Disabilities: Welcome to the School Choice Era

Leslie Allen

Charting the Course: Navigating a Journey from Observational Data to Action

Stephanie Hulon and Holly Morgan

3:30 - 4:30

Afternoon Breakout Sessions Repeated

4:30 - 6:00 President’s Reception

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12

8:00 - 10:00

Breakfast and Closing General Session

Robyn Jackson

SUMMER READING EXPERIENCES

Dr. Eric Mackey

Alabama State Superintendent of Education

It’s summertime again and I sure hope everyone gets an opportunity to relax and recharge a bit after an exciting and productive school year. But of course, I am also thinking about the amazing young people who will fill our schools this summer. We are making gains with our students and summer provides another opportunity to pour into them with instruction, attention, and learning.

Various forms of reading and math camps around the state will provide many students with the extra push they need towards proficiency. For some, the skills they have already learned are reinforced and improved upon. In 2022, Alabama showed the nation its resilience when we were the only state in America to not decrease in reading scoring on the Nation’s Report Card, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, (NAEP). We are doing far too well to take our foot off the pedal now.

The Literacy Act has been in place since 2019; however, the retention portion of the law goes into effect this coming school year. This has of course caused some angst with teachers, principals, and parents alike.

As the law states, students who test below grade level in third grade reading can be held back… with some exceptions. The summer reading camps and services

educators are providing across the state are the first line of support for so many students. I know the hard work will result in increased mastery of subject matter. Use of portfolio assessments, Individualized Educational Plans, and other Good Cause Exemptions will assist in many cases, but the students in summer reading camps will be the largest segment of that population.

No one wants students to be retained, but if they’re not going to be able to be successful in middle school and beyond, they need the requisite skills before they’re promoted. For students who are retained, the earlier they’re retained the better. They’re more resilient and they make more gains. By that, I mean educators are identifying struggling readers as early as kindergarten and first grade. We’ve notice larger numbers of students retained in first grade than other grades. That’s because principals and instructional leaders are involved. They’re identifying students early so they can go ahead and start off with the right supports, interventions, enrichments, and resources needed to create a more firm literacy foundation.

In your interactions with parents, I encourage you to remind them that, even though it’s summer, every student needs to come and pay attention, get rest at night, eat a good breakfast, and show up at summer camp well prepared.

And remember, the summer learning experience isn’t limited to summer reading camps. Encourage other parents to have a Summer Academic Plan. That may be helping them choose books to read, taking educational trips, or having some kind of academic enrichment over the summer months.

The summer learning experience is just a microcosm of the work you do all year long. Your commitment to these young people will yield great rewards. One student reading and opening a new world through books. One student feeling confident enough to reach their potential and achieve that goal! The work you do, every single day… is invaluable.

Every Child. Every Chance. Every Day… Even in the summer!

Elevating School Leadership: CLAS Partners with Rhodes Branding for Enhanced Development Programs

The Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools (CLAS) is proud to announce a new partnership with Rhodes Branding, aimed at enriching the professional development opportunities for Alabama’s school leaders. This collaboration is poised to revolutionize the way school administrators approach branding, marketing, and engagement within their schools.

Rhodes Branding, a mission-led strategic branding and marketing agency that caters exclusively to K-12 education, brings a wealth of expertise and a proven track record of empowering educational leaders. Through this partnership, Rhodes will integrate its specialized knowledge into CLAS’s professional development programs, focusing specifically on building competitive school brands, refining engagement strategies, and enhancing marketing efforts.

Austin Rhodes, President and Co-Founder of Rhodes Branding, emphasizes the importance of this initiative: “Our collaboration with CLAS is about more than just branding—it’s about equipping school leaders with the necessary tools to stand out in a competitive educational environment. We aim to help administrators understand, own, and effectively communicate what sets their schools apart.”

The partnership will feature a series of targeted webinars designed to deepen school leaders’ understanding of effective communication and branding strategies.

One of the central components of the partnership is the development of a Professional Learning Unit (PLU) specifically crafted around the themes of branding and marketing. This PLU is designed to provide school leaders with a structured, in-depth learning experience that will empower them to lead their schools more effectively in these crucial areas.

Dr. Vic Wilson, Executive Director of CLAS, highlights the expected outcomes of the partnership: “By integrating Rhodes Branding’s expertise into our professional development offerings, we are enhancing our members’ ability to create impactful and engaging school environments. This partnership is about providing our leaders with the knowledge and skills to promote their schools’ success stories and foster environments that support student achievement.”

This strategic collaboration with Rhodes Branding signifies CLAS’s ongoing commitment to providing innovative and effective professional development to its members, ensuring that they remain at the forefront of educational leadership and management in Alabama.

Teacher Discipline as a “Seizure”

Readers of this commentary will remember from their basic school law course that the legal test for searches of students originates from the U.S. Supreme Court case of New Jersey v. T.L.O., 469 U.S. 325 (1985). T.L.O. held that student searches implicate a constitutional right under the Fourth Amendment, but, due to the special circumstances of schools, school administrators, unlike police officers, are not required to have probable cause to initiate a search; they are only required to have reasonable suspicion. T.L.O.’s legal test teaches that the search: 1) must be reasonable at its inception and 2) must be reasonable in scope. Subsequent case law about student searches also instructs us that, for a search to be reasonable at its inception, the school administrator must have individualized suspicion, i.e., must know the identity of the person who is the subject of the search, unless the circumstances provide the school administrator with one of the small number of exceptions to the rule, where individualized suspicion is waived. A search without individualized suspicion will usually not be considered justified, unless it begins where contraband is seen in plain view, when school property being searched is jointly used by the school and the student, or while conducting an emergency search for a firearm.

Continued on Page 19

LEGAL forum

Dr. Dave Dagley Professor Emeritus, University of Alabama and

Dr. Amy Dagley

Associate Professor, University of

Alabama at Birmingham

Legal Forum Continued

The Fourth Amendment refers to both searches and seizures in its protections: “[t]he right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures.” Because the recognition of the idea of student seizures is a relatively new development in school law, we have noted and written in recent years about cases in these commentaries that are about seizures instead of searches. The earliest case we spotlighted about student seizures was a claim that a student who was required to stay in the assistant principal’s office while the administrator was interviewing witnesses was an unreasonable seizure. The court held that in the circumstances, with school officials making certain the student could go to the restroom, obtain water, and have lunch, while being required to stay in the office was a seizure, but the seizure was reasonable. See, Shuman v. Penn Manor Sch. Dist., 422 F.3d 141 (3rd Cir. 2005). In the spring of 2016, we wrote about cases that involved teachers restraining students, the intervention by school resource officers in student discipline, and the use of timeouts or restraints in the school setting. In the summer of 2023, we contrasted two cases about the use of restraints for students in special education, and the critical importance of: (1) specialized training for teachers and aides in administering restraints; and (2) including specifics about the restraints in the student’s IEP and, especially, in the student’s behavior intervention plan.

On Valentine’s Day two months ago, parents of a student with cerebral palsy received a preliminary injunction against the school board of a career center in Ohio, as part of a suit they brought after they learned that a teacher had restrained, or seized, their son multiple times in the classroom, without apparent provocation or rationale. Joy Brown v. Board of Education, Greene County Career Center, S.D. Ohio Case No. 3:24-cv-14, 2024 WL 620937 (Signed February 14, 2024). This commentary is about that court case.

J.B., the student in the case, complained to his parents that his teacher in a vocational laboratory class had pushed a table into his stomach and pinned him to his chair, and that the teacher had pushed him out of his chair into the floor ten to fifteen times during the school year. The student also complained that the teacher had grasped his hand, bending it backward and causing pain. A fellow student supplied a video

of the teacher standing over J.B. and yelling at him. Other students also testified that the teacher had pushed tables into their stomachs, pinning them to their chair, had thrown them out of their chairs into the floor, stood over them and yelled at them, and used profanity directed at them. The teacher would also greet students with a hug or handshake using interlocking fingers, sometimes inflicting pain. While some students characterized the teacher’s actions as “horseplay,” in his analysis on the motion for preliminary injunction, the judge referred to the teacher’s actions as the teacher’s “past unprofessional and reprehensible misconduct.”

The parents brought a Section 1983 action, alleging violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act, and Ohio law. “Section 1983” is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1871, which allows a plaintiff to bring a claim against a state official who violates clearly established constitutional or civil rights. The parents were able to receive a temporary restraining order (TRO) that banned the teacher from teaching for a relatively short period of time (2024 WL 199194). While the TRO was in place, the superintendent and school board decided to put the teacher on a “Last Chance Agreement,” a remediation plan, rather than terminating the teacher’s contract. The parents then filed a motion seeking a preliminary injunction to ban the teacher from teaching for the remainder of the school year.

The analysis for whether a preliminary injunction is warranted considers four factors: (1) whether the moving party can show a likelihood of success on the merits; (2) whether the moving party will suffer irreparable harm if the injunction is not issued; (3) whether the issuance of the injunction would cause substantial harm to others; and (4) whether the public interest would be served by issuing the injunction. The four factors are not so much a list to be checked off, but rather a means of balancing the interests of the plaintiff, the defendant, and others impacted by the decision.

For the first factor, the plaintiff can show a likelihood of success on the merits, if he or she can show, in this situation, that a school official has violated the Fourth Amendment. In effect, the court must decide whether

Continued on Page 33

Whitney Miller-Nichols

CLAS Director of Governmental Relations

Legislative

UPDATE

Alabama’s 2024 legislative session kicked off February 6 and adjourned sine die Thursday, May 9, ending with 11 days left in their constitutionally allowed 105 days.

The Legislature began the session at a breakneck pace, burning through half of their 30 legislative days in just five 3-day legislative weeks. The aggressive schedule led to lean committee calendars as leadership focused on their marquee legislation: the CHOOSE Act education savings account bill; the Parents Right to Know curriculum transparency bill; and the divisive concepts bill.

The Legislature took two weeklong breaks in March, the first labeled as a constituent work period and the second as the traditional spring break. They returned in late March with their collective nose to the grindstone, passing dozens of bills from each chamber over three 2-day legislative weeks.

Rumors in Montgomery had the Legislature adjourning by Mother’s Day, and that proved true. Both chambers had a productive final week of the session as they worked through long calendars Tuesday and Wednesday. However, the last Thursday of the session focused on bill

concurrences between the two chambers, rather than a final burst of bill passages.

ETF Budget Update

The House and Senate concurred on a compromise FY2025 Education Trust Fund budget on Thursday, May 9, the last day of the session. The compromise budget had just one change from the Senate’s final version and that in turn had few changes from the House’s final version of the budget

The final version of the budget includes:

1. Funding to provide assistant principal units for elementary schools with 300+ ADM (0.5 unit) and middle schools with 300+ ADM (1.0 unit). The schools earning these units are those classified as elementary/middle school by ALSDE for the 202324 school year.

2. A 2% across the board pay raise for education employees, plus an additional bump to the Class B starting teacher pay. That bump for novice Class B teachers puts Alabama’s starting teacher pay as

the highest among our neighbor states.

3. Stipends for special education teachers again this year.

4. Principal and assistant principal stipends per the 2023 School Principal Leadership and Mentoring Act.

5. Additional reading and math coaches for elementary schools under the terms of the Literacy and Numeracy Acts.

6. $14.9M in funding to establish a workers’ compensation program for education employees will be rolled into the Other Current Expense portion of the Foundation Program since that enabling legislation died in the House.

7. This budget includes new flexibility to the $5.4M Auxiliary Teacher Grant Program to allow those funds to be used to support EL students in schools with an EL population over 10%.

See each version of the Education Trust Fund and General Fund budgets on the Legislative Fiscal Office’s Budget Page, which also has links to spreadsheets for prior year budgets.

The Legislature made a $1B appropriation from the A&T Fund of the ETF this year, the first since 2022’s $283M appropriation. Each school system’s allocation is listed in the bill. The uses allowed with the Advancement and Technology Fund set out in Section 29-9-4, the Code of Alabama, 1975 are:

1. Repairs or deferred maintenance of facilities for public education purposes

2. Classroom instructional support pursuant to Code of Alabama, Sections 16-13-231(b) (2) c and 1613-231.3

3. Insuring facilities

4. Transportation pursuant to Code of Alabama, Section 16-13-233

5. Purchase of education technology and equipment, or both

6. School security measures as a component of a systemwide security plan

7. Capital outlay

This year’s ETF supplemental appropriation divided $651.2M among K-12 public education, higher education, CHOOSE Act education savings accounts (more below), and programs not traditionally categorized as education, such as the Department of Agriculture and Industries and the Legislative Services Agency. K-12 education received 30.48% of the total amount appropriated in the bill. See a breakdown of the bill and its versions here. The bill also splits the balance of the discontinued Distressed Institutions of Higher Education Revolving Loan Program Fund between the Lt. Governor’s K-12 Capital Grant

Program Fund ($15M) and the House Community Service Grants Fund ($14.9M). The loan program was dissolved by HB439 (Baker).

K-12 items in the FY2024 Supplemental Appropriation:

2. State Board of Education, Local Boards of Education $94,974,918

• $13,839,874 ASIMS (AL Student Information Management System)

• $15,000,000 New school bus purchases based on the current age and mileage of existing buses - State Supt recommended & Gov approved

• $10,000,000 Career Tech O&M (equipment, consumables, and supplies)

• $25,000,000 Core-adoption textbooks

• $22,229,387 Funding for current school nurse matrix

• $8,155,657 Unanticipated Foundation Program shortfalls

• $750,000 Principal Act stipends for CTE director-principals

3. State Department of Education $63,625,000

• $400,000 Birmingham Education Foundation

• $15,000,000 Summer reading camps

• $17,000,000 College & Career Readiness grants - postsecondary opportunity awareness

• $4,000,000 Teacher’s Liability Trust Fund

• $5,000,000 Struggling Readers Beyond Grade 3

• $2,500,000 EdFarm

• $9,000,000 Charter School Capital Facility Grants

• $2,000,000 Plasma Games Curriculum

• $6,650,000 American Village Capital Projects

• $700,000 Woolley Institute for Spoken Language - N. AL facility

• $500,000 ALET software monitoring pilot with 6 school systems ($6K to ALET)

• $500,000 Small Magic School Readiness (Birmingham Talks)

• $300,000 First Grade Readiness Pilot Program

• $75,000 Youth Entrepreneurial CEO Program

6. Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences

$15,000,000

8. Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind $3,464,931

9. Marine Environmental Science Consortium (Dauphin Island Sea Lab) $4,000,000

Continued on Page 23

Principals Advocate on Capitol Hill

Written by Dan Gursky, a freelance education writer and editor based in Washington, D.C., for the National Association of Secondary

On the final day of the National School Leaders Advocacy Conference last week, the nearly 400 NASSP and NAESP school leaders who attended the gathering in Washington, D.C, headed to Capitol Hill for a full day of meetings with their elected representatives. That included 10 school leaders from Alabama, who met with lawmakers and staff from every member of the state’s congressional delegation: two senators and seven representatives.

The group, like their counterparts from around the country, shared stories from their own schools and districts and talked to the lawmakers about a number of issues and proposed bills outlined in a joint NASSPNAESP federal legislative agenda. The agenda focuses on three broad areas: educator shortages and the principal pipeline; improving school mental health, wellness, and safety resources; and federal K–12 education budget priorities.

Karissa Lang, the principal of Crestline Elementary School in Hartselle, AL, urged lawmakers to increase funding for special needs students through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). When it was passed almost 50 years ago, the law mandated the federal government to provide 40% of the funding for special needs students. That figure is currently about 13%, Lang said, which means that her district primarily uses local funds for staff like the 16 paraprofessionals in her school who work with students with disabilities. “Any increase in IDEA funds would be tremendously helpful,” she told Rep. Robert Aderholt, a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and chair of the subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.

Bonnie Sullivan, the principal of Pike Road Intermediate School in Pike Road, AL, talked about the growing challenges—especially mental and emotional—students bring to school these days. “We do our best, but we aren’t necessarily equipped to deal with them.” One result, she said, is that good veteran teachers are leaving the profession because of the stress.

Other Alabama leaders talked about the need for expanded mental health supports not only for students

School Principals (NASSP).

but also for the adults working in schools. Seth Taylor, the principal of Saks High School in Saks, AL, said that school leaders “are in this because we want to see people succeed in life. That’s where we get fulfillment, but we can’t do it without support. We’re in this for kids, but the grown people in school need support too.”

Vic Wilson, the executive director of the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools (CLAS), an association that represents more than 4,000 school leaders in the state, urged the lawmakers to maintain federal funding for Title II, which supports professional development for educators. Alabama is a leader in providing mentoring and professional learning opportunities for school leaders, and federal support could help expand those offerings to more leaders.

The lobby day came on the same day that the House voted to force the Chinese government to sell TikTok or face a ban on the app. The Alabama school leaders talked to the lawmakers and staff about how the overwhelming presence of social media in schools poses new challenges, with even kindergartners bringing smartphones to school, and students facing cyberbullying at all hours of the day.

In addition to lobbying together with their fellow Alabamians, the school leaders enjoyed their time at the annual advocacy conference connecting with colleagues from every state. Retired principal Jill Eaton, who is a former national president of NAESP, said that it’s always great to hear what principals in her state are doing, but “after spending three days with principals across the nation, I see that we all share the same issues.”

Legislative Update Continued

26. Lt Governor’s K-12 Capital Grant Fund

$15,000,000

33. Space Science Exhibit Commission $500,000

34. Alabama School of Fine Arts $650,000

35. Alabama School of Cyber Technology & Engineering $650,000

36. Alabama School of Mathematics and Science $650,000

Education Savings Account Update

The Legislature passed the CHOOSE Act March 6, just over a month after the session convened. CLAS worked extensively with Governor Ivey’s legislative staff and both the House and Senate budget chairs to limit the scope of and funding for Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). The CHOOSE Act Fund cannot carry forward more than $500M, and any overage must revert to the ETF. Every ESA recipient must participate in annual testing for academic accountability and can opt to participate in the state testing program (ACAP/ACT). Education service providers have some financial accountability measures they must comply with, and ESA recipients will utilize a vendor platform to purchase eligible items other than tuition or school fees.

The law establishes the CHOOSE Act Fund and requires the Legislature to appropriate at least $100M annually to the fund to provide ESAs to individuals in Alabama via a refundable tax credit. Each ESA will be prefunded with $7,000. ESAs will be available for the first time in the 2025-26 school year. The Legislature appropriated $51M via the FY2024 supplemental appropriation for CHOOSE Act ESAs.

Taxes Update

The state sales tax rate on groceries will stay at 3% for another year since the Education Trust Fund did not grow enough last year to trigger the automatic rate decrease.

Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth highlighted a property tax cap as one of his legislative priorities for this session. In response, the House passed HB73 (Pettus) to cap the annual property tax increase at 7%. This higher rate was amended on the House floor as a compromise from the introduced version of 3% for residential property. This bill was sent to Gov. Kay Ivey for signature on May 8.

The statewide Simplified Sellers Use Tax rate of 8% gives online retailers an unfair advantage over local brick-

and-mortar retailers. To help those retailers boost their local sales tax base, Rep. Joe Lovvorn and Rep. Chris England promoted a legislative package that paired a new sales tax holiday with an updated SSUT rate. The rate equalization would have matched the online sales tax to the statewide average 9.33% sales tax rate and divided the new revenue between local boards of education and local government entities. The revenue boost each school system would have received directly from the updated SSUT rate would have been greater than the loss to the ETF with the proposed tax holiday. This bill package failed.

Schools Leaders Update

The FY2025 ETF budget includes additional assistant principal funding. Elementary schools with 300+ ADM will earn 0.5 AP unit and middle schools with 300+ ADM will earn 1.0 AP unit. The schools earning these units are those classified as elementary/middle school by ALSDE for the 202324 school year. This is great news! CLAS will continue to advocate for a state-funded assistant principal unit for every school with 250 or more students, but this announcement is a significant victory in that quest.

The final ETF budget sent to Gov. Ivey for signature includes full funding for the School Principal Leadership and Mentoring Act:

• $27M for principal and assistant principal stipends for those who participate in the professional development program, available at the end of the 2024-25 school year

• $3.5M to pay principal mentors partnered with firsttime principals hired after July 1, 2025

• The Legislature also added $750K to the FY2024 supplemental appropriation for CTE directorprincipals to participate in the Principal Act professional development program.

ALSDE has a 2-hour professional development course to explain the ins and outs of the Principal Act and the Alabama Principal Leadership Development System (APLDS). Search PowerSchool PD for Course #316126 Principal Act Overview.

Workforce Development Concerns Update

In late March a bipartisan coalition of legislative leaders released the Working for Alabama legislative package focused on workforce development in the state.

Continued on Page 39

Ethically Speaking

Mark Boardman Attorney Boardman, Carr, Petelos, Watkins & Ogle P.C.

Have You Watc H ed t H e

t H ics LaW v ideo?

Those who read this magazine should watch the Alabama Ethics Commission video. At the end of the video, the successful participant registers his or her successful completion of the training. The Ethics Commission maintains a record of those who are so trained.

The Alabama Ethics Commission’s video is on its website. All public officials, principals, supervisors, those who file Statements of Economic Interests, and others are required to watch it. Covered employees and public officials hired in 2011 or later are to do so within 90 days of hire.

The video is easy to find. On the Ethics Commission home page, the Ethics Commission has a tab labeled “Education.” The video was prepared to train individuals on the Ethics Act and starts and ends with an introduction from the Executive Director of the Ethics Commission. It also introduces to you the five members of the Ethics Commission. The video has several questions and, thus, is interactive because you must click on the answers and hit “Continue.” The video takes about an hour and is designed for one person

a time, not a group. You can register at the end of the video as having completed it.

The Ethics Commission, on its website, warns that someone watching the video should have a strong connection to the internet and not rely on wifi. That warning is correct - - viewing the training video is best done on a desktop hard-wired computer with speakers. I tried to watch the video both on my iPad and on my phone connecting to wifi. Neither worked. Unfortunately, once you start, if the training freezes, you must start all over again from the beginning. I, too, experienced this when attempting to use my phone and tablet. However, I

experienced no problems when using my desktop.

The Ethics Commission says on its website that public employees who file Statements of Economic Interest must watch the training video. But the statute, perhaps poorly written, is broader. The statute says in Alabama Code Section 36-25-4.2, “Employees hired after January 1, 2011, shall have 90 days to comply with this subsection. Evidence of completion of the educational review shall be provided to the commission via an electronic reporting system provided on the official website.”

The sentence before the above makes it clear that public employees who are required to file a Statement of Economic Interests1 have to watch the video. But the sentence quoted above, as you can see, says it applies to all “employees.” Thus a literal reading of Alabama Code Section 36-25-4.2(e) requires everyone from administrators to classroom teachers to bus drivers to custodians to CNP workers to watch it.

Don’t worry, however, if you have not watched the video. You can solve the problem by spending an hour on your desktop. The video will tell you about the Ethics Act, and because, as the old adage says, “ignorance of the law is no excuse,” you will be better protected against carelessly violating the law.

1 Those who file a Statement of Economic Interest were itemized in CLAS School Leader Spring 2024 (Volume 52, Issue 1), p.28. The difference between public officials and public employees was defined in CLAS School Leader Spring 2020 (Volume 48, Issue 2), p. 8.

Dr. Demica Sanders

CLAS Director of Professional Learning

Journey to the CLAS Summer Convention

Ladies and gentlemen, the Executive Director has turned on the fasten seat belt sign! Please be seated and ensure that your seat belt is securely fastened. Buckle up, folks, because “All Roads LEAD to Learning.” We are on the brink of something big—the CLAS Summer Convention is just around the corner, and let me tell you, you are in for a treat! As educators, administrators, and innovators eagerly anticipate this forthcoming milestone, there is a buzz of excitement in the air.

A Gathering Place

Picture it: a bustling convention center filled with activity, where educators from near and far connect to exchange ideas, share insights, and ignite the flames of innovation. The stage is set for a collaborative learning experience, with each participant contributing significantly to shaping the future of education.

The Future of Learning, Unveiled

Again, fasten those seat belts because we are about to experience some turbulence as we take a glimpse into the future of education. Workshops, seminars, and keynote addresses will be your ticket to explore the latest trends, cutting-edge practices, and mind-blowing technologies that are revolutionizing the way we teach and learn. Trust me, you will not want to miss this ride.

Networking, Collaboration, and Coffee (Lots of Coffee)

But hey, it is not all about sitting in sessions and taking notes. The CLAS Convention is also the ultimate playground for networking and collaboration. Whether you are striking up conversations over a cup of coffee or teaming up with fellow educators over dinner, this is your chance to connect, collaborate, and perhaps even make a lifelong friend or two.

Anticipating the Aftermath

As the countdown to the convention ticks away, I cannot help but feel a sense of excitement building inside me. Because I know that what happens at the CLAS Convention will not just stay within the walls of the convention center—it will have ripple effects that will shape the future of education for years to come. And that, my friends, is something worth getting excited about.

Conclusion: Let’s Do This!

So, there you have it, folks—a glimpse into the whirlwind of awesomeness that awaits us at the CLAS Convention. Get ready to be inspired, challenged, and even a little overwhelmed. But most of all, get ready to be a part of something truly special - a gathering of educators who are shaping the future, one idea at a time. As we make the final descent to our destination, we eagerly anticipate seeing you soon! Please use caution as you deplane the aircraft, ensuring everyone’s safe arrival.

About Jimmy Casas

Jimmy is one of the nation’s most sought-after speakers, speaking all over the world and inspiring educators to be the change our students, teachers, and principals deserve.

Jimmy Casas is the keynote speaker at the Opening General Session of the 2024 CLAS Convention.

Jimmy Casas

2024 CLAS Convention Keynote Speaker

Roland Barth in his book, Improving Schools from Within, defines culture as a complex pattern of norms, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, values, ceremonies, traditions, and myths that are deeply ingrained in the very core of the organization. Countless times throughout the course of my career, I found myself entrenched in disputes among staff, addressing disgruntled parents, and dealing with behaviors that would leave me frustrated and exhausted and quite frankly, often disappointed. The more I dealt with these situations, the more I began to identify culture as one thing – behavior.

I learned that I simply had to look around and watch how people were behaving and that defined our true culture. The words that adorned the walls of my school, the marquee, our literature, our vision, mission, and belief statements, none of that mattered. All I had to do was look around and watch how the adults in the building behaved and that said all I needed to know; we had a lot of work to do.

In my work with schools today, I often hear complaints from the administration about staff members who frustrate them for a variety of reasons. If I had to narrow it down to a couple of reasons, I would say, 1. those who are negative and influence others in a negative way and 2. those who are ineffective, unable to perform at the level we need them to perform and because they can’t, it hurts us and by us, I mean mostly students.

Let’s face it. Most of us have that one staff member in our school, you know, the one that should have retired five years ago that we love to complain about. Sure, these individuals can frustrate us to the point that we don’t know what to do with them, except slap a label on them. I believe this to be true because I am speaking from personal experience. I am actually talking about me right now. Yes, frustrated with adults because I couldn’t understand why they chose to work in schools and yet, didn’t love kids. And that got me sideways. Sideways to the point that I could only see what I wanted to see and failed to see what I should have seen – that when it comes to school leadership, people will behave however we allow them to behave.

And that is how I eventually landed on the definition that culture is behavior. It doesn’t matter what the words on the walls say unless our behavior reflects those words. Kindness matters? Well, then I want to see kindness everywhere when I walk around a campus. Most of us have experienced at one time or another adults not

Continued on Page 32

Membership Rewards

This year, CLAS awarded $4,700 to 127 CLAS members for their efforts in the 2023-2024 membership recruitment drive. For every new Individual/ Institutional member who joined before December 31, 2023, $25 was awarded to the CLAS member credited with referring them to CLAS. We extend our most sincere gratitude for the hard work, dedication, and diligence put forth by these members. Additionally, for each new member recruited, CLAS enters the recruiter’s name in a drawing for $1,000 cash.

What Do the Words on Your Wall Say? (continued)

being so kind, but yet that banner continues to hang on the walls, and over time we lose credibility as leaders which eventually impacts the morale of our school in a negative way.

Examine the core values of your organization and now ask yourself, “Are the adults living out those values on a day-to-day basis, or are we still pretending?” What I learned the hard way is when we did not, it hurt my credibility as a leader. Imagine standing in an auditorium before a group of parents at the start of the school year and telling them we value them, need their help, and want to partner with them. But then we experience a few parents that we quite don’t get along with and tag them with a label, call them difficult or crazy based on our interactions with them, and then do our best to avoid them like the plague. I have never seen a mission statement that says we commit to partnering with parents or we value family engagement unless you are a nut job! Doesn’t happen. But then look at some of our behaviors by listening to the words of staff who refuse to call parents or give them an eye roll when they walk into the main office.

Let’s go back to the Interview Chair for a moment. In that chair, we told the hiring committee that we needed the support of our parents, that we saw it as a partnership, and that we needed their help. We said things like parents send us their best children. Parents do the best they know how. We shared how we learned over time to establish a connection with parents prior to an incident happening in our classrooms or school so that their first interaction with us wasn’t us calling them to tell them their child was in trouble or failing a class. I think this is how we envisioned it, but then over time, we lose our way.

After losing my way and experiencing years of frustration and disappointment, I decided to take a hard look at myself. With the help of a leadership coach and a few wonderful wise mentors, I began to reflect on my own behavior and how I was contributing to these experiences. The truth was I was allowing these behaviors to continue, which eventually turned into bigger issues that would eventually land on my desk. Not all issues dealt with conflict, but our culture was still impacted by our behaviors and we needed to understand that impact with greater clarity. Here are three areas that school and district leaders can examine today.

1. Assess Your Current Reality:

• How do you welcome new staff into your school? How do the adults manage student discipline?

How do you partner with parents? How does staff work collaboratively to support one another?

2. Process for Change:

• Have you clearly defined your vision? Are your expectations clear? Have you worked with staff to identify and define your core values as a school? How do you respond when adults violate these core agreements? What process do you have in place to give all staff a voice in decisions that impact the organization? How do you respond to those who refuse to change?

3. Model Expectations:

• Is the administration behaving in the way we expect students and staff to behave? When you see behaviors that frustrate you, do you start from a point of curiosity? Are you teaching rather than evaluating? Does the way you interact with others reflect kindness, respect, and compassion at all times?

What I eventually learned is that I could not control others, but I could manage my own behavior, and in doing so, I began to see improved results. Not perfect results, but better results. We are all susceptible to falling short of expectations and I believe that people should be able to have an opportunity to rebound from those missteps. I continue to be reminded of the words from Ted Lasso – “I hope that either all of us or none of us are judged by the action of our weakest moments, but rather by the strength we show when and if we’re ever given a second chance.”

I am all for second chances when it comes to adult behavior, but I also believe that we must all be held to a high standard when it comes to our behavior when the commodity that we are working with is students. We simply cannot risk the negative impact on our culture by allowing adults to behave in ways that do not align with the words on the wall. If we elect to do so, then I think we should take the signs down before we lose all credibility.

My friends, it is time to recalibrate.

Are you curious about the state of your current culture? Let J Casas and Associates assist you by doing a complete assessment of your building or campus culture. Contact us today for a small sample of what you will receive when you partner with us to help you lift up the morale of your building and impact your overall culture in a postive way. Reach out to info@jcasasandassociates. com for a FREE session to behave your way to excellence!

Legal Forum Continued

a seizure occurred, and if a seizure occurred, whether that seizure was reasonable. A seizure usually occurs when a reasonable person would not feel free to leave. In the school setting, a seizure also occurs when a student is physically restrained in a way that limits the movement of his or her body or limbs. When the teacher used the table to pin the student to his chair, a seizure occurred. Because the seizure was not done for a legitimate safety or disciplinary purpose, the seizure was not reasonable. Thus, the plaintiff has a strong likelihood of winning this case if it goes on to trial.

For the second factor, irreparable harm is presumed in the case of constitutional violations. In this situation, if the plaintiff is not given injunctive relief, the student must daily face the teacher or the student must quit attending that school. For the third factor, harm to others might occur, if there is only one teacher who can teach the material, and other students would not receive the expected curriculum. In this situation, however, there are two teachers who can teach the material, and schedule revision could decrease potential harm to others. For the fourth factor, the public interest is always served by preventing the violation of a party’s constitutional rights.

The court granted the student’s parents a preliminary injunction, but it was not as severe as the TRO that had been awarded earlier. The TRO had kept the teacher out of the classroom and away from J.B. In comparison, the preliminary injunction allowed the school board to implement a plan to return the teacher to teaching, subject to the terms of the Last Chance Agreement, so long as the teacher was not permitted to teach J.B. or to come in contact with J.B.

The judge in this case noted that the decision of the superintendent and school board to place the teacher in remediation under a Last Chance Agreement was, short of contract termination, the most severe punishment that could be given the teacher under the collective bargaining agreement. The judge did not wish to replace the judgment of school authorities with a judgment of his own. There is information we do not have in the few pages the judge used in authorizing a preliminary injunction. The judge does tell us that the teacher had taught for eight years with no other disciplinary issues. But we have no other information

about the teacher. We do not know how he reacted when higher authority told him that what he had been doing was improper; we don’t know if he was shocked and contrite, or he was angry and unrepentant. We don’t know if he is motivated to survive the Last Chance Agreement, or to fight it. We don’t know if he did the things he had done out of mischief, immaturity, or malevolence. We don’t know if the school authorities were willing to look past the behaviors because of a general shortage of teachers or a dearth of certified teachers in a hard-to-staff vocational area.

The most important takeaway from this case at this stage is that it recognizes that pinning a student down or shoving a student out of a chair and onto the floor is a constitutional violation, creating the potential for a successful Section 1983 liability claim for an unreasonable seizure against school officials and the teacher. But the facts support more than a seizure claim. In this situation, the parents chose to pursue it as a constitutional violation implicating the Fourth Amendment’s search and seizure clause. The behaviors described could also be an assault under tort law, and they could also support a constitutional claim of violating the Fourteenth Amendment liberty provision, as a violation of bodily integrity. In deciding to choose remediation through a Last Chance Agreement, rather than proceeding to contract termination, we do not know if the school authorities were aware that assaulting students is usually considered a form of immorality in the case law and is not considered remediable.

As a student with cerebral palsy, the student was likely protected from discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The student was probably not eligible for services in special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In court cases about restraints and seizures involving students in special education, an important factor in determining whether a restraint or seizure is reasonable is whether it comports with the student’s IEP, especially the student’s Behavior Intervention Plan. In this situation the student is protected by ADA and Section 504; therefore, the student should have something like a Behavior Intervention Plan written into the student’s “504 plan.”

33 HelpME

Panic Alert Button -- The NEXT STEP in school safety. America’s Favorite, Fastest and Easiest way to call for HELP in classrooms.

BARRY PETERSON (813) 822-0045 info@33helpme.com https://33helpme.com/

Abl

Partnering with Abl will increase each student’s access to college and career readiness pathways, maximize district use of resources, and empower leaders to meet goals.

Dawn Thompson (404) 906-1984 dthompson@ablschools.com https://www.ablschools.com/

ACCESS Virtual Learning, Madison City Schools

ACCESS Virtual Learning is an initiative of ALSDE. Its primary goal is to provide equal access to high quality instruction.

Maria Kilgore (256) 797-4946 mdkilgore@madisoncity.k12.al.us https://www.madisoncity.k12.al.us/Domain/21

Adams Learning Resources

Livestream Learning Studio for grades K-5. ACT I: Grades K-2 focus on literacy and elements of story. ACT II: Grades 3-5 focus on STEM enrichment.

Matt Adams (205) 936-0552 dadams@adamslearningresources.com www.livestreamlearningstudio.com www.scholarchip.com

Addiction Prevention Coalition

APC is a non-profit community resource that aims to eliminate addiction through our in-school prevention programs, educational events, and our collection of support services.

Carie Wimberly (205) 874-8498

carie@apcbham.org https://apcbham.org/

American

Book Company

ABC’s Alabama Workbooks, eBooks, and Online Testing cover 100% of the Alabama Course of Study Standards in preparation for the ACAP Summative assessments.

Kay Eze (888) 264-5877

alabama@americanbookcompany.com americanbookcompany.com/alabama

Age of Learning, Inc.

Age of Learning® is the leading education technology innovator, creating engaging and effective learning resources to help children build a strong foundation for academic success.

Rachel Hursh (866) 788-8868 rachel.hursh@aofl.com https://www.ageoflearning.com/schools/

Alabama Alliance of Black School Educators

AL-ABSE is a professional education organization that serve educators of all races to help eradicate the achievement gaps among African American students in Alabama schools. www.al-abse.org

Alabama Best Practices Center

The ABPC provides networked professional learning to educators across Alabama.

Stoney Beavers, Ph.D. (334) 279-1886

dakota@aplusala.org https://aplusala.org/best-practices-center/

Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education

High-quality early education provides the foundation for student success. A seamless pre-k to 3rd grade continuum aligns a comprehensive approach during children’s greatest growth years.

Ami Brooks (334) 531-5972 ami.brooks@ece.alabama.gov https://children.alabama.gov

American Fidelity

American Fidelity offers benefit strategies to help empower you to make benefits decisions that help both your organization and your employees.

John Cole (205) 987-0950

john.cole@americanfdielity.com www.americanfidelity.com

American Reading Company

ARC Core® is a K–12 high-quality curriculum, available in English & Spanish, designed to accelerate learning, dramatically improving outcomes for both students and teachers.

Tiffany Burney (610) 992-4150 tiffany.burney@americanreading.com https://www.americanreading.com/

American Village Citizenship Trust

As Alabama’s Semiquincentennial Celebration Capitol, the American Village will be providing resources to registered schools across the state in preparation for America’s 250th birthday.

Natalie Steed (205) 665-3535 nsteed@americanvillage.org www.americanvillage.org

Amp Up Arts

Amp Up Arts focuses on statewide development of arts education for preK-12 Alabama schools through networking, advocacy, and professional development of teachers and teaching artists.

Ashley Lucier (334) 475-9202 info@ampuparts.org www.instagram.com/ampuparts

Auburn University

Auburn University Educational Leadership Preparation Programs: M.Ed. Reduced Hour Option (RHO); Ed.S.; Ph.D. AES; Ph.D. ASC Amy Serafini (706) 573-7563 reamseh@auburn.edu https://education.auburn.edu/graduate-degree-cert/ administration-elementary-secondary-education-m-edm-s/ abck12.com

Classworks

Bailey Education Group

Bailey Education Group is committed to partnering with schools and districts to improve the lives of all children through customized instructional support.

Terry Roller (601) 707-5778

info@baileyarch.com baileyeducationgroup.com

Bill Miller Photographers, INC.

Specializing in School and Senior photography for over 65 years.

Dottie Dockery (205) 394-6019 hello@billmillerphotographers.com billmillerphotographers.com

Camp Explore for Educators

Camp Explore for Educators helps stressed educators find joy in their personal lives and work so that they can meet the needs of their students.

Heather Moore (843) 460-5775

Heather@campexploreinfo.com www.campexploreinfo.com

Campus Benefits

Campus Benefits is a full-service employee benefits brokerage/consulting and compliance firm serving public school districts across the southeast.

Eric Tupper (404) 915-7812 etupper@campusbenefits.com www.campusbenefits.com

Capturing Kids’ Hearts

Thousands of classrooms. Millions of students. Capturing Kid’s Hearts transforms classrooms and campuses into high-achieving centers of learning where kids really want to attend.

Rob Kirk (800) 316-4311

Rob.Kirk@CapturingKidsHearts.org https://www.capturingkidshearts.org

Classworks® is an online MTSS program that includes academic screeners, individualized instruction, progress monitoring, SEL and PBIS tools, and reporting.

David Constantine (770) 325-5555

hello@classworks.com

https://www.curriculumadvantage.com/

Cognia

Cognia provides a holistic approach to continuous improvement that encompasses accreditation and certification, assessment, professional learning, and customized improvement services.

Jeff Langham (334) 201-5763

jeff.langham@cognia.org www.cognia.org

Curriculum Associates

Curriculum Associates, LLC designs research-based print and online instructional materials, screens and assessments, and data management tools.

Kelly-Ann Parson, M.Ed (205) 949-7744

KParson@cainc.com https://www.curriculumassociates.com/

DreamBox Learning

DreamBox provides schools with high-quality adaptive learning solutions for math & reading, proven to accelerate student growth. Visit www.dreambox.com for more information.

Bill Conner (601) 668-9854

bill.conner@dreambox.com www.dreambox.com

Edmentum

Edmentum is the leading provider of K-12 digital curriculum partnering with educators to create instructional technology that is individualized and aligned to state standards.

Dee Dee Jones (800) 447-5286

deedee.jones@edmentum.com www.edmentum.com

Ellevation Education

Ellevation is the nation’s leading K-12 software solution dedicated to helping educators and English learners achieve their highest aspirations.

La-Toya Facey-Walker (617) 307-5755

kayla.fontalvo@ellevationeducation.com https://ellevationeducation.com/home/default

English Leaners Engage

Instructional walk throughs meet the needs of English learners

Monique Henderson 951-553-1238

monique@englishlearnersengage.com www.englishlearnersengage.com

Flight Works Alabama

We Build It Better is an all-inclusive 18-week, industrydesigned educator-developed, curricular experience that engages middle school students in a work-like STEAM environment.

Robin Fenton (251) 379-1034

robin@flightworksalabama.com www.webuilditbetter.org

Giffen Recreation Inc

Giffen Recreation is a full-service Playground contractor located in Pelham, Alabama. We specialize in Poligon Pavilions, Little Tikes Playgrounds, Fabric Shades, Safety Surfacing, and more!

Tom Millard (205) 982-6233

Tom@giffenrec.net www.giffenrecreation.com

Great Southern Recreation

We design, sell and build commercial playgrounds, splash pads, site amenities, pavilions and sunshades. Abby Vance (800) 390-8438

Abby@greatsouthernrec.com www.greatsouthernrec.com

Hammill Recreation, LLC

Playgrounds, shades, site furnishings, and surfacing for elementary schools and First Class Pre-K Classrooms. Angela Collins (205) 706-3993 playgrounds@hammill.net www.hammill.net

Horace Mann Companies

Founded in 1945, Horace Mann offers affordable auto and home insurance, as well as retirement strategies and financial wellness education.

Leslie Weitle (217) 789-2500 assocuiation.relations@horacemann.com https://www.horacemann.com/

Imagine Learning

Imagine Learning provides digital-first PreK–12 learning solutions for core instruction, supplemental and intervention, courseware, and virtual school services. We serve 15 million students nationwide.

Steve Santora (201) 577-2514 steve.santora@imaginelearning.com www.imaginelearning.com

Just Right Reader

Science of Reading decodables with over 410+ research-based titles filled with vibrant illustrations, engaging authentic stories, and diverse characters representing students in America’s schools.

Tracy Ball (251) 418-9055

tracy.ball@justrightreader.com https://justrightreader.com/

Iron City Studios

Iron City Studios is a SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHY COMPANY located in Hoover, AL. We proudly service Hoover City Schools, Shelby County Schools, JefCoEd and + Alanna Rose (205) 783-5281 info@ironcitystudios.com www.ironcitystudios.com

IXL Learning

IXL is personalized learning. With a comprehensive K-12 curriculum, individualized guidance, and real-time analytics, IXL meets the unique needs of each learner.

David Mickelsen (352) 949-0898

davidm@ixl.com www.ixl.com

Jumpstart Test Prep

Jumpstart ACT & ACT WorkKeys on demand review empowers teachers with curriculum & assessments enabling the most improvement in the least amount of review time.

George Kushner (833) 835-8329

sha@jumpstarttestprep.com https://jumpstarttestprep.com/

Karen Maury Jewelry

We do onsite engraving on sterling silver jewelry

Karen Maury (205) 790-8349 kayrena16@gmail.com

KIDaccount, LLC

KIDaccount is a complete, customizable daily school safety and dismissal system that accounts for all souls on campus – all day, every day.

Keith Petty (573) 756-3131 kpetty@kidaccount.com www.kidaccount.com

Kids First Education, LLC

KIDS 1st was founded out of a desire to improve teaching and learning and we provide teaching and learning solutions for administrators, teachers, & students.

Reeda Betts (601) 765-5437 info@kidsfirst.llc https://kidsfirst.llc/

Lathan Associates Architects, P.C.

Lathan Architects is a full-service design firm based in Hoover, Alabama offering a comprehensive range of services to suit the individual needs of each client.

Barry Davis (205) 988-9112 bdavis@lathanassociates.com www.lathanassociates.com

Learning Blade

Learning Blade is a system of interactive lessons and activities for 5th to 9th graders where students learn about STEM and Computer Science careers.

Scott Mains (423) 521-2309 info@learningblade.com www.LearningBlade.com

LEGO Education

Rethink STEAM learning and spark joy in the classroom. LEGO® Learning System, students’ knowledge, skills, and confidence grow with love of learning year after year.

Dr Felicia Bustle (843) 290-3526

FELICIA.BUSTLE@LEGO.COM https://education.lego.com/en-us/

Lexia Learning

Lexia Learning is committed to helping all students become proficient readers and confident learners. Lexia empowers the literacy educators who are essential to student success.

Leigh Ann Smith (847) 977-1613

leighAnn.smith@lexialearning.com lexialearning.com

Lifetouch Photography and Yearbooks

School Photography and Yearbooks

Bryan McCarter (256) 534-1001

bmccarter@lifetouch.com lifetouch.com

Maximized Growth, LLC

Opportunity to bring visibility and awareness of available courses centered around Leadership Development, Communication, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (all PLUapproved courses)

Tasha Scott (334) 669-3252 tasha@maximizedgrowthllc.com www.maximizedgrowthllc.com

McWane Science Center

McWane Science Center is driven by an educational purpose: to provide science education experiences,tools and resources to teachers and students through fieldtrips and outreach programs.

Roxanne Shuler (205) 714-8371 rshuler@mcwane.org www.mcwane.org

Office of Prosecution Services (HEROS)

The HERO program is a statewide Certified Facility Dog Program to assist in helping victims throughout the criminal process.

Tamara Martin (334) 242-4191 tamara.martin@alabamada.gov opsheroinfo.org

Pearson Assessments

Pearson Assessments solutions, including aimswebPlus and NNAT3, are designed to provide the insights educators need to be able to test less and teach more.

Melissa Haney (804) 912-3627 melissa.haney1@pearson.com www.pearsonassessments.com

Playworld Preferred, Inc.

A distributor of Playworld Systems playground equipment for the state of Alabama.We also provide a variety of other outdoor recreational equipment,safety surfacing and installation services.

Jeff Wingo (800) 459-7241 info@playworldpreferred.com www.playworldpreferred.com

PowerSchool

PowerSchool (NYSE: PWSC) is the leading provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education in North America.

Jenny Scott (877) 873-1550 jenny.scott@powerschool.com https://www.powerschool.com/

Presentation Solutions, Inc.

We are the company who sells the full-color indoor/ outdoor ColorPro Poster Printers, the Recognizer Ultra Award System & the CoolLam non-heat and non-electric laminators!

Steven Sanders (800) 280-7809

steven@presentationsolutions.com www.presentationsolutions.com

Progress Learning

Progress Learning provides a comprehensive, standards-aligned instructional resource and content solution for grades K-12.

Zoe McCullough (415) 493-8825

zoe.mccullough@progresslearning.com https://progresslearning.com/

Publisher’s Warehouse

Publishers’ Warehouse is Alabama’s one-stop shop for digital (EBSCOed) and print textbooks and instructional materials for K-12 schools in Alabama.

Patrick Chappell (205) 516-5821

pchappell@ebsco.com https://publisherswarehouse.com/

QuantHub

QuantHub provides self-paced and self-contained instruction in topics such as data visualization, statistics, and machine learning.

Veronique Brown (205) 335-2285 kweed@quanthub.com www.quanthub.com

Reading Horizons

Offers a foundational reading program that can help all students reach proficiency by the end of third grade, while also addressing gaps in older learners.

Walker Hoopes (385) 287-4781 info@readinghorizons.com https://readinghorizons.com/

PowerUpEDU

Focused on education & achievement, delivering interactive technology solutions and coaching for classrooms while creating fun & engaging learning environments.

Jerry Gaillard (404) 596-5744 jerry@powerupedu.com powerupedu.com

Recreational Concepts

Playgrounds, site amenities, splash play, pavilions, shade, surfacing and much more.

Melanie Stewart (205) 202-8671 melanie@rec-concepts.com www.rec-concepts.com

Renaissance

Renaissance is a global leader in assessment, reading, math, and early literacy solutions for pre-K–12 schools and districts.

Karen Winn (256) 283-1935 karen.winn@renaissance.com www.renaissance.com

Rhodes Branding

A mission-led strategic branding and marketing agency exclusively serving K-12 education, Rhodes Branding empowers schools with innovative strategies to flourish in a dynamic, competitive environment.

Molly McGowan Gorsuch (888) 659-9333

hello@rhodesbranding.com www.rhodesbranding.com

Samford University School of

Education

Samford University School of Education graduate programs.

Dana Mungenast (205) 726-4337 dgmungen@samford.edu https://www.samford.edu/education/

Scholastic Education

For over 100 years, Scholastic offers the support and resources all children deserve to meet their needs, honor their voices, and empower them always.

Ms. Lee Berlin (205) 209-2406 lberlin@scholastic.com www.scholastic.com

SchoolsPLP

We offer almost 2000 PreK -12 online courses with multiple instructional designs to a single interface. Our courses include core, elective, credit recovery and CTE.

Eric Moon (770) 789-1941 eric@schoolsplp.com schoolsplp.com

SCJ Consultant, LLC (FOCUS)

FOCUS empowers students to successfully lead the prevention of adolescent risk behaviors through skillbased learning as an elective class or extra-curricular activity.

Sue Jones (256) 453-0655 sjones@thefocusprogram.com www.thefocusprogram.com

Skillastics

For over 20 years, Skillastics has provided simple, easyto-implement physical activity resources and curriculum for physical education, afterschool and classroom instructors.

Suzanne Stone (256) 426-3579 sstone@skillastics.com www.skillastics.com

Strawbridge Studios

Strawbridge Studios, Inc. is a 4th generation, family owned, American school portrait and yearbook company located in Durham, N.C.

Todd Diefenderfer (334) 301-3562 todd.diefenderfer@strawbridge.net www.strawbridge.net

StreamVu Ed

StreamVu Ed is the leading service provider of educational video management, distribution and storage. From morning announcements to school board meetings. StreamVu Ed, better communication.

Amie Briggs (678) 520-3662 abriggs@streamvu.com www.streamvued.com

Stride Learning Solutions

Stride Learning Solutions creates modern learning for any learner, anywhere, with blended and online education to broaden their skills, options, and opportunities.

Joseph Sveum (407) 402-7436 jsveum@k12.com StrideLS.com

Studies Weekly

Studies Weekly creates award-winning K-6 elementary social studies, science, and well-being curriculum uniquely presented in a periodical format that pairs with an online learning platform.

Rachel McInnis (801) 494-4396 conferences@studiesweekly.com https://www.studiesweekly.com/

Terrell Enterprises, Inc.

We provide school furniture, equipment, supplies and learning resources along with turn-key solutions and services for the PreK-12 market.

Al Brannon (334) 382-7415 al@terrellenterprises.com facebook.com/terrellenterprises

The Hope Institute

The Hope Institute inspires transformational change by introducing administrator and educator teams to the process of building a character-focused school culture.

Patricia Simpson (205) 726-2564 info@hopeinstitute.org www.hopeinstitute.org

The University of Alabama College of Education

The College of Education offers teacher education, kinesiology, and educational neuroscience programs to provide teaching, research, and service for state, regional, national, and international interests.

Carlton McHargh (205) 348-0549 edustudentservices@ua.edu education.ua.edu

The University of Alabama Online

The University of Alabama offers over 20 top-ranked graduate education degrees in flexible online and hybrid formats with affordable tuition so you can earn a premier degree around your schedule.

Kathryn Morrow (800) 467-0227 online@ua.edu online.ua.edu/clas

ThriveWay

Peer Helpers PLUS is an evidence-based K-12th grade prevention and support program equipping students to navigate a wide range of emotional, societal, and behavioral challenges.

Ruby McCullough (251) 604-3781 allison@thriveway.com Thriveway.com

Transaction Point, LLC

Come see the latest Campus Branding product ideas to help you build tradition and support your staff and students. Logo Mats, Apparel, and Appreciation Gifts

Britt Matthiessen (800) 396-7301 jbm@transactionpoint.net www.transactionpoint.net

Twin States Recreation, LLC

We create innovative play environments for children of all abilities. Twin States Recreation, LLC is the only authorized dealer in Alabama for B.C.I. Burke Company.

Max Maxwell (205) 453-4321 max@twinstatesrec.com www.twinstatesrec.com

UA Early College

UA Early College is designed to help high school students become quality college students. Learn how you can become a #Legendinthemaking while in high school.

Emily Mott (205) 348-7083 earlycollege@ua.edu https://uaearlycollege.ua.edu/

University of Louisiana Monroe Online

Online Masters & Doctoral Programs within the College of Education

Brandi Tryon (225) 218-7390 brandi.tryon@apdegrees.com online.ulm.edu/brandi

University of West Alabama Project Grow

Free support resources for rural schools, teachers and administrators.

Andrea Mayfield (205) 765-4090 amayfield@uwa.edu www.uwaprojectgrow.com

VCM Plumbing Solutions

Elkay Bottle Water Cooler Stations, Isimet Lab Safety Controls for School laboratories.

Bill Cone (205) 324-0669 billcone@vcmsales.com www.vcm.org

Verkada

Verkada’s 7 product lines - video security cameras, door-based access control, environmental sensors, alarms, visitor management, mailroom and intercom - all on a single software platform.

Austin Baker (704) 962-7254

austin.baker@verkada.com verkada.com

Virco

Amercian owned 70 yr old manufacturer of classroom furniture with local support to listen and offer suggestions for your classrooms, library, cafeteria and admin suite.

John Havicus (205) 721-0514

johnhavicus@virco.com www.virco.com

Ward Scott Morris

Ward Scott Morris is a full design Architectural firm with 40 years in the K-12 market.

Carol Coleman (205) 577-7027

carol@wardscottmorris.com www.wardscottmorris.com

Westcott Studios

School photography. All photography needs for schools in the south.

Chris Westcott (256) 441-8741

cwestcott1@gmail.com www.westcottstudios.net

Legislative Update Continued

Legislative leaders compare Working for Alabama with last year’s business-focused legislative package, The Game Plan.

The most significant pieces of the package for educators are:

• HB346 (Almond) establishes the Alabama Workforce Housing Tax Credit Act to provide a tax credit for the development of workforce housing projects identified as eligible by the Alabama Department of Commerce.

• HB358 (Daniels) establishes a childcare tax credit system.

• SB253 (Chesteen), the Alabama Workforce Career Pathways Act, creates a new Workforce Pathways diploma that requires only two math credits and two science credits for graduation. The new diploma option would also incorporate additional CTE courses.

The governor, lieutenant governor, and leaders in both chambers have for months discussed the need to increase labor force participation in our state. Much effort has been made over the last year to find out why people are opting out of the workforce, and for policymakers to come up with solutions that will help folks enter or return to the workforce. Each bill in the “Working for Alabama” package is intended to tackle an aspect of the solution – preparing workers, subsidizing childcare, making it possible for people to live closer to where they work, and

facilitating communities’ ability to incentivize employers to open shop. The Working for Alabama package was signed into law the final week of the legislative session.

Gambling Update

The legislature ended the 2024 session without the Senate approving the compromise version of the House’s Comprehensive Gaming Package (HB151, HB152) developed by conference committee in April. The House voted to approve the compromise package the last week of April, but the Senate was unable to muster the votes needed to approve HB151, a constitutional amendment. The bills were carried over April 30 and died when the Senate adjourned sine die May 9.

After the Legislative Session

The legislative offseason is a great time to build or strengthen your relationship with your system’s legislators. If you’re not sure who they are, use this tool to find them with the address of the schools in your system. You are the best person to provide your legislators with valuable boots-on-the-ground insights into your system’s strengths and needs!

Please reach out if you have questions about state laws and policies related to education. Email me at whitney@ clasleaders.org or call me at 205-602-7465. I’m here as a resource for you!