2012 Summer Alabama School Boards Magazine

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Inside

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Create the optimal learning environment

SUMMER 2012 Vol. 33, No. 2

www.AlabamaSchoolBoards.org

10 FACE TO FACE Q&A Alabama Senate Education Committee member Sen. Bill Holtzclaw

22 TEACHER LEADERS

LEAD THE WAY

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AASB spotlights advice from education leaders, including Education Leadership Hall of Famer Robert A. Lane, board members Lori Tippets and Debbie Hall, and Superintendent Dr. Kathy Murphy

FEATURES 8 STATE OF SURPRISES A look back at the 2012 Alabama Legislative Session

PUBLICATION POLICY

Alabama School Boards is published by the

Alabama Association of School Boards as a service to its members. The articles published in each issue represent the ideas or beliefs of the writers and are not necessarily the views of the Alabama Association of School Boards.

Subscriptions sent to members of school boards are included in membership dues.

Complimentary copies are available upon request to public school principals throughout the state. Additional annual subscriptions can be obtained for $30 by contacting AASB. Entered as third-class mail at Montgomery, AL. Permit No. 34. Address all editorial and advertising inquiries to: Alabama School Boards, Editor, P.O. Drawer 230488, Montgomery, AL 36123-0488. Phone: 334/277-9700 or email info@AlabamaSchoolBoards.org.

Alabama Teacher of the Year Suzanne Culbreth urges school boards to support leadership pathways for teachers

25 GIVING BACK Caucus of Black School Board Members awards scholarships

28 2012 SCORECARD

A review of AASB’s progress

30 REJECTED BLUEBERRIES A former ice cream company executive changes his perspective on operating schools like businesses

IN EVERY ISSUE

4 TRENDS, RESEARCH & DATES 6 EDUCATION & THE LAW 24 HELP 29 AT THE TABLE

ON THE COVER: iStockPhoto.com image & Troy University Photo

PRESIDENT Steve Foster Lowndes County

STAFF

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Ken Roberts, C.P.A.

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Florence Bellamy Phenix City

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

DISTRICT 4 Charlotte Meadows Montgomery County

High standards environment

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Sally Brewer Howell, J.D.

VICE PRESIDENT Pam Doyle Muscle Shoals

DISTRICT 3 Roxie Kitchens Troy

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STATE BOARD LIAISON Mary Scott Hunter

PRESIDENT-ELECT Katy Smith Campbell Macon County

DISTRICT 2 Don Nichols Perry County

Where students learn matters

DISTRICT 9 Dr. Jennie Robinson Huntsville

OFFICERS

DISTRICT 1 Stephanie Walker Brewton

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DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS Denise L. Berkhalter DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS Lissa Astilla Tucker DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Susan Salter MEETING/MARKETING COORDINATOR Angela Ing MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR Debora Hendricks EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Tammy Wright BOOKKEEPER Morgan Hilliard

DISTRICT 5 Kim Webb Benos Vestavia Hills

STAFF & TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANT Lashana Summerlin

DISTRICT 6 Larry B. Stewart Calhoun County

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS Donna Norris Kay Shaw

DISTRICT 7 Belinda McRae Marion County

CLERICAL ASSISTANTS Katie Schroeder Denisha Stewart

DISTRICT 8 Jim Fisher Florence

OUR MISSION:

To develop excellent school board leaders through quality training, advocacy and services.

Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012 3

Trends, Research&Dates

UPFRONT

Compiled by Denise L. Berkhalter

AASB welcomes new District 7 director The Alabama Association of School Boards Board of Directors welcomes Belinda McRae, who was appointed as District 7 Director.

McRae is a member of the Marion County Board of Education and was appointed in June to complete an unfulfilled term. McRae will be eligible to run for a full term in October, when elections in the odd-numbered AASB districts open. The association has nine districts.

Evaluation program launches Aug. 1

McRae

No charter schools

“

Now, I doubt seriously you’re going to hear coming out of my mouth next year anything about charter schools.

We’re going to work within the school systems, … but I’m going to tell you, if we’re going to work within our system, we’re going to [need to] see results.”

— Gov. Robert Bentley in his brief comments during AASB’s 2012 Summer Conference in June

Alabama state Superintendent of Education Dr. Tommy Bice is featured in a video message about the importance of the state’s formative evaluation processes, EDUCATEAlabama for teachers/educators and LEADAlabama for instructional leaders such as principals, assistant principals and other specialty area administrators. EDUCATEAlabama will be implemented for a third year beginning this fall, when LEADAlabama will be launched. LEADAlabama replaces the Professional Education Personnel Evaluation Program (PEPE).

View the video at http://youtu.be/ v7P0dMwpagk.

Graduates defined is Alabama’s graduation rate 72% using the newly implemented Bentley

four-year cohort formula. The national definition of a graduate is a student who completes high school within four years.

— www.nga.org

SAY what?

“

We discussed the need for greater expectations for our students than those set under No Child Left Behind, the need to provide innovative and creative learning environments for our students where their individual strengths and interests can be developed to their greatest potential, and the need for flexibility from one-size-fits-all rules and regulations. … A first step toward this new focus on education has been achieved with notice from the U.S. Department of Education that Alabama’s request to freeze the Annual Measureable Objectives at the 2010-2011 level has been approved and will be applied to the AYP [Adequate Yearly Progress] results to be released this August.”

Bice

— State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tommy Bice on meetings with teachers and education leaders.

He says Alabama’s accountability system should focus on multiple measures beyond test scores.

4 Alabama School Boards • Summer

News you can use

Tackle teen pregnancy to lower dropout rate

DID YOU KNOW? •

Nearly one-third of teen girls who drop out of high school cite early pregnancy or parenthood as a key reason.

•

Only 40 percent of teen moms finish high school, and less than 2 percent of teen mothers (those who have a baby before age 18) finish college by age 30.

•

Nearly 3 in 10 girls in this country will become pregnant before the age of 20.

•

The United States has the highest rate of teen pregnancies in the developed world — approximately 750,000 pregnancies to teens each year.

•

Nearly 1 in 4 Americans and 4 in 10 minorities do not complete high school with their class.

•

A single high school dropout costs the nation about $260,000 in lost earnings, taxes and productivity.

•

Teen childbearing in the United States costs taxpayers (federal, state and local) at least $10.9 billion in 2008.

— www.thenationalcampaign.org, Teen Pregnancy and High School Dropout: What Communities are Doing to Address These Issues

In the United States, 16 percent of youngsters in grades 9-12 say they’ve been bullied electronically, and 12.3 percent of Alabama’s students who participated in the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey have had the same experience.

Another 14 percent of Alabama’s students who responded to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s biennial survey say they have been bullied on school property. That compares to 20 percent of U.S. students.

To address the issue, the state Department of Education launched an AntiBullying Campaign called Stop Bullying in Alabama. The Alabama Learning Exchange website provides anti-bullying resources for students, parents, teachers and school administrators to help combat bullying. The site also includes winning entries for the iChallenge Podcast Competition, which featured the theme Stop Bullying Now! Be sure to watch winning entries “Lisa's Story” and “Winning the War Against Bullying: It Begins with Administrators and Faculty.”

ON THE WEB • •

http://alex.state.al.us/stopbullying/ http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline

BY THE NUMBERS $4.25 Billion is how much the

state’s Education Trust Fund collected between October and June. There was a 6.8 percent increase in collections over the same period last year, resulting in no proration for public schools for the 20112012 budget year that ends Sept. 30. To avoid proration, the ETF needed tax collection growth of 5.4 percent.

Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012 5

EDUCATION & THE LAW Denise L. Berkhalter

Do you AFFIRM?

Governance Act raises the bar for school boards Research shows school boards in high-achieving school systems have and enforce high expectations for students. The Alabama Legislature, with passage of the 2012 School Board Governance Improvement Act, has raised the level of expectations for school board members, as well. The act amends Sections 16-8-1 and 16-11-2 of the Code of Alabama, so the U.S. Department of Justice is reviewing the changes to qualifications that prospective school board members must meet. A response from the Justice Department is expected in mid-August. iStockphoto.com

6 Alabama School Boards • Summer

The Alabama Association of School Boards, though not the driving force behind the school board governance legislation (see page 9), still worked with the bill’s sponsors to ensure that what passed in the 2012 legislative session took into account the uniqueness and importance of public education governance.

“School board members lead by example,” said AASB Executive Director Sally Howell. “School boards who embrace the tenets of good governance expect high-level performance and conduct from students and demand the same of themselves. This act is not unreasonable but rather recognizes the connection between good governance and student achievement.”

BOARDS MUST BE STEWARDS During the Alabama Association of School Boards Summer Conference this June, Dr. Craig Pouncey of the state Department of Education emphasized school boards’ fiduciary responsibility. He told more than 400 conference attendees that each fiscal year taxpayers entrust Alabama’s school boards with billions of local, state and federal dollars.

“You are the stewards of $8 billion that you collectively are responsible for overseeing on behalf of the public to ensure that we do the best we can in educating our children. That’s an awesome responsibility,” said Pouncey, who serves as the state education department’s chief of staff and financial services director. That responsibility, he said, means school board members must be equipped to maintain the public’s trust, to insist on accountability and to guarantee transparency on how taxpayer dollars are being used.

“That’s the basis for why we needed to pursue an updated governance bill,” said Pouncey, who also said existing law was “somewhat antiquated and vague” in its description of what boards do, the governance structure and board responsibilities. “Hence the need,” he said, for a bill that “clearly defined the role of school governance.”

SCHOOL BOARD ROLE DEFINED The governance act (Act No. 2012-221) defines a board of education as “the legally constituted body that governs a local school system, promotes student learning and prepares students to be college and career ready.” The act applies to city and county school boards, whether elected or appointed. The act also specifies that the school board, and not individual members, are entrusted with governance responsibilities. The school board and individual board members have a duty to act in the best interests of the school system, to operate with the highest degree of

accountability and to maintain the highest standards of fiduciary stewardship. School board members’ responsibilities and duties are restated and more sharply defined under the act. In addition to other duties outlined in law, boards of education: • Adopt written policies and programs (requires the superintendent’s recommendation).

• Establish, in concert with the superintendent, a vision for the school system.

• Consider and approve, in concert with the superintendent, operating budgets that are aligned with system goals and objectives.

• Act on personnel recommendations submitted by the superintendent in a timely manner and without regard for political interests or personal preferences.

• Advocate for the needs, resources and interests of students.

• Refer constituent and stakeholder concerns to the superintendent, so they can be addressed by system personnel.

Each member of a local board of education must: • Satisfy minimum qualifications to serve on a school board.

• Comply with their board’s code of conduct (the state education department is developing a model).

• Participate in orientation and ongoing training.

• Affirm publicly and in writing the principles of educational governance listed in the act.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR CANDIDATES Not every school board candidate clearly understands the complexities of boardsmanship and school governance. Pouncey said he expects that to change.

“Prospective board members don’t even know what they’re getting into yet, do they?” Pouncey asked amid laughter from the audience. “Now they’re going to know before they decide to qualify to run or offer their name to be appointed because they are going to have to review information and sign their names attesting that they understand ‘this is my role and this is my responsibility’ before they ever become a board member.”

Before becoming a school board member, certain qualifications must be met. The candidate must: • • •

Be a person of good moral character.

Have a high school diploma or its equivalent.

Not be employed with the board of education (unless serving as a member of the county (Continued on page 26) Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012 7

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S PERSPECTIVE

By Sally Howell, J.D.

Alabama, State of Surprises A few years back the state tourism agency adopted the slogan Alabama, State of Surprises. Little did those officials know that they were correctly predicting the 2012 Regular Legislative Session.

If you had asked me at the beginning of the session which bills would pass and which bills would fail, it wouldn’t resemble the net results. Of the three education bills that commanded much of AASB’s attention, I would have, in February, predicted that: charter schools would likely pass, the calendar bill likely would not pass and the governance bill had 50-50 odds.

Charter schools were at the top of the legislative agenda of the governor and legislative leadership, and their party holds a supermajority of legislative seats. Bills with that kind of backing generally pass.

The sham of the calendar bill’s economic boost had been exposed long ago, and most had said it was bad public policy. There was no widespread sense of urgency for the governance act, and such issues easily can get buried under the legislative load.

As it turned out: Charter school legislation did not pass, the calendar bill did and the governance package breezed through to passage.

Conventional wisdom was wrong, but school boards were right on the issues — all three. You can be, and should be, proud of your advocacy on these issues despite the controversies and the loss of the calendar bill. School boards were consistent, cognizant of the real issues and, most importantly, kid-focused.

Charter Your Course Charter schools make school boards uncomfortable. But they are (and will be) a force to be reckoned with, and AASB has no ability to find ways to make them any less objectionable if we staunchly oppose them. This is and will be a delicate balance.

AASB has been criticized publicly for both supporting charter schools and killing the charter schools 8 Alabama School Boards • Summer

The Flame of Freedom burns in front of the Capitol in Montgomery. A few legislative results for 2012 in Alabama, once marketed as the State of Surprises, were unexpected. (AASB Photos/Denise L. Berkhalter)

bill. One interpretation of this contradiction could be we struck the right balance. AASB initially opposed the bill. Through good faith negotiations with the legislative leadership and the governor’s office, we were able to support an alternate version of the bill in both chambers. (We did not support the bill as it came out of the Senate. Even the sponsor thought that baby was ugly.)

Success, in this context, was successfully representing the position adopted by the Delegate Assembly. And, in doing so, we changed the tenor of the debate as well as the bills.

Not only did we ensure charter schools would not be harmful to traditional public schools, we raised the battle cry for flexibility. School boards should have more flexibility. Period. Any effort to create other public schools with flexibility to innovate and better meet student needs must provide that same opportunity to all public schools. That cry resounded in the Legislature, and we will be

pushing that effort again. Had it not been for charter schools, and AASB’s hard work, you would likely not be hearing the buzz about public school flexibility from state regulations and rules that stifle innovation.

Calendar Chicanery The calendar bill took an unforeseen twist this session. An insidious deal was concocted to breach the statutory budget cap to fund additional teacher units with the phantom dollars purported to be generated by a longer summer vacation. This was an admittedly interesting strategy that AASB felt would possibly be the first of many end-runs around the budget cap set by the Rolling Reserve meant to prevent proration.

Your association, however, stood staunchly behind your wants and didn’t support “the deal” that claimed to save jobs. We did our homework and realized these jobs could be saved by the economic growth that would naturally occur even without forcing a mandated calendar that is bad for students and education personnel. There was another way to tap those funds without imposing 15 months of indefensible public policy on local boards.

There is nothing about Alabama’s student performance on a whole that even hints that our students need fewer instructional days. State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tommy Bice, while respecting local boards’ right to make local decisions, made a commendable, strong and noble case for calendars that put students’ instructional needs first.

Bravo to school boards that held the line for 180 days of instruction. The impulse to shorten calendars, even temporarily, was thankfully diverted when the financial and legal concerns were finally considered. However, school boards never should have been put in this precarious position.

The Best of Us The School Board Governance Improvement Act of 2012 (see page 6) was not AASB-initiated legislation. The association did work with the sponsors and the state Department of Education in its development and passage. That may surprise some, but it shouldn’t. The act includes many provisions — increasing qualifications and required training, to name two — that AASB has advocated for years. It also addresses one of the biggest complaints we get from you, our members, of what to do with fellow board members who don’t know or understand — or simply choose not to accept — their

role as one member of a body that decides by majority vote and governs through policy.

The new act requires school boards to set standards for their behavior by adopting a code of conduct and holding themselves accountable. We ask as much of students.

A whisper campaign, designed to discredit your association because it dared to speak up and out about what’s right for students and boards, is nothing more than an attempt to weaken our solidarity. As the association states in its beliefs, there is strength in unity. It is that unity that detractors seek to tear down.

The best way to lead is by example.

The best example you can set is by maintaining your principles.

In the last legislative session, those same detractors consistently supported keeping on the payroll people who had no business being in our schools or teaching children. But, together and undivided, we were able to pass the highly effective Students First Act. Your association fights with integrity and cannot defend the indefensible. It is what you demand of us. Though AASB did not lead this effort, the association was first in line to support the School Board Governance Improvement Act because it is a fair, balanced approach to good school board governance. The best way to lead is by example. The best example you can set is by maintaining your principles.

AASB maintained the highest principles you set for the organization this session. There are many legislative battles yet to come. They, too, will be fraught with disagreements on details or strategy, and at times, even discord among members. We hope those times are rare and that schools win more than we lose. Besides, you really can’t lose when you stick to your principles.

Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012 9

FACE TO FACE

By Connie Spears

Sen. Bill Holtzclaw Sen. Bill Holtzclaw is not only an Alabama legislator but also an avid blogger. He maintains the blog at www.district2.us when the Legislature is in session and enters what he calls “the rest of the story” online for all to see. On his blog, he called the recent special session “wild and wooly” and quoted a colleague as asking, “Is this the Alabama State Senate or a college frat house?” When he’s not blogging, Holtzclaw is busy representing the district that includes Limestone and Madison counties. Yet, he took a moment to sit down with AASB Leader to Leader advocate and Madison school board member Connie Cox Spears. Below is their face-to-face conversation.

Q. Would you mind telling me a little bit about yourself and how you came to be in public service?

A. Basically, I spent most of my adult life on active duty [U.S. Marine Corps]. I followed politics throughout those 20 years but never really saw myself being actively involved in politics. When we moved to Madison in 1999 and I became retirement eligible in 2003, we decided to go ahead and call Madison home.

I began to see if politics liked me as much as I thought I liked it. So when an opportunity arose to run for local office in Madison, I ran for City Council and was successful in that. My peers elected me to the City Council presidency, and then a year later I was elected to the Senate.

It’s one of those situations where you can sit back and say, ‘Somebody ought to do something.’

But I felt I had been given the opportunity, the skills and developed the leadership over my active duty career to apply for the position, and the people agreed.

Q. Tell us what you learned in your first two years about the role you play.

A. The first year when we were all elected … well, there are 35 state senators and 22 of us are Republicans and 13 of the 22 are new. I don’t know the exact number of the new senators on the Democratic side, but I know they had a couple. There was the 10 Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012

whole freshman aspect of what happens next. Some of the members had come out of the House and been elected into the Senate, and some of the members are newly elected like myself with having no legislative background experience.

I view my role in two ways. I’m the type of person who likes to ask questions. I like knowing the answer to the question or having someone relay that information to me, so I can understand it and frame it. I like to come back home and explain it to my constituents. One of my roles is helping to peel back the onion to get to the real center of the problem or issue we’re dealing with and help colleagues also understand the many facets we’re dealing with.

As you well know, I write a blog when I’m in session pretty much on a daily basis. I like to communicate with people across the state, and a lot of the followers of my blog aren’t the constituents in North Alabama. It helps me. If you really know something, you ought to try to teach it, and that really will challenge you. And when you see learning occur, it’s rewarding.

The other role is to take what I call a 180-degree look at issues. A lot of times we’ll think of some great stuff, but when it comes to enforcing or applying the solution, it proves problematic. But take a step aside and sit in the seat across the room and look back on the issue. You may think the solution you have works, but if you try to apply it, you may find it’s not as easy in the execution aspect of it.

Q. What are the biggest challenges facing Alabama today?

A. I think our single biggest challenge — and we are getting better at it but it’s still going to be a challenge in the couple years ahead — is our budgets.

We also have a growing retiree population that has needs. With the downturn in the economy, we saw a slowdown across the board and layoffs across the board. Things are steadily getting better.

We had some great news with respect to the Education Trust Fund. It looks like we’re right about 5 percent [revenue growth] there. So that’s great news. Hopefully we will be able to avoid proration with some of the stopgaps we put in place.

On the General Fund side, there are still going

to be challenges as the economy continues to recover. But our unemployment rate is steadily going down, and we’re leading the nation in respect to that. We’re bringing in good, high-paying jobs. To me, it’s the full circle: incentivize businesses to come into Alabama but work at the same time with job skills, enabling a workforce and recognizing that not everyone will go on to a four-year education or higher degrees. You’re going to have people engage in career tech programs and successfully leave high school. They are going to spend two or three years learning a skill or trade, and there is an industry ready, willing and able to hire them to develop their products. That is really the win-win we need to continue to work for here in Alabama.

Q. Were you pleased by the results for this session and special session?

A. On one hand I was pleased because I still see we got some good legislation passed. I’m disappointed in the amount of good legislation that was left on the table that we weren’t able to pass. I did see the value of HB159 and HB160 [tax incentives for businesses].

Probably my greatest disappointment was not so much the charter schools bill but the school flexibility bill that I sponsored, SB365. I really felt like that bill was going to address some concerns with us being able to reform the educational process and break up what I call the power concentration in Montgomery. I know right where the problem lies nine times out of 10 with some of the issues we’re dealing with, and it’s a concentration of power in Montgomery as opposed to local authority and local power to make decisions and craft within certain boundaries what’s best for their school systems.

The school flexibility bill would have allowed, for instance, the Madison city school system to hire retiring engineers from NASA to teach as subject matter experts in the classroom without having to go through two or three years of a teaching degree. I felt like that was a good thing that the principals and superintendents would be able to work with statewide and fill a void, quite frankly. Can you imagine going into a classroom with a science teacher who spent the last 10 years of his or her life working on a shuttle? That would’ve been a huge win-win, and I hated to see that go to the wayside.

The school flexibility bill that we had in place was going to address so many things that were going to enable systems at the local level to make some decisions because it’s not a one-size-fits-all once it leaves Montgomery.

But that’s how the current system is, so I was real disappointed with that coupled with the charter schools. We had two charter schools bills, one in the

House and one in the Senate, and then we had the school flexibility bill. Pieces of the flexibility bill that I sponsored were in both of the charter schools bills, but the charter schools bill was ahead of the school flexibility bill. The posturing just wasn’t there to make that successful, but we will see it again next year.

Q. So for clarity sake, let’s just say you’re not talking about HB360, the school calendar flexibility bill.

A. No. The school calendar bill was another big disappointment that I and several of my colleagues fought very hard to prevent from coming to fruition.

Unfortunately, we lost. I think that those that supported it were sold a bill of goods on this $22 million that the tourism industry supposedly thought they would be able to bring forth. At the end of the day, that $22 million was not in the budget, which to me proved that it wasn’t about the budget aspect of it. Rather than the tourism industry lobbying the Legislature to write a law, it should have lobbied the school boards and the superintendents. We didn’t have to write a law to make this happen. They could have done it another way.

Q. If you could have changed one thing in the session, what would it have been?

A. The first thing I would have done is pass the

ABOUT SEN. BILL HOLTZCLAW Represents Alabama’s 2nd District (Limestone and Madison counties); was elected to the Alabama Senate in 2010. Retiree of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Committees: Education; Children, Youth Affairs and Human Resources; Finance and Taxation General Fund; Banking and Insurance; Commerce, Transportation and Utilities; Local Legislation No. 4; and Small Business. Chairs the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.

Education: B.S., Athens State University Family: Wife, Pam, and two daughters, Abby and Sydney Contact: 334/242-7854, bill.holtzclaw@ alsenate.gov Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012 11

school flexibility bill. I supported the charter concept on a limited basis, but I felt like we kind of muddied it up when we put the two together. And the school flexibility would have solved all our problems. I talked to several superintendents here in North Alabama who said, ‘If you give me the flexibility that I need, I would be able to accomplish what we’re doing and then some.’ And North Alabama has some great, model school systems that need to be replicated across our state.

The other thing I would have changed is the governor’s veto of the school calendar bill would not have been overridden. In reality, that veto allowed local boards to retain local control.

Q. What is your education goal for Alabama?

A. You know, I look to the city that I live in and the district that I represent. You have Athens City Schools, Limestone County Schools, Madison City Schools, Huntsville City Schools and Madison County Schools. I look at those systems and I can tell you we have a lot of great experience and great model success stories up here. My goal would be for that to be replicated across our state in some of the more problematic systems. I’ll be the first to tell you I don’t know all the answers, but I know what success looks like when I see it.

The true goal of education is education systems that successfully produce students who are able to contribute back to society and their communities in a positive manner — whether it be through leadership in the community, whether it be through service in the community, whether it be through employment. You are able to do that by instilling that important foundation that starts in pre-kindergarten, then works through elementary, then middle school, then high school. Then you have a high school graduate — whether entering the workforce, going into a career tech program, going on to a four-year institution or beyond — who is prepared and ready and able to do so. That’s the goal.

Q. So you’re interested in growing the state’s pre-K program, did I catch that?

A. I see the value of a pre-K program across the state. I would step aside and say I did not support the mandatory age of 6 for starting school, which I think AASB did. I was among the ones who instituted the amendment that allowed parents to opt out and have the children start at age 7. Again, I look at one of the fundamental political beliefs I have, which is decisions need to be made at the lowest level possible. Well, likewise, this decision needs to be made in the home. The government doesn’t know what’s best for the people, the people know best. While the 12 Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012

Sen. Bill Holtzclaw, Alabama District 2, www.district2.us

mandatory start age of 6 is a good thing in certain areas, I also heard from many parents who said they know what’s best for their children. If they decide their children are not ready to go to school at age 6 and need to go at age 7, they wanted a mechanism to be able to do that.

Q. Grade the state government for its support of public education in Alabama.

A. Obviously, no matter what I say some will agree and disagree as they read this article, but I would say we are probably a weak B. I do think we are innovative and enabling emulation. There are those who think we don’t fund education enough, and there are those who think we have plenty of money in education. So it is about trying to find the balance between those two.

I also believe it’s not just that. It’s the ability to engage the home life, the parents. It takes many, many people to be in place to really bolster education. Do we need to look to do more through innovation, through technology? I certainly believe we do.

One of the more positive things I feel we were able to do, for instance, was funding for the classrooms for the teachers. In the 2006-07 timeframe, I believe, there was close to $500 per classroom. In the 2008-09 timeframe, it went down to zero. In 2010, we were able to move it back up to $150, and this year we were able to move it to $300.

Another example is the National Board Certified teachers program. It’s a very intense program that teachers go through that helps enable them to be at the top of their game, so to speak. There was an agreement made by the past administration that would enable those teachers to receive a stipend over 10 years, and that stipend was removed. We were able to reinstate that this year.

(Continued on page 29)

ALABAMA COLLEGE- AND CAREER-READY STANDARDS: MATH IMPLEMENTATION BEGINS FALL 2012, ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS BEGINS FALL 2013

WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF THESE STANDARDS? These standards were developed in early 2009 at the direction of the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)—not by the federal government.

ALABAMA COLLEGE- AND CAREER-READY STANDARDS: INSTRUCTIONAL IMPLICATIONS

BACKGROUND

• Students – a K-12 articulated learning trajectory based on college and career readiness.

In 2010 Alabama joined 42 states, including eight other southern states, in adopting a common set of high-quality and well-developed standards for English language arts and mathematics.

• Parents – assurance that if the K-12 learning trajectory is successfully implemented and followed, their child will be prepared for success in college and their chosen career.

HOW WILL THESE STANDARDS IMPROVE EDUCATION IN ALABAMA?

• Teachers/Administrators – a clear, explicit, and rigorous guide on how to move a student along his/her learning trajectory with alerts when that student falls above or below the trajectory supported by a resource repository of best practice populated by collaborating states and our national and international education partners.

• The standards provide a clear understanding of what students are expected to learn.

• Higher Education – an opportunity to develop a more clearly articulated relationship with K-12 in the preparation of future teachers and administrators and continued learning opportunities for current teachers and administrators.

• Business & Industry – assurance that a graduate from an Alabama high school is prepared for college and career opportunities without the need for remedial education or training.

The standards give us an opportunity to build a trajectory for students from kindergarten to twelfth grade in math and English language arts. We can determine along the 13-year continuum where students should be if they are going to graduate college- and career-ready.

– Thomas R. Bice, Alabama State Superintendent of Education

• The standards enable students, parents, teachers, and stakeholders to work together to ensure all students graduate college- and career-ready.

• Alabama’s students can compete successfully in the global economy because these standards outline succinctly the skills and knowledge needed for today’s jobs.

• The standards were developed by practicing educators and educational entities – incorporating the best and highest quality of existing state, national, and international standards.

• By providing innovative professional development for Alabama’s teachers and acquiring teaching and learning resources aligned with the new standards for English language arts and mathematics, Alabama will be poised to offer world-class education for all students.

ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, THOMAS R. BICE, STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION JULY 2012

No person shall be denied employment, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in any program or activity on the basis of disability, gender, race, religion, national origin, color, age or genetics. Ref: Sec. 1983, Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C.; Title VI and VII, Civil Rights Act of 1964; Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Sec. 504; Age Discrimination in Employment Act; The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008; Equal Pay Act of 1963; Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972; Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008: Title IX Coordinator, P.O. Box 302101, Montgomery, Alabama 36130-2101 or call (334) 242-8165.

LEAD THE WAY

Recognized for contributions to Alabama education, Troy University Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr., left, and Global Campus Vice Chancellor Dr. Lance Tatum, second from right, recently inducted into the Alabama Educational Leadership Hall of Fame former Alabama Association of School Boards President Robert A. Lane, center. State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tommy Bice, second from left, AASB Executive Director Sally Howell and Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools Executive Director Earl Franks attended the induction ceremony. Also inducted were former state Superintendent of Education Dr. Joe Morton and former Alabama High School Athletic Association Executive Director Daniel Washburn, not pictured. (TROY photo/Kevin Glackmeyer)

By Kim Roedl

School board service is oftentimes rewarding and sometimes a thankless job. There are difficult times when even the most devoted school board members must struggle to find the willpower to dig deeper and give even more of themselves in the valiant effort to produce educated and empowered citizens. Associate AASB member Robert A. Lane, board members Lori Tippets of Jacksonville and Debbie Hall of Tarrant, and Monroe County Superintendent Dr. Kathy Murphy recently shared their best advice for education leaders.

‘Try to learn everything’ Lane invested 24 years of his time and energy into the Lowndes County Board of Education. He chaired the board for 12 years. He gave 15 years of 14 Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012

Jacksonville school board member Lori Tippets, pictured with her son, launched a Strides for Schools campaign and ran across Alabama to raise awareness about the financial challenges schools face. (Submitted photo)

service to the Alabama Association of School Boards and set records for the level of training he amassed through the association’s School Board Member Academy. Lane was the 22nd president of AASB, the first African-American male to hold that position. In addition, he is only the third Alabamian to serve on the NSBA Board of Directors.

A past district office manager for former U.S. Rep. Earl Hilliard and retired from the U.S. Navy after 24 years, Lane is used to serving the common good. A concern for the well-being of his three children is what first spurred him to action more than two decades ago when he and his wife started attending meetings of the Lowndes County Board of Education. Lane didn’t like that the children had to wake up around 5 a.m. each morning to catch the school bus, so he wanted to make sure his voice and opinions were heard. It didn’t take long for him to decide that he or his wife, Quemeller, needed to be on the school board. His wife told him he needed to run, and that’s exactly what he did.

Because of his vast experience, Lane is in the position to give a bit of advice to rookie school board members.

“Try to learn everything you can about what is going on and be up to date on education issues. You also need to allow board members and superintendents to do their jobs. Micromanagement is not good,” he said.

It has been three years since Lane left the Lowndes County Board of Education. He is staying busy, though, working on agriculture committees and Masonic projects. He remains an education advocate.

“I have always wanted to do anything that I can to help parents and children to succeed,” Lane said.

‘Find your strength and use it’ Tippets knows that schools in Alabama are poorly funded. She also knows that something must be done about it. The Jacksonville City Board of Education president laced up her running shoes and set out last summer on a 30-city run across Alabama to raise awareness about schools’ financial strain. Her efforts had people in cities across the state talking.

Tippets wants people talking about education.

The mother of eight and grandmother of 14 has been an education advocate for many years.

To school board members who don’t believe they have a voice or who think they can’t make a true difference, Tippets has three words of advice: use your strength.

“Find your strength and use that strength to its

fullest potential,” she said. “Have a plan and initiative.”

Since Tippets realized that something had to be done about the plight of Alabama schools, she devised her own plan last May to increase public awareness. Her strength as an avid runner, of course, is running. And so, she ran. She ran from June 6, 2011, until Aug. 3. Her summer-long journey — through tornado-ravaged communities attempting to rebuild, impoverished areas hit hard by proration and urban school systems forced to take out loans to pay personnel — ended at the steps of the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery. Cheering for her were family and friends. Their embraces reminded her of words she once told the Huntsville Times about why she tapped into her strength.

“I was sitting in a board meeting in May and listening to all the cuts,” she told the reporter. “I said, ‘Enough is enough. Someone has to take some action.’ I run 3 to 5 miles a day, so running a 10K was a little out of my comfort zone. But sometimes we have to get out of our comfort zone if we are going to have the education in Alabama we would like for our children.”

Tippets said those who aren’t interested in lacing up their running shoes can simply commit to showing their dedication to education.

“You can organize a public forum,” she suggested, “or spread the message in another way.”

‘Balance is certainly critical’ Murphy, superintendent of Monroe County Public Schools since last July, revels in her school system’s tradition of strong leadership and effective teaching and learning.

Strength, as a matter of fact, is something she knows a lot about. Murphy is a former national weight lifting champion, marathon runner and softball player. She has 27 years of education experience, as well, serving in a variety of capacities. She was a principal at Greenville and Charles Henderson high schools and has been a college professor. When she’s not leading operations at the school system, she is out in the community, speaking, supporting students, making connections and otherwise representing her school system. She does a lot, but she also knows she can’t do it all — alone.

Murphy So, her advice to education leaders is to seek balance in their lives and to be willing to (Continued on page 24) Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012 15

Where students learn matters

S

tudents care about where they learn. They spend the better part of most days in class or on the playground, so they care very much about what it feels like to be at school.

Is the school safe and clean? Can they trust their teachers? And do teachers believe in and respect them? These feelings influence how students feel about themselves — how confident they are, what they think of themselves as learners, and what kind of future they see.

Where We Learn: The CUBE Survey of Urban School Climate, published by the National School Boards Association, discovered how much students care about these issues. The Urban Student Achievement Task Force of NSBA’s Council of Urban Boards of Education conducted a nationwide survey of some 32,000 students in 108 city schools. The survey to determine how students feel about the climate in their school is one of the most significant studies of climate since James Coleman’s 1966 classic Equality of Educational Opportunity.

Some respondents — especially younger children — were enthusiastic: “I love my school,” one elementary student wrote. “It’s the best school ever.” Others pointed out particular problems, such as the student who said, “I think our school restroom is a mess,” or the one who asserted that “school is not a problem 16 Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012

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Create the

ptimal

Learning Environment

for most kids” but added that “bullying goes on every day” on the school bus. But some concerns went beyond messy bathrooms. “The staff at this school could be more respectful and considerate to the students,” one high school student said. And another said, “Even though there are a lot of races here, there is a lot of racism as well.”

Such perceptions can have a distinct impact on how well students learn. Those who think their schools are the “best ever” are more likely to feel confident about themselves as learners than are students who feel they are the targets of bullying, racism or disrespect. Feelings like these, both positive and negative, define a school’s climate.

School climate is the learning environment created through the interaction of human relationships, physical setting and psychological atmosphere.

Research shows that improved school climate contributes to higher student achievement; higher morale among students and teachers; more reflec-

tive practice among teachers; fewer student dropouts; reduced violence; better community relations, and increased institutional pride.

Researchers and educators agree that school climate influences students, teachers and staff members and affects student achievement. Yet many school improvement initiatives primarily address school structure and procedures and virtually ignore school climate. These initiatives may be prompted by concern over inadequate scores on state tests or national assessments or driven by a desire to improve on an already positive performance. Despite this focus on academic achievement, however, factors embedded in a school’s functioning that directly influence performance may be overshadowed in these reform initiatives.

The affective dimension of the school day — that is, how students feel about their experience at school — is just as important as the academic dimension.

Without trust and mutually respectful relationships, without physically and psychologically safe environments, teaching and learning cannot reach their maximum potential.

Some key findings reported in Where We Learn are:

ON THE WEB

Where We Learn: The CUBE Survey of Urban School Climate is a publica-

tion of the National School Boards Association’s Council of Urban Boards of Education. This and other CUBE publications such as What We Think, Where We Teach and Telling Your Story are available at http:// w w w . n s b a . o r g / S e r vi c e s / C U B E / Publications/CUBEResearchReports.aspx. To request a copy of the climate survey instrument, contact Brian K. Perkins of Southern Connecticut State University, perkins@southernct.edu.

School Climate Checklist Does your board of education ...

Include a school climate assessment in its annual evaluation processes?

79.9%

Weigh the perceptions the climate assessment identifies against realities as reflected in data?

68.3%

62.7%

Incorporate climate assessment findings into school system and school report cards, along with yearly goals for improvement?

Identify one or more key areas from these assessment findings and implement strategies to improve these conditions and students’ perceptions of them?

40.2%

35.4%

Encourage parents to participate in the discussion, development and implementation of strategies to improve school climate?

37%

Engage students with their peers, teachers and administrators to address school climate issues and contribute to a healthy school climate?

Engage members of the community in discussions of ways they can participate in and support the creation and development of a healthy school climate?

Establish clear policies to create a positive school climate and clarify expectations?

Plan to continue their education after high school Say they enjoy learning at their school Feel safe in their school

49.9%

Do not have an adult visiting their school regularly Are not sure if they can trust their teachers Believe there are races of children who are smarter than others Believe teachers can stop bullying The CUBE survey reports 50.2 percent of students have witnessed children being bullied at least once a month. Bullied students’ lack of social success causes them to suffer academically. However, teachers can support healthy peer relationships and minimize harassment by modeling positive and supportive interactions, providing opportunities for group work, and developing class rules that value kindness and prevent exclusion.

Addressing perceptions about school climate helps create a positive environment in which teachers are motivated to teach and students are motivated to learn.

Excerpt from Where We Learn: The CUBE Survey of Urban School Climate, reprinted with permission from the National School Boards Association’s Council of Urban Boards of Education, Alexandria, Va., http://www.nsba.org/ Services/CUBE/Publications/CUBEResearchReports/ WhereWeLearnReport/WhereWeLearnFullReport.pdf.

Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012 17

Create the

ptimal

Learning Environment

By George Couros

1.

Kids need to feel safe.

This is the most important factor for students to not only succeed but to also excel. Safety is not only that they do not worry about being emotionally or physically hurt by those that they share their space with but also that their ideas will be valued. They need an environment in which it is safe to make mistakes, share thoughts and know that their ideas will not be attacked or ridiculed. I have seen students cower under these conditions, and it could not only affect them in their current classroom but could very well stay with them long past the time in that environment. Trust must be apparent for students to succeed.

18 Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012

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As I have talked about effective practices in education, I really wanted to shift the focus to what the best environment is for student learning. If we are to have students become leaders and grow within our classrooms, they have to be in an environment that creates that.

There have been points in my own childhood where I feared the teacher and didn’t feel safe or cared for. The belief at that time may have been that if I “feared” the teacher, I would listen and respect their wishes. The fact was, when I felt unsafe was the time when I caused the most issues in a classroom. A mutual respect between teacher and student must be created to ensure that there is an opportunity for optimal learning.

Here are some key conditions that I believe must be created for students to give them the best opportunity for learning (in no particular order):

2.

Students are cared for as people first.

A child will not succeed in the classroom if he or she is starving. Children will also not do well if they are dealing with tragedy in their lives. Take care of them and show them that you care about their personal well-being. Ask them about their day, talk to them about what is important in their lives, and find out what is important to them. We always need to teach kids first then the curriculum.

Remember that. Always.

3.

Create Opportunities for fun.

This is a no-brainer. If you enjoy what you do, have a sense of humor and can laugh in your environment, you will do better and enjoy what you do. This has been proven over and over again, and it is essential that we can learn to laugh at ourselves and with our students. I do not want to work in an environment where I do not enjoy what I do.

Staff are encouraged to allow students to use iPods in the classroom for not just connecting with the outside world but to also just let kids listen to music while they work. For many people (including me), music engages the spirit and helps people to perform better as they are less distracted, allowing

students to use them responsibly in the classroom while respecting the learning of their peers is just one way we can create a better environment for students to learn.

Ideas and opinions are valued.

I have heard some crazy ideas from students and have listened to them and talked to students about these ideas and their thoughts. Those same students have also come up with some pretty amazing ideas after that. If I would have simply scoffed and ignored them because of what they shared with me the first time, they would have never come back.

Even the most famous inventors have failed before, but we have to show students that even when they fall short, it is all a part of the learning process.

5.

Create Opportunities for individualized learning.

Kids need to have the opportunity to show their understanding in a way that is meaningful and relevant to them. Having one way to get to the same destination is not fair and is not differentiating learning for each child. Students also take different lengths of time for their learning, but if they get to the same level of understanding eventually, you have given them the opportunity to be successful.

6.

Understand their knowledge and guide their learning.

What do students know about what they are learning? What is the knowledge they need to build a solid base to move forward? I do not believe that grades are the best basis for this because they do not give any feedback for growth. It is our teachers’ responsibility to give strategies to improve learning and help students further their own learning.

7.

The AASB School Board Member Academy presents Leadership to Create the Optimal Learning Environment Sept. 30-Oct. 1 at The Renaissance Montgomery. Go to www.AlabamaSchoolBoards.org to register. Earn 6 hours in the academy.

Use students as leaders in the classroom.

To be a leader does not mean a student is the most popular. It simply can mean that students have the opportunity to show leadership in areas they excel in and are passionate about. We have to

help students find out where they are leaders and give them opportunities to exhibit this. As an educator who has worked extensively with technology integration, I have seen students lead me in this area several times over the years. I appreciate learning at all times, even if it is from a child. Not only will students appreciate that they have taught their teacher something, they will go out of their way to further their own learning to ensure that it happens again. Support learning environments where teachers can find opportunities for all students to exhibit leadership in different areas.

8.

Create Opportunities to reflect.

Even as I write this, I know that I am improving my learning and putting my ideas together. Time has to be given to students where they can self-assess their learning and put their ideas together. This could easily be done in a journal, blog, through music or art, or by just having conversations with others. It is not the avenue that is important, but the opportunity. Find time in the busy school day to let students reflect on what they are learning. The time spent now will be well worth the dividends in the future.

Through writing this, I have also realized that optimal learning environments are not just environments we should try to create for our students.

It is essential as administrators and education leaders that we also provide these opportunities for our faculty and staff. „ George Couros is the Division Principal of Innovative Teaching and Learning with Parkland School Division in Stony Plain, Alberta Canada. You can read more on his blog at georgecouros.ca.

Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012 19

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4.

ACADEMY COURSE ON OPTIMAL LEARNING

HIGH

f ive s fo r h i g h ex pe c t a t io n s

O

By Meghan Everette

When I was a child, I would accidentally call my teacher “mom.” Of course I had a loving mother at home, but it was the safety, love and security of the school that would make me feel right at home. As I’ve grown, that same love abides between my students, me and the close-knit family of George Hall Elementary School in Mobile. I still grin each time a student accidentally calls me mom.

I strive to make each day memorable for my students. And what are the rewards? The delight of a child who finally “gets it.” The hard work of a student who has always been labeled lazy in the past. The hugs at the end of the day from tough boys who are taller than I am. When a child goes to the library to seek out a book about a topic I introduced to him, it warms me. My students think we are painting, building clay animals and making science discoveries when I’m secretly teaching them. There is nothing better than a child saying “that was fun” and wanting to come back for more.

When I look at the kids in my classroom, I see their lives, their struggles, their challenges and their 20 Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012

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Create the individual genius. I go home and cry of frustration and reLearning Environment joice in the successes. I hurt for the situations I cannot change and am soaring from the ones I affect. The expectations are high in my room, but students never cease to amaze me in meeting them. In a neighborhood where high school is considered higher education, they gasp if someone mentions not going to college.

Undertaking a few creative steps to teach the whole child will develop well-rounded citizens that will change their world. I can’t wait to see what they do next.

ptimal

Raise the Bar How might this be accomplished? It begins with thorough and intensive teacher training in our colleges and universities to prepare would-be teachers for what lies ahead. I believe that teachers have to

“

When I look at the kids in my classroom, I see their lives, their struggles, their challenges and their individual genius. The expectations are high in my room, but students never cease to amaze me in meeting them. “

work as hard as their students. Clearly we are no longer professional desk-sitters. I rarely sit in my classroom at all, and when I do, it is to read to my children or work in a small group. This isn’t by choice; I need to be up and teaching, monitoring, circulating and encouraging.

Next, I feel that teachers have to not only be supplied with powerful technology but also understand the usefulness behind it. Figure out how it will lead to student engagement and use it to that end.

Too often teachers are given new gadgets but only taught the bells and whistles. What they truly need is professional development that shows them how they can create lessons that are engaging, studentdirected, thought-provoking and innovative all at the same time. I’ve been fortunate enough to work in a building that whole-heartedly supports this idea and has a clear vision and purpose for meeting the challenges in the classroom today. From the administration down, there is a clear and consistent message that the children come first. It is what led our school to extend the school day by an hour of instructional time. It is what drives twice-weekly data meetings where scores, grades, programs and results are scrutinized. Above all, it is what connects us in a tightly knit unit working as one whole.

The Board’s Role If I could ask school boards and superintendents this one thing, it would be to foster and support collaborative communities where teachers are supported and clear vision is at the helm.

When a child enters a school, he should become one of our own. We should take him on and follow him throughout his school life. We need high levels of collaboration within each grade level, lending support, ideas, structure and rigor to each day. A child should not walk down the hallway without being corrected from each and every teacher for the same thing in the same manner. We have to work as one, whether the child is in our class or not. This extends to goals, curriculum, lesson planning, test strategies and behavior. It doesn’t stop at the end of the hall either; throughout the building there is work toward one common purpose of making that child the best version of himself. All students should know our high levels of expectation.

I fear too often in schools, in an effort to appease parents and pacify children, we lower standards.

Instead, I’d ask teachers to work together. If each

teacher had the very same, very high levels of expectations for each and every child, I think schools would be amazed at the change that is brought about. Some years ago, had you walked into our school, you would have found children slouched and uninterested in their lessons, hallways bare and bedraggled and teachers fractured from one another.

Today is a different story, and we point to our clear and consistent leadership from administration and the unending drive of each and every teacher to work toward a common goal.

Take a Stand There has to be clear vision from the start. It isn’t easy, and it takes time and effort. Teachers need extensive professional development that continues formally each week to reaffirm and examine goals. A strong building leadership team is necessary.

Take the stand that we are working together.

Yes, this is hard. It takes time and effort. It can, unfortunately, take money. But what it really takes is hard-headed teachers bent on making a difference.

Then next piece of the puzzle is transitions.

Transitions between grade levels are not much of a problem when the building is unified, but there needs to be a common goal throughout the feeder pattern to make transitions from each school standard, easier and successful. Feeder pattern meetings, walkthroughs and, most importantly, communication are key to understanding where children have been and where they need to go. Once established, this will serve children better through all facets of school life and carry them seamlessly into college or careers.

The message? Clear vision, strong leadership, powerful teachers and total buy-in from the faculty make successful schools. Successful schools breed stronger teachers. I would not be a teacher worth mentioning if it weren’t for the incredible examples I’m surrounded by daily, the powerful mentor who guided me and the friends I try to keep up with as each school year passes. We are Alabama, and I’m a better teacher for being a part of it.

Meghan Everette has taught for six years and is Alabama’s 2012-2013 Alternate Teacher of the Year. She teaches fourth grade at George Hall Elementary School in Mobile, a nationally recognized high-performing, high-poverty school.

Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012 21

GROW YOUR TEACHERS Support pathways to leadership

I

By Suzanne B. Culbreth

magine the possibilities if every student in every classroom in the state of Alabama were taught by a professional who strived to embody each of the Alabama Quality Teaching Standards – a teacher with content knowledge, a priority on teaching and learning, literacy in reading, math and technology, and an understanding of the importance of diversity who strives each day to exemplify professionalism with students and colleagues.

Bill Gates – who has spent about $5 billion researching and reforming education – was asked by Time magazine what he would do first if starting a new school system. His response was to “hire the best teachers – that’s what produces the best results for students, more than class size or money or curriculum.”

Study after study has proven that what has the No. 1 effect on student learning is quality teaching. Yet according to a study by the National Center for Education Information, 40 percent of the nation's classroom teachers are now 50 years or older, most of whom plan to retire within the next five years. What

22 Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012

“Hire the best teachers – that’s what produces the best results for students, more than class size or money or curriculum.”

– Bill Gates, philanthropist can be done to convince highly respected teachers with their wealth of knowledge and experience to stay in the classroom? I believe the creation of a hybrid teacher, one who spends part of the day in the traditional teaching role and part as a teacher leader, could be the lure to coax teachers to remain a vital part of the profession.

The Governor’s Commission on Quality Teaching has pursued that daunting task through its Professional Pathways proposal, which would allow teachers the opportunity to progress beyond the “professional teacher” in the classroom to “master teacher” or “learning designer.” Broadening a teach-

er’s sphere of influence from the classroom to the school and school system level provides roles such as an instructional coach, mentor, curriculum developer or technology integration specialist.

This concept appeals to me personally. Although my heart belongs to my students, I also desire to positively influence others in my profession, passing on my skills learned through experience. Currently, teachers are forced to choose between the two. Professional Pathways provides the best of both worlds.

Think about the possible gains in quality teaching, and thus student learning, if a teacher leader spent part of his or her day researching strategies and solutions to solve identified needs and then implemented those ideas with fellow faculty members. After reviewing the Professional Pathways document proposed by the commission, Tom Carroll of the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future said, “Alabama is leading the way… This visionary redesign of the teaching profession at its core is likely to retain a significant number of accomplished veterans … and attract and retain new teachers.”

To date, funding for two demonstration sites, one rural and one urban, has not been provided to pilot Professional Pathways. However, with the estimated cost of teacher turnover at $7.3 billion nationally, how can we afford not to try? We cannot afford to force teachers who have a heart for the classroom to leave because they desire increased opportunities to lead and the expanded influence that accompanies such opportunities. Or worse, we cannot allow the “best and brightest” potential educators to pursue other careers due to the fear of being overworked and overwhelmed with little systemically provided support.

Teachers need options that would allow them to remain in the classroom while at the same time providing leadership. Teachers need venues to investigate innovative tools and methodology. Teachers need to mentor those who are new professionals and collaborate with colleagues. Teachers need to share experiences and capture each other’s enthusiasm for putting these ideals into practice. Each of these needs can be effectively satisfied with Professional Pathways.

As defined by the Governor’s Commission on Quality Teaching, the vision of Professional Pathways provides high-quality teaching for all students, maintains a school culture that supports adult learning, encourages recruitment and retention of talented individuals and creates an opportunity for teach-

On the Web Innovations in Teaching: Creating Professional Pathways for Alabama Teachers, along with

others produced by the Governor’s Commission on Quality Teaching, is available at http:// ti_sp.alsde.edu/qt. The commission, chaired by Alabama’s former National Teacher of the Year Dr. Betsy Rogers, included numerous education stakeholders: teachers, administrators, university professors and representatives of the state Department of Education, professional organizations and the business community.

ers to take ownership of our profession. These ambitious goals can be accomplished by the development of “paths” beginning with the apprentice teacher at the pre-service level enrolled in a university’s teacher education program. Once certification has been achieved, the classroom teacher delivers daily learning experiences for his or her students. The professional teacher provides leadership within his or her school through mentoring and leading subject or age specific groups. For those teachers who aspire to make a greater impact without becoming an administrator, master teacher and learning designer status would provide energizing opportunities. Becoming a master teacher as an instructional coach or a learning designer as a school improvement specialist could not only extend a veteran teacher’s career but also enhance the learning for an exponential number of students.

Professional Pathways provides teachers with their most precious resource – time. There are not enough hours available to perform the demanding task of quality teaching and to contribute to the development of others without being overloaded. Professional Pathways would give me the time embedded within my day to reach outside of my classroom and still remain true to my calling to teach children.

Suzanne Culbreth has taught for 29 years and is the 2012-2013 Alabama Teacher of the Year. She teaches eighthgrade and ninth-grade Advanced Placement geometry and math at Hoover's Spain Park High School.

Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012 23

LEAD THE WAY Continued from page 15 work as a team.

“It’s a formula that keeps me healthy and motivated,” Murphy said. “Balance is certainly critical. I am more than a superintendent in a school system.

I’m a mother, an athlete and more. All of these things are so important in my life.”

Athletics has taught her a thing or two about teamwork that she also wanted to share with those new to public education.

“I have learned how important is to work together as a team because we are working toward a common goal,” she said.

‘The children are first’ Hall, a member of the Tarrant school board, was born and raised in the community and is in no way shy about saying she is a product of Tarrant City Schools.

“I’ve always loved Tarrant. It is a great place to live,” said Hall, who has been on the school board for nearly seven years.

She is currently vice president of the board. She had been the board president for three years, a position she held with great joy. Her father, J. Vernon Hall, was also president of the Tarrant school board. He had been on the board from 1968 to 1982. When Hall first thought of taking the challenge to serve on the Tarrant board, she went to her father for advice. She remembers that he Hall was very happy, which may be part of the reason Hall considered her school board presidency as one of the most rewarding jobs she has ever had.

She often thinks back to the time when her dad was on the school board and she was still in school.

She does so with pride because of the contributions her father made to the board, school system and Tarrant.

“He told me it would be the most fulfilling thing I would do in my life. And he was right,” Hall said.

Even though her father died about two years ago, he has left a legacy of leadership in his daughter that still influences the Tarrant board.

“When I make a decision, I try to do something that will be pleasing to him as well,” said Hall, who 24 Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012

“Our first concern must be the children. That’s what our board does each and every time we make a decision, « think of what is best for the children.” hopes to also leave a legacy. She has no biological children but said she loves the school system’s 1,300 students as if they were her own.

And so Hall’s advice to education leaders is quite simple. In every decision, she said, take into account the most important resource there is in education — the children.

“Our first concern must be the children. That’s what our board does each and every time we make a decision,” she said. “We think of what is best for the children.”

Q. A.

HELP

I have been told that school bus drivers are now required to pass physicals. Is that true?

The Alabama Board of Education recently adopted an emergency rule to the Alabama Administrative Code to assist school systems in complying with the Lt. Dexter Holcomb Act of 2012.

Under the new requirements, any person driving a school bus transporting students to or from school or school-related events must have successfully completed a physical examination by a licensed physician at his or her own expense. Drivers must be in compliance

by Aug. 14. The requirement applies to new, current and future school bus drivers, including substitute drivers. The results of the physical examination must be documented on forms prescribed by the state Department of Education and maintained at the school system’s central office. Drivers with a health condition that their doctor states will not adversely affect their ability to control and safely operate a school bus may be “grandfathered in” if they get a signed waiver.

— Source: Aug. 14, 2012, state Department of Education memo

CAUCUS PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE By the Rev. Preston Nix

Scholarships awarded to 5 seniors

T

he Alabama Caucus of Black School Board Members presented $500 scholarships to five students for use in their pursuit of higher education. The scholarships were awarded to high school students Angela Walker of Attalla, Mary Magdalene of Bessemer, Debra Millee of Dadeville, Aaron Roberson of Selma and Lisa Renee Whitlow of Loachapoka. Awarding these scholarships was a very proud moment in the history of the caucus and for me as president of the caucus.

I am celebrating 25 years of service this year as a member of the Attalla Board of Education, and I have thoroughly enjoyed being a member and officer of the caucus. Now, I look forward to the years to come, and in doing so one word keeps resonating with me — togetherness.

The caucus wishes to support AASB and help the association accomplish its strategic and legislative goals. Together we can truly make a difference.

Together, school board members can give a voice to students in our school systems. The caucus works diligently to ensure students of color are part of the general discussion; diversity in education leadership and the education workforce is celebrated; potential dropouts get the intervention and support they need to become graduates; and making all students our highest priority drives everything we do in education.

The caucus is open to anybody who wants to join or otherwise be a part of the organization. We’re not isolated, and this organization is not so much about issues unique to minority school board members as it is about closing achievement gaps, improving outcomes for minority students and high-poverty students and making sure there is a level playing field in school systems. These are causes we can address together.

Togetherness is what encouraged the caucus members to invest funds in five future leaders of this state. The scholarships given to high school students based on academic success and student need came with caveats. The scholarship recipients owe their

The Rev. Preston Nix, left, thanks Sen. Quinton Ross Jr. for speaking to the Alabama Caucus of Black School Board Members during its recent meeting in Baldwin County. (AASB Photo/Denise L. Berkhalter)

communities the benefit of their success as productive citizens. They owe it to themselves to go on to college or technical school. They owe it to those of us who believed in them to also one day give to a young student and help him or her go on to pursue their dreams.

The scholarship program is a positive effort. Our membership was able to show its commitment to producing graduates who will pursue higher education. We hope the scholarship program will grow. If we could’ve given all of the applicants scholarships, we certainly would have. But every year we will seek to increase the money we’re able to put toward assisting students in their higher education endeavors.

Board members who wish to participate in the scholarship program are asked to contact the caucus (256/538-2055). Our hope is that one day every member school board will have a graduate from their school system who has received a caucus scholarship.

What keeps me energized is seeing young people graduate every year prepared for life ahead. Producing generations of high school graduates is a big task.

No school board member can do it alone. The caucus can’t do it alone. It takes all of us, together.

Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012 25

DO YOU AFFIRM? Continued from page 6

•

• • •

board of education on the effective date of the act).

Not be serving on the governing board of a private elementary or secondary educational institution.

Not be on the national or state sex offender registry.

Not be a convicted felon.

Not be a city council or commission member (if seeking position on a city school board).

Pouncey said school board candidates must publicly say and must sign affirmations before they enter office. By doing so, they assert that each decision, action and vote will be: based solely on the needs and interests of students or the system; not be made to promote his or her personal, political or financial interests; and be based on the interests of the whole school system. Each prospective board member must also affirm that he or she will: promote and support public education; attend board meetings, system functions and training; consider the views of fellow board members and the superintendent before any action or decision; and act on the written recommendation of the superintendent without attempting to direct or corrupt school system operations in a way inconsistent with the superintendent’s role and responsibilities.

School board candidates should become familiar with the act’s residency requirements. Residency has to be established at least a year before the election.

Any school board member who is elected or appointed (city or county) to represent a certain district will immediately cease to be a board member if he or she moves to an out-of-district residence. Notification of the relocation must go to the board secretary before the first board meeting following the move.

BOARDS MUST MEET STANDARDS The School Board Governance Improvement Act requires training that reflects governance standards and focuses on roles and responsibilities, student and school performance and the role of a public official who holds the public trust. AASB is working closely with the state education department to enhance and supplement its existing continuing education and training programs to help school boards meet these requirements.

“I did go to Sally and asked for AASB’s open mindedness and willingness to collaborate with us.

Y’all, as an association, do a great job in providing [board] development,” Pouncey said. “The school 26 Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012

boards association and the state department will come together to help define meaningful training opportunities for you as board members to stay abreast of the constant changes and to help you make knowledgeable decisions as we continue to raise the level of expectations for public education.”

The AASB School Board Member Academy already offers an in-depth new board member orientation program and eight leadership courses for all school board members. There are webinars, workshops, one-hour courses twice per year in nine geographic areas, and large-group training is provided on hot topics at the association’s summer conference and winter convention. AASB often travels to school systems to deliver customized training for whole boards.

In January, AASB launched its six standards of effective board governance, which now guide the association’s comprehensive board member education program and its work toward board member proficiency in education leadership. The standards encourage school boards to operate as visionary, ethical governance teams; focus on student achievement; create local policy in compliance with state and federal law; act with fiscal responsibility; select (if the superintendent is appointed) and support an effective superintendent; and advocate for public education.

“The principles of good boardsmanship that are included in the governance act are completely in line with the standards developed by an AASB task force last year,” said AASB Director of Leadership Development Susan Salter. “Our standards are deeply rooted in research done over the last decade on effective boards. The task force of board members and superintendents did a remarkable job of laying out the way effective school boards operate.”

BOARD TRAINING IS MANDATED About 30 percent of school boards in Alabama receive no compensation or reimbursement of expenses associated with board service, according to a 2010 AASB survey. Board service is voluntary work that most members with families, careers and other civic responsibilities must find time to juggle.

Howell said AASB has spent much of the summer balancing affordability and convenience with the mandated training requirements, the research on effective governance and adult learning styles, and the necessity for high-quality educational courses.

“We have been looking at how we can offer more training options to board members, so they are able to easily earn the requisite number of hours each year,” Howell said. “We anticipate adding opportunities for members to take the orientation as well as creating some regional workshops so members won’t

have to travel far.”

Salter said AASB also plans to “create a number of courses in a self-paced, online environment.

We’ve really tried to focus on making these opportunities economical in terms of time and money. Ultimately, we want all school board members to have easy access to training that will strengthen their boardsmanship skills and increase their knowledge of best practices, so they are as effective as they can be at raising student achievement.”

If the mandated school board training is aligned with AASB’s academy, the training year would extend from July 1 through June 30.

LAW INCLUDES SANCTIONS The state Board of Education has been charged with adopting a model code of conduct for members of local boards of education by Jan. 1, 2013. The model will set the minimum standards of conduct.

School boards will then have until April 1 to adopt a local code of conduct that at least meets, but may exceed, the state’s model.

Under the law itself, a school board member who engages in willful misconduct, neglect of duty or any other breach of legal duty faces sanctions. The majority of the board may vote to formally censure or reprimand a member after a written 30-day notice to that board member. The state superintendent may also, after a thorough investigation of serious allegations, recommend a formal censure or reprimand of a board member or even disqualify that member from eligibility for reappointment or re-election to the board. The state superintendent may also negotiate some other resolution with the board member.

Sanctions imposed by the state superintendent, unless agreed upon in writing by the local board member, require a majority vote of the state Board of Education.

This increased accountability to the public for a board’s actions or inactions, Pouncey said, “is where the rubber meets the road. This act establishes a new framework that’s going to allow us in the state of Alabama — particularly over the next six years — to raise that level of confidence within our community so that you as a board can continue to govern effectively and meet the needs of … the students that you were selected to represent.”

GET BACK TO BASICS For now, the state education department waits for the Justice Department’s clearance this fall.

Pouncey and Gov. Robert Bentley have some sage advice for school boards in the meantime.

“You’re working hard to try to improve your schools, and we want to help you,” Bentley said at

the association’s summer conference in Baldwin County. “But, I will say this now: we also expect results.”

Bentley called for reconstituting schools that are persistently low-performing or making other drastic changes to improve outcomes.

“If we’re not seeing results in the schools that have been failing year after year after year, folks, something’s wrong. And it’s not the children,” Bentley said. “We need to make sure that these children have a chance in this state to do better.”

Pouncey said school systems are likely to turn more to their local communities for support since state dollars have been so scarce. Statewide, on average, about 59 percent of a school system’s budget is comprised of state funds. And board members need only look back on back-to-back years of deep budget cuts and the economic slowdown to know the community is key to surviving this slump and other rollercoaster changes in education, Pouncey said.

Pouncey encouraged school boards to buckle down on the basics, too. Every board member’s voice should be heard. Decision-making authority lies only with the board, not with individual members. Superintendents and board members should communicate often. School board members should prepare for and regularly attend board meetings. Boards should strive for consistency in school and system leadership to limit harm from high turnover. School boards should work closely with their superintendents to craft a vision for their schools and put in place staff, programs and budgets that support strategic goals.

“Work with the superintendent to establish a vision and adopt the goals to carry out that vision,” Pouncey said. “The strategic plan establishes the parameters for all of our work, and as long as we stay within those parameters, we don’t have all this stuff on the side that doesn’t matter.”

A strategic plan guides a school system even through superintendent and board turnover, Pouncey explained. “It’s that common place to come back to. ‘Is that part of our strategic plan? Does it meet our goals? Is it within the timeline we first adopted?’ While you may have to make a few adjustments because of bumps along the way, you can still remain focused on that vision,” he said.

“Ninety-nine percent of our boards in this state do a great job with the limited resources that Alabama is able to share with you to educate the children of your school systems,” Pouncey said. “It is that 1 percent that occasionally gets their priorities out of line. And I can assure you 100 percent of the media picks up on the 1 percent that gets out of line and paints 100 percent of us the same way.”

Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012 27

BALANCED SCORECARD

The Alabama Association of School Boards’ mission is to develop excellent school board leaders through quality training, advocacy and services. AASB made progress toward accomplishing that mission in 2011-2012. Below are a few highlights.

Performance Area

Type

Measure

Regular Boards

134

Special Boards

5

Associate Members

39

Alabama Council of School Board Attorneys

109

Legal Assistance Fund

132

Professional Sustaining Members

35

Fall District Meetings / Winter District Meetings Attendance

611 / 520

October Conference / Post-conference Workshop Attendance

305 / 58

Effective Boards & Relationships Orientation Attendance

52

Convention Attendance / Convention Exhibitors

402 / 39

March Conference Attendance

303

Roles & Responsibilities Orientation Attendance

110

Summer Conference Attendance / Summer Exhibitors

431 / 31

Webinars

48 individual codes & 27 group codes

Free Teleconferences

60 phone lines

Board Presidents Roundtable

54

Board Development

Field Services - Board Trained

26

Advocacy

Leader to Leader Meetings

4

Leader to Leader Visits

7

Legal Assistance Fund Briefs

3

The Gavel (School Board Presidents)

8

Alabama School Boards Magazine

3

Court Report (Legal News Coverage)

3

Advocate for Schools (Legislative News Coverage)

15

For Your Information (State Board News Coverage)

21

Special Publications

15

Phone Calls

392

Web Hits

1,316,379

Membership

Academy Courses & Events

Publications / Communication

28 Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012

AT THE TABLE

The Rev. Jason Thomas School board Troy City Board of Education Hometown Troy Been a school board member for Six months Books at bedside Bible, Sin in the House by George McCaleb, and Traveling Light by Max Lucado Inspiration The Lord and the children. I want to make sure every child is treated fair and firm to ensure they get a proper education.

Motto as a board member Educate, enlighten, empower ... so children will excel in the classroom.

Walter Mitty fantasy That all children in the United States get a fair chance to earn a quality education regardless of color, gender, nationality or creed.

Greatest accomplishment as a board member I’m a new board member, but I want to make a difference by making certain that no matter who you are, you still get treated right. I attribute a lot of what I have to my mother (long-time Troy school board member Dorotha Thomas, who passed away last October) and her discipline and education. I found a letter she wrote to me in 1988. She said, ‘Don’t get in trouble. Always do what you are told, and you will always come out on top.’ I think she was trying to say, ‘If you do what’s right, you will be OK.’ That letter is laminated on my night stand, so I can pick it up and read it when I need inspiration.

Pet peeve as a board member I haven’t been a board member long enough, and I’m still in the learning process.

Reason I like being an AASB member AASB is educating me, so I can be an effective board member and make a difference in the lives of children.

My epitaph Servant, well done.

FACE TO FACE Continued from page 12 A. I believe, based on the legislation that was passed this year, it’s more so now than ever.

I’m committed to continue to look at it from that 180 degrees out and be the one helping my colleagues see it from the other side and recognize that we’re stunting control that our elected and appointed school boards have with elected and appointed superintendents.

Those boards and superintendents are most responsible at the local level to the people that have children in their systems. When we pull that control to Montgomery, we silence the people’s voice, and that’s a problem.

Q. What works best when we advocate for our students?

A. One of the ways not to do it is what I would call legislature spam. When I get an email that is basically a form letter email, I read it and go, ‘OK.’ Then a few minutes later, I get another one that looks just like the first one except it’s got someone else’s name on it, and I go ‘OK.’ Then I get 10 more throughout the day. At some point, while It’s good that somebody’s taking the time to contact me, I wonder if they are really sharing with me their thoughts.

What is a good way to truly advocate is to personalize whatever it is you’re trying to get across. Nothing beats a handwritten letter, and I probably have a 95 percent success rate of sending a handwritten note back. There is value to a handwritten note that says I would appreciate you voting against or voting for this issue, and here’s why.

Also, a phone call. I don’t know how many legislators do it, but I’m one of the ones to put my cell phone and my personal email address on my website. I encourage people to call me and write me.

Another thing I think is important for AASB, or for any group in reality, is doing your homework on the issues around the particular piece of legislation. What it boils down to for me is the proverbial elevator speech.

Q. How can boards help make your job easier?

A. Be responsive to the people who entrust their children in our school systems is probably the single most important thing in my view.

Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012 29

Schools can’t reject blueberries

By Jamie Vollmer

iStockphoto.com

“If I ran my business the way you people operate your schools, I wouldn’t be in business very long!”

I stood before an auditorium filled with outraged teachers who were becoming angrier by the minute.

My speech had entirely consumed their precious 90 minutes of in-service. Their initial icy glares had turned to restless agitation. You could cut the hostility with a knife.

I represented a group of business people dedicated to improving public schools. I was an executive at an ice cream company that became famous in the middle 1980s when People Magazine chose our blueberry as the “Best Ice Cream in America.”

I was convinced of two things. First, public schools needed to change; they were archaic selecting and sorting mechanisms designed for the industrial age and out of step with the needs of our emerging “knowledge society.” Second, educators were a major part of the problem: they resisted change, hunkered down in their feathered nests, protected by tenure and shielded by a bureaucratic monopoly.

They needed to look to business. We knew how to produce quality. Zero defects! TQM! Continuous improvement!

In retrospect, the speech was perfectly balanced — equal parts ignorance and arrogance. As soon as I finished, a woman’s hand shot up. She appeared polite, pleasant – she was, in fact, a razor-edged, veteran high school English teacher who had been waiting to unload.

She began quietly, “We are told, sir, that you manage a company that makes good ice cream.”

I smugly replied, “Best ice cream in America, Ma’am.”

“How nice,” she said. “Is it rich and smooth?”

“Sixteen percent butterfat,” I crowed.

“Premium ingredients?” she inquired.

“Super-premium! Nothing but triple A.” I was on a roll. I never saw the next line coming.

“Mr. Vollmer,” she said, leaning forward with a wicked eyebrow raised to the sky, “when you are 30 Alabama School Boards • Summer

standing on your receiving dock and you see an inferior shipment of blueberries arrive, what do you do?”

In the silence of that room, I could hear the trap snap…. I was dead meat, but I wasn’t going to lie.

“I send them back.”

She jumped to her feet. “That’s right!” she barked, “and we can never send back our blueberries. We take them big, small, rich, poor, gifted, exceptional, abused, frightened, confident, homeless, rude and brilliant. We take them with ADHD, junior rheumatoid arthritis and English as their second language.

We take them all! Every one! And that, Mr. Vollmer, is why it’s not a business. It’s school!”

In an explosion, all 290 teachers, principals, bus drivers, aides, custodians and secretaries jumped to their feet and yelled, “Yeah! Blueberries! Blueberries!”

And so began my long transformation.

Since then, I have visited hundreds of schools. I have learned that a school is not a business. Schools are unable to control the quality of their raw material, they are dependent upon the vagaries of politics for a reliable revenue stream, and they are constantly mauled by a howling horde of disparate, competing customer groups that would send the best CEO screaming into the night. None of this negates the need for change. We must change what, when and how we teach to give all children maximum opportunity to thrive in a post-industrial society.

But educators cannot do this alone; these changes can occur only with the understanding, trust, permission and active support of the surrounding community. For the most important thing I have learned is that schools reflect the attitudes, beliefs and health of the communities they serve, and therefore, to improve public education means more than changing our schools, it means changing America.

Jamie Robert Vollmer is a former business executive and attorney who now works to increase public support for America’s public schools. His new book, Schools Cannot Do It Alone, is available at www.jamievollmer.com.

Alabama Association of School Boards

Professional Sustaining Members

A Partnership That Works!

AASB appreciates these professional members for supporting association activities and you all year long.

To learn more about becoming a Professional Sustaining Member of the Alabama Association of School Boards and to enjoy special opportunities, services and valuable information, contact us at 800/562-0601 or info@AlabamaSchoolBoards.org.

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• American Fidelity Assurance Birmingham, AL • 205/987-0950

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• Ellis Architects Tuscaloosa, AL • 205/752-4420 • GCA Education Services Knoxville, TN • 888/588-0863 • Goodwyn Mills & Cawood, Inc. Montgomery, AL • 334/271-3200 • McKee & Associates Montgomery, AL • 334/834-9933 • R.K. Redding Construction/ Planning Services Bremen, GA • 770/537-1845

• Synergetics DCS Starkville, MS 39759 • 662/461-0122

• TCU Consulting Services, LLC Montgomery, AL • 334/420-1500

• Volkert & Associates, Inc. Mobile, AL • 251/342-1070

SUSTAINING MEMBERS

Sustaining Members

• Alabama Beverage Association Montgomery, AL

• AdvancedED-Alabama SACS CASI Montgomery, AL • 334/244-3163

• Alabama Supercomputer Authority Montgomery, AL • 334/242-0100

• Barganier Davis Sims Architects Associated Montgomery, AL • 334/834-2038

• Energy Systems Group Helena, AL • 205/994-0490

BRONZE

• Davis Architects Inc. Birmingham, AL • 205/322-7482 • Evan Terry Associates, P.C. Birmingham, AL • 205/972-9100 • Hecht Burdeshaw Architects Opelika, AL • 334/826-8448 • Information Transport Solutions Wetumpka, AL • 334/567-1993 • JBHM Education Group Jackson, MS • 601/987-9187 • Krebs Architecture & Engineering Birmingham, AL 35244 • 205/987-7411 • PH&J Architects, Inc. Montgomery, AL • 334/265-8781 • Schneider Electric Birmingham, AL • 205/356-3646 • Siemens Building Technologies, Inc. Pelham, AL • 205/213-5162 • Southland International Bus Sales Birmingham, AL • 888/844-1821

• Hoar Program Management Birmingham, AL • 205/803-2121 • Kelly Services Dothan, AL • 334/673-7136 • KHAFRA Engineers and Architects Birmingham, AL • 205/252-8353 • Lathan Associates Architects, P.C. Hoover, AL • 205/988-9112 • Payne Lee & Associates Montgomery, AL • 334/272-2180 • Ra-Lin and Associates, Inc. Carrollton, GA 770/834-4884 • SRJ Architects, Inc. Albany, GA • 229/436-9877 • Terracon Birmingham, AL • 205/942-1289 • Transportation South Pelham, AL • 205/663-2287 • WSV Architects, Inc. Tuscaloosa, AL • 205/345-6110 Alabama School Boards • Summer 2012

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