Questions submitted to the Birmingham City Schools
Nick Patterson ,
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About Hayes K-8: There is a statement in the website that says the “team is not complete,” and the teacher count based on those listed in the website is 28 for almost 800 students. So can you help us understand that situation? Is there difficulty filling teacher slots? Is 28 really the teacher allotment for that many students?
What about student-teacher ratios overall? Does BCS have a desired target ratio? For elementary/middle/high schools? What is the average student-teacher ratio currently?
Some of the schools’ websites are more detailed than others. Many are very spare in information. Yet sites like Phillips academy are flush and very informative. Is there a standard?
How else (besides the websites) can the public learn about these schools? The PTO/PTA info seems difficult to find. Related to that, Hayes K-8’s Facebook page announced an open-to-the-public networking night for Aug 25. Does every school hold these?
What are the other ways the community is engaged? How would families deciding on what their schooling options are be able to get an understanding about their neighborhood public schools?
How important is it to the BCS for the stakeholders in the city at large – where education ranks high when people are considering where to move, raise families, open businesses, etc., – to know what’s going on in the schools? Do you feel that enough is being done?
In connection with that, (Superintendent) Dr. (Lisa) Herring said in the strategic plan that “we recognize that victory will take the collective action of our entire community, working together collaboratively, to support student achievement. We invite you to join the Birmingham City Schools as we are building leaders and impacting the world.” So how do you want the community to work with the schools?
One of the stated long-term goals (again from the strategic plan) is: “Through increased communication efforts and channels, parents, families, and community members are better informed, more engaged, and have an increased impact on decision making. How are you making that happen?
The metrics connected with “stakeholder trust” in your strategic plan call for more social media following, more downloads of the schools app, and improvements in parent participation, engagement through the parent portal, and overall parent satisfaction. You have a number of strategies listed to accomplish these. Can you talk to us about how you’re working toward those goals?
Can you talk about progress toward the strategic plan’s goals – specifically, how you’re cutting down absenteeism, bringing up reading and math scores, and college readiness, or if you’re focusing any attention on vocational options for your students, or both?
