Virginia Martin

Contenders for the Birmingham Board of Education Discuss Challenges: A Q&A With the Candidates

Whoever wins the nine seats in the heavily contested race for the Birmingham Board of Education on Aug. 22, one thing is certain: the winners will find a big school system facing substantial challenges. Some of the challenges are well publicized. For instance, 13 of the Birmingham City Schools 43 schools were listed by the Alabama State Department of Education as failing in 2017. In a city where a third of the residents live below the poverty line, nearly 50 percent of the students do, according to recent Census data. But as the new school year begins, the elephant in the room may be that the BCS will be working with its ninth superintendent in 21 years. With all that has gone before, all nine seats on the board are up for grabs, with 31 candidates in the running. Read more.

by Nick Patterson

What would you say are the biggest issues facing Birmingham City Schools today?

What would you say are the biggest issues facing Birmingham City Schools today?

by Nick Patterson

If elected to the school board, what do you bring to the table that can help solve these issues?

BirminghamWatch contacted the candidates vying for the Birmingham Board of Education to ask them questions about the future of the schools. We asked each candidate we could reach the same questions. A few of the candidates could not be reached for comment. Eight of the 32 candidates responded in writing to our short questionnaire. None

by Nick Patterson

Given the recent series of superintendent changes over a relatively short period of time, how important is it to give the newly appointed superintendent time to achieve her goals? How long a period would you consider long enough for her to prove herself and/or turn long-standing problems around at BCS?

BirminghamWatch contacted the candidates vying for the Birmingham Board of Education to ask them questions about the future of the schools. We asked each candidate we could reach the same questions. A few of the candidates could not be reached for comment. Eight of the 32 candidates responded in writing to our short questionnaire. None

by Nick Patterson

What will board success look like from your perspective? What is the maximum benefit to students in the BCS if the next board succeeds? Or how will you know that the next board will have succeeded?

BirminghamWatch contacted the candidates vying for the Birmingham Board of Education to ask them questions about the future of the schools. We asked each candidate we could reach the same questions. A few of the candidates could not be reached for comment. Eight of the 32 candidates responded in writing to our short questionnaire. None

by Nick Patterson

Top Mayoral Candidates Talk Transportation, Education, Redevelopment and Government Efficiency in Debate

Both challengers involved in a recent mayoral election debate targeted what they said were shortcomings in Mayor William Bell’s administration, while Bell fired back with attacks on their records, or lack thereof.

by Sam Prickett

Moore, Strange Advance to Republican Senate Election Runoff, While Jones Wins Democratic Primary Outright

Given his famous 6-foot-9 height, it’s not surprising that Sen. Luther Strange has an affinity for basketball, which he played in his younger days. So when it came time to address his supporters in Homewood after winning a berth in a Republican primary runoff election for the Senate seat he was appointed to earlier this year, Strange used an analogy with roots in hoops. “Eight on one has kind of been the game so far,” the incumbent said. “Now it will be one on one. And I like the odds in a one-on-one basketball game.” But there won’t be a wooden court or squeaking sneakers in his next contest. Strange finished second in Tuesday’s GOP primary behind Roy Moore, the two-time chief justice of Alabama who was removed from office both times after defying state laws and judicial regulations. Read more.

by Robert Carter, BirminghamWatch

Confederate Monument in Linn Park Covered in Wake of Virginia Protests

Aug. 15, 2017 — Mayor William Bell had a Confederate monument outside Birmingham City Hall obscured by a wooden barrier Tuesday night while efforts are made to remove it. But the state’s attorney general quickly sued the city and the mayor, saying the move violated a state law passed in the spring that says monuments more than 40 years old cannot be altered without approval from a new commission. The topic of removing the statute was brought up during the Tuesday morning City Council meeting. Council President Johnathan Austin had called on Bell to remove the monument and others like it in Birmingham, calling them “offensive” and saying they “celebrate racism, bigotry, hate and all those things that the South has been known for. Read more.

by Sam Prickett, BirminghamWatch

Birmingham Council Delays Capital Projects for Lack of a Budget, Debates Unfulfilled Contracts

In its last regular meeting before next week’s municipal elections, the Birmingham City Council spent most of its time Tuesday directing key concerns on a variety of subjects toward Mayor William Bell. The most notable of those discussions were about the still-unpassed FY 2018 budget and an unfulfilled construction contract. Read more.

by Sam Prickett, BirminghamWatch

Voters Head to the Polls Today in Senate Primaries

Voters across the state go to the polls today to cast what in most counties is a one-race ballot. The issue is nominating Republican and Democratic candidates to run for the privilege of filling the U.S. Senate seat vacated when former Sen. Jeff Sessions was appointed U.S. Attorney General. Former Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange

by Virginia Martin