[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6386932,"mediaKeyId","2117421-b7ec5609d5f4d6c0e7b7faa32e937453","parentId",2117421,"title","Resident raises opposition to proposed charter aviation high school near Lincoln","audioSeconds",118,"startMs",3475000,"endMs",3593000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2117421-b7ec5609d5f4d6c0e7b7faa32e937453&start=3475&end=3593","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2117421-b7ec5609d5f4d6c0e7b7faa32e937453/thumbnail_3475000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6386932/Alabama/Resident-raises-opposition-to-proposed-charter-aviation-high-school-near-Lincoln","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386932-1b198def3d57476a4306a538469b917f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771191276&Signature=Pmyth~Hr15z9OIiezehopEFG4~4yCDjrfupwEb5nQ7vLOwOJGPUtHUI3itEYiYRUF9TSmitWKj87ts2ZcbuMyo117T2jqdkOHSUEBwO0Y5fXQGJBxR5VXjdO2loE50v0XEm5AE3a-aGnI4zfBw0VGbZ82ZqSVAL-dqFoLyqhjXefp1E66-lu9JRro5s-xCqcTyaDw4mATAcBGiwy9cOgJV4io3BGRNbH9ljNtYFH0WTHS9NRfdxOiQuHbb8oxNtwuvNfQ8jLHa2y84GOQoY5texyOj7CuncxG825ltYOE6eGOkH7fR7j8FoKlsTMbcaCyJ3RyUX3SH66atj4VQJEeg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Birmingham City Schools","date","2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","article","During the community-voice portion of the Birmingham City Schools meeting on Jan. 14, Walter Floyd, a longtime neighborhood resident, urged the board to reconsider a proposed charter high school planned for the Lincoln site near Park.

Floyd said he had struck his public comment name from the signup but decided to speak and used his two minutes to say he was “very upset” and “appalled” at the proposal to place a charter high school two blocks from the park. “I’m against this,” he said, and asked the board for more information about the plan and how the community could provide input.

Board President Meadows acknowledged his remarks and said staff would note his comments. Floyd identified himself as a former Smithfield community president and a 1973 graduate and said he planned to attend future meetings to present further concerns.

No formal board action was taken at the meeting on the charter proposal; Floyd’s remarks were recorded during the public-comment period and flagged for follow-up.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Birmingham City Schools Board Meeting January 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A community member used the board’s community-voice period to voice opposition to a proposed charter aviation high school near Park and Lincoln, saying he was “appalled” the board would consider it two blocks from a park.","taxTitle","Birmingham City Schools, School Districts, Alabama","taxId",12963,"location","Alabama","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386938,"Altec Innovation Challenge awards $10,000 to Southampton Elementary team; EPIC named National Blue Ribbon",563,1503000,2066000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2117421-b7ec5609d5f4d6c0e7b7faa32e937453&start=1503&end=2066","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2117421-b7ec5609d5f4d6c0e7b7faa32e937453/thumbnail_1503000.jpg","/articles/6386938/Alabama/Altec-Innovation-Challenge-awards-10000-to-Southampton-Elementary-team-EPIC-named-National-Blue-Ribbon","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386938-692e978b1c8cf85ea890627a62cb3f3c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771191276&Signature=fW9If8-E1fQmIKx4vqzu~l33XlTUvjoQwzGnDNPJ8YV8g3DDgbSToKDNlq~gQBOcO3E5fJsm8f3oi9NSVSgRNXpitcO4DyfzEoI6Gq-PF8mMaaXGm-IsbYz~F47UzpSYrOy9FX9X0LjCEBO3CE29rA4gmggm99k2UunrSuDFXLzpoYxxCDgcxYBk3DTFcSxRM3ey78Kg7H05uiFynnzGMmxVSC3bROEOKzOhUOXP3veSHTJNeTlom16FHwS9uiVp1-s5hQEyXUmqKkYD~TGqW0B9VZxc9ENxHrn0u~PHo4-0w-cnlrDL7hK8M4yCdmPvA-9vqFcwLlJeJKleN227vQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Birmingham City Schools leaders and partners on Jan. 14 presented awards and recognitions that highlighted student innovation and school achievement.

Altec Innovation Challenge organizers and district staff named Southampton Elementary’s Community Care Innovations (project: “Hygiene Hub”) the 2024–25 winner and presented a $10,000 prize to help bring the project to life. Cedric Tatum and ALTEC representative Lori presented certificates and said plaques would follow; the students received a ceremonial check and took a photo with board members.

ALTEC’s Lori said the competition encourages students to solve school and community problems using STEM and that the winning team receives $10,000 each year to implement their solution. Cedric Tatum noted the program has included students from throughout the district and that ALTEC has invested more than $70,000 over the last seven years in Birmingham City Schools’ finalists.

The board also recognized EPIC Elementary as a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School. School leaders attended a recognition event in Washington, D.C., and district officials praised EPIC’s individualized instruction approach that staff said helped the school earn national recognition.

Other recognitions included multiple finalist teams for the Altec challenge (Bison Bite — Malachi Wilkerson Middle School; OWM STEM Club — Ossie Ware Mitchell Middle School; Campus Guards — William James Christian K38 School) and an employee award honoring Jonathan Hatton, history department chair at Ramsey High School, for mentorship and leadership.

Board President Meadows and board members congratulated students, teachers and partners for the work, emphasizing that events and partnerships help build student opportunities.","Student teams from Birmingham City Schools were honored at the Jan. 14 meeting; the Altec Innovation Challenge awarded $10,000 to Southampton Elementary’s Community Care Innovations (Hygiene Hub) and EPIC Elementary was recognized as a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386944,"Board hears strategic-plan update: English learner growth, ACCESS testing and expansion of Newcomer (Empower) Academy",1070,4415000,5485000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2117421-b7ec5609d5f4d6c0e7b7faa32e937453&start=4415&end=5485","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2117421-b7ec5609d5f4d6c0e7b7faa32e937453/thumbnail_4415000.jpg","/articles/6386944/Alabama/Board-hears-strategic-plan-update-English-learner-growth-ACCESS-testing-and-expansion-of-Newcomer-Empower-Academy","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386944-dfd84c04f57b77763c50b224898e32b4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771191276&Signature=GqESO2oKt-5d4S1PZnWFWklWJANauG3diNw~vpnrTSKeb4aMPt76UkVUwCWj81wdKmj0BJ6cpFRm~DwzAHvOW1vAr0LXfaaoxcR-9f0wMaE-JslJ76O7oC4~qqkFDayrZ-SEk8R3acuJMgwC~iJ0cZyC9FTx4t5XRiXWfq5hXf7HCLbtyEtfycbpuC7XLvhuZAua70boyP7ZdShYJ6ol4Y3mdf79-1J8sGVEMQjJcrOr1hGYU6oJMtAjesvN69jso8EkD-WEpv7YWo6uGoIqzFK8Jy7kBarb6BU-5TH9B9XnEM4hqgP94cEeVjhqtiymwftGwu0xlIoo8n5YqBEfkw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District leaders told the Birmingham City Schools board on Jan. 14 that the district’s population of multilingual families and English learners has grown substantially and that the strategic plan includes a measurable goal to raise English learner progress on the state ACCESS test to 50% by 2029.

Dr. Chapman and ESL leaders presented data showing multilingual families increased from roughly 1,600 when the current leadership arrived in 2021 to about 2,500, and active English learners grew from about 1,172 to 2,052. The presentation tied those enrollment trends to the district strategic plan’s academic priority and explained monthly progress monitoring and forthcoming public dashboards on the district website.

Assistant/Staff member Nancy Blanco (ESL and multilingual programs) outlined ACCESS testing and said the spring ACCESS window began the day of the meeting: “It actually started today in our schools,” she said. Blanco noted the ACCESS test is administered once a year and measures students’ social and academic language; the district uses ACCESS results as the strategic-plan metric for English-learner progress.

Blanco described district targets and recent results: the percentage of English learners meeting ALSDE progress goals was about 42% in 2022 and 38.82% for the most recent year cited in the presentation; the strategic-plan goal is 50% by 2029. Staff emphasized that the state’s goals are rigorous and that the district tracks the subgroup longitudinally.

Leaders also reviewed Empower Academy, a newcomer program that began as one classroom at Carver and has expanded to fully operate at Carver and Putnam middle schools with about 60 students at each site and a wait list of about 20. Blanco said the program uses district curriculum with sheltered instruction and Edgenuity supplements; students begin the day in the Newcomer program, then return to their zoned school for electives and extracurriculars.

Blanco and staff reported strong interim gains: Better Basics tutoring combined with the Newcomer model produced notable reading growth (staff reported an average of three grade levels of reading improvement in one semester for participating high-school students). Communications staff reported outreach and translation efforts, including a Spanish-language parent event that drew almost 200 family attendees and expanded access to translated materials.

Board members praised the work and asked for school-level enrollment breakdowns for Hispanic and multilingual students, and for details on ESL staffing and translation resources. Staff said every school has an assigned ESL teacher and that 11 bilingual paraprofessionals handle school-level translation coverage; additional translation is provided through a district translation specialist, LanguageLine and state-provided master-word Zoom interpretation when needed. Board members and staff discussed budget amendment options to expand Newcomer capacity.

Staff committed to provide school-by-school enrollment counts and ESL assignment details to board members. The presentation is the first in a series of monthly updates tied to the district’s strategic-plan dashboards and public data visualization posted on the district website.","District leaders reported growth in multilingual enrollment, ongoing ACCESS testing, monthly strategic-plan monitoring and expansion of the Empower Newcomer program to support recently arrived English learners.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386953,"Board approves contract with Public Consulting Group after members press for usage data",707,3678000,4385000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2117421-b7ec5609d5f4d6c0e7b7faa32e937453&start=3678&end=4385","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2117421-b7ec5609d5f4d6c0e7b7faa32e937453/thumbnail_3678000.jpg","/articles/6386953/Alabama/Board-approves-contract-with-Public-Consulting-Group-after-members-press-for-usage-data","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386953-640eac271bcc1f85cfe81389def4d07c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771191276&Signature=VY0dyOZb5KF5zCtw1ZrfGSu3Z0juShjjL3AAauB7WYhut7ONAonglqYe04aRgxN0KW9hehcdF~SSRzmv6q0rIXaU2Ew3PfWXuoY-Se9ZBKpwYJnBe3XFTw7fZPi7JUfB06HEt68NovOlTKCOvIM4UiBuBz6-mq2Ykro8DbAksQtBga0~XBFm9nN3QZX3HHSpdkGqqg~6HJ6ZYjyaY6mofJfCzhpQtFSPcepn0GHgSucO5QTufUjbYjsFyaNgbr7f~QAmd958W30fQ-rlwdTc26QqPGrLh2xDe6~JFq9N-64NpcaJWuS0sWf4FQpafbYQACrcAaHvEfBLCiorbkN3LA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Birmingham City Schools Board of Education on Jan. 14 approved a contract with Public Consulting Group LLC to provide supports for new principals after several board members asked staff for data on prior usage and outcomes and unsuccessfully moved to postpone the vote.

Board Member Billups said he wanted “some other information…from our initial cohort” to better understand “what did that initial group, cohort experience, what was the data like for them, and the usage of the program” before approving a renewal. That request prompted a lengthy discussion about whether the board should table the item so staff could produce utilization and outcome figures.

Superintendent Dr. Sullivan told the board, “Mister President, we we can provide the data,” and described the contract as a resource for mentoring new principals. A staff member also cautioned that delaying the decision would interrupt service: “So the answer is yes, that it does it will cause some lapse in service.”

Board members pressed for concrete measures of return on investment. Board Member Williams asked for “some kind of data on what was the usage, did those that did utilize the resources find it helpful,” and said the board should be able to evaluate outcomes before renewing contracts. Staff representatives said the offering functions as a playbook and mentor resource rather than a time-limited classroom program and agreed to provide utilization figures and cohort outcomes to the board.

Board members then voted on a motion to table the item until a special meeting on Jan. 28; the motion failed. The board subsequently voted to approve the contract under the consent agenda. The motion to approve was moved and seconded on the record and the board president announced that item F under the consent agenda had been approved.

The board directed staff to supply the requested data on prior cohorts and usage rates before the Jan. 28 special called meeting so members can review outcomes and best practices for the contract’s application.

Notes: The contract is described in the meeting as a resource used to support newly hired principals with a “playbook” of management and instructional practices. Staff said seven principals participated in the earlier cohort and that principals typically use the resource over multiple years as part of mentoring.","The Birmingham City Schools board approved a contract with Public Consulting Group LLC after discussion about outcomes and a failed attempt to postpone the vote so staff could provide usage and outcome data for an earlier cohort.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Resident raises opposition to proposed charter aviation high school near Lincoln

Altec Innovation Challenge awards $10,000 to Southampton Elementary team; EPIC named National Blue Ribbon

Board hears strategic-plan update: English learner growth, ACCESS testing and expansion of Newcomer (Empower) Academy

Board approves contract with Public Consulting Group after members press for usage data