31 replies to this topic

[kayman]

Birmingham way go the way of cities such as Cincinnati, Cleveland, Los Angeles, New York, Portland and Phoenix.  That is the way of K-8 schools for much of the district's elementary level education.  

Birmingham schools keep K-8s in mind

Superintendent Mims looks at transforming the school district from having elementary and middle schools to as many as 30 K-8 schools.  However, due to the State Board of Education threat of taking over control of the district, the plan has been delayed until next year.  The argument has been that the middle-school grades nationwide seems to be the weakest, so this will only improve this.

[kayman]

It is good to see that cooler heads won out in the end in Clay.  The Town of Clay could learn a lot from Lincoln in how to deal with staying in the county school district, but still funnel funding only towns their schools in their zone.

[kayman]

PARK PLACE SCHOOL

There was an article of The Birmingham Weekly about the city newest academically-progressive magnet school.  It will be a K-8 that will serve the residents of Park Place, Norwood, and allow students who tested into the school attend.  It said that the main branch of the YMCA has already moved to Park Place and has plans to begin a cooperative between them, the school, Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham Public Library, The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, and Tuskgee School of Architecture to create specialized learning programs for the school.  This will be an absolutely amazing school for the City Center and the city that will go help prep students who would like to also attend Ramsey in the future.

[Birmingham Bound]

Leonard23, on May 16 2007, 10:23 AM, said:

PARK PLACE SCHOOL

There was an article of The Birmingham Weekly about the city newest academically-progressive magnet school.  It will be a K-8 that will serve the residents of Park Place, Norwood, and allow students who tested into the school attend.  It said that the main branch of the YMCA has already moved to Park Place and has plans to begin a cooperative between them, the school, Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham Public Library, The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, and Tuskgee School of Architecture to create specialized learning programs for the school.  This will be an absolutely amazing school for the City Center and the city that will go help prep students who would like to also attend Ramsey in the future.

It's Ramsay... sorry, it's my alma mater.

[Blazer85]

That would be outstanding to have a quality school like that in the city center.  Certainly would eliminate the arguments about the schools being terrible.  I really think the future of the system is bright.  It's tough right now going through this kind of transition, but I think it will pay off.

[kayman]

An unknown prospect of recent developments, since the US Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that zoning students based on race to other school districts unconstitutional, what will be come of the residents viaing to be a part of the Vestavia Hills Schools District living in Oxmoor Valley.  Most of the residents were zone to Vestavia Hills since it was much closer than any school in the Birmingham School District and due to fact prior court ruling forcing districts such as Vestavia Hills to bring some minorities.  A little more than 5% of Vestavia Hills population is non-white, which made the district libel to the prior ruling.  This has created a very unusual predicament for the residents for the Oxmoor Valley, which are mainly middle-income black households.  Unfortunately, I highly doubt the Birmingham School District will zone these residents to schools such as Ramsay or the new Powell School.

[kayman]

Apparently, the Birmingham BOE has released the recommendations of the consultant firm, Gude Management, that 20 schools within the district will have to closed in the next 3 years.  It is also said in the report by 2017 that the decline of enrollment will have leveled off at 20,000 students.  

Here is the report: http://blog.al.com/s...1/skul12one.pdf

Hopefully, the BOE will heed this report this time and close these following schools.  The plans also call for more magnet school to be developed within the district, which all seem to have become a success.

[kayman]

ROGERS PROPOSED A BILL TO GIVE MAYOR POWER LEAD AND APPOINT A BOE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

State Rep. John Rogers has proposed a bill that will give the mayor of Birmingham the power to lead and appoint an oversight committee that will work with the Birmingham Board of Education.  This committee will consist of the mayor, the Council president, the education liason on the Council, and 4 other mayor-appointed members.  The bill is to offer the mayor the ability to become more involved in the city schools and give the citizens to make the Board held more accountable for mishaps.  Mayor Langford has stayed mum on this bill, but it is apparent from his mayoral campaign that he wants more involvement into how the district is run and maintained.  

I believe this is a step in the right direction, as it seems the current boardmembers are more inept towards fixing and alleviating the ongoing problem with this school districts dropping of enrollment.  Superintendent Mims has shown that he wants to reduce the district by 20 schools, but it seems the board want to drag their feet and listen to the same ole people in certain areas of the city say that closing the schools will hurt their community.  However, they don't realize that keeping a half or three-quarters-empty school open is not only hurting the children, but destroying any chance of those children of ever being able to attend an adequate, well-rounded school with a full-curriculum also well other programs offered at schools in other districts in this region.  Something has to give if we ever want the Birmingham School District to ever turn the page and become a modern, efficient school system like the schools in other large cities with sustainable urban school districts like Atlanta.

[kayman]

Now the Birmingham BOE is entertaining the idea of possibly selling their Park Place headquarters only if they buyer purchases the property from them directly leaving the City itself out of the deal.  This maybe a better way to go about if it goes through giving the number of proposals be presented of the spot given its proximity to the BJCC and being a centralize locale with the City Center.  However, they should use the revenue towards making the school district more sound on fiscal end.  One can only hope that BOE will just make up their mind and move to a centralized operation that is cost-efficient and fulfills the American with Disabilities Act standards.

[kayman]

It's looking even more bizarre at Park Place in the City Center.  Just merely days after the Jefferson County School System has been rewarded the district-wide SAKS accreditation accolade, parents whose children attend the Birmingham schools are crying foul after the BOE has said time and time again that they are going to "fix" the system.  However, many parents of the "Yes We Can!" organization are still asking, "Where are the improvements and changes?"  Numerous parents withn the district are saying that it is looking more and more viable for their children to attend the county schools over Birmingham City since the so-called changes are basically non-existent.  

Birmigham BOE Interim Super. Barbara Allen seems to like more of the same...until they lay off all those employees of that district that have not other purpose of being there other than collecting a paycheck then the students within the district at the majority of the school will still be left hanging without major fundamental changes.  The City's is not losing population just because of the crime issues, numerous are leaving because of the lack of decent schools aside from Epic School, Daniel Payne Middle, Glen Iris Elementary, Powell Elementary, and Ramsey High Schools, and everyone can't attend those handful of schools.

[bhamsly]

Ok, so today I came across this realty website for the Birmingham area. I noticed many of the Birmingham's most prestigious neighborhoods are zoned with less with less desirable neighborhoods. Why do you think the city doesn't work with bring these neighborhoods together? This could lead to much better schools. Is it because the rich doesn't want their kids schooled with the poor? I understand that they can afford to send their kids to private schools, but there should be options for new and old residents. If the schools were zoned differently, could this lead to some competitive public schools in the city of Birmingham, as well as some more diverse schools? This in turn could also build the school systems population instead of allowing it to continue on a decline. Even some of Atlanta's prestigious northside residents send their kids to an inner city school... North Atlanta High School.


The link to the realty website is http://www.abanareal...RealEstate.html About 2/3's of the way down the page.

[kayman]

bhamsly, on Nov 16 2008, 01:59 PM, said:

Ok, so today I came across this realty website for the Birmingham area. I noticed many of the Birmingham's most prestigious neighborhoods are zoned with less with less desirable neighborhoods. Why do you think the city doesn't work with bring these neighborhoods together? This could lead to much better schools. Is it because the rich doesn't want their kids schooled with the poor? I understand that they can afford to send their kids to private schools, but there should be options for new and old residents. If the schools were zoned differently, could this lead to some competitive public schools in the city of Birmingham, as well as some more diverse schools? This in turn could also build the school systems population instead of allowing it to continue on a decline. Even some of Atlanta's prestigious northside residents send their kids to an inner city school... North Atlanta High School.


The link to the realty website is http://www.abanareal...RealEstate.html About 2/3's of the way down the page.

That is a very well proposed and innovative idea on the city's school district.  I believe that many of the problems that plagues our city is still based on well-established racial assumptions some the older and native residents.  Hence why the last mayoral election turned out, although Cooper was a clearly the better candidate.  The city does have numerous distinct and well-to-do neighborhoods.

The problem that many of the city's newer residents need to become more politically active in their neighborhoods and force a major shift in the city's political regime as other city's have seen.   Until we see this groundswell of activity from the newcomers and more progressive-minded residents as the residents of Atlanta, then it will continue to be status-quo with this city's school district and other governmental structures.