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BCS News & Notes

A newsletter for parents, students, staff and community

June 21, 2013
 
In This Issue
Principals named
Glen Iris has summer program
Quick Links
Click here to view BCS Policy Manual
Alabama State Department of Education, www.alsde.edu

P.O. Box 10007
Birmingham, Alabama 35202
(205) 231-4610
Schools on list are not failing

Parents and other stakeholders should not jump to the conclusion that a school is bad if they see it included on the "failing schools" list released this week by the Alabama State Department of Education.

 

Eleven schools in the Birmingham City School System are on the list, but is much more to the story. We need to look a little deeper than who is on the list and examine the growth these schools have made.

 

Having any BCS schools on the list is unacceptable, but I want to provide other information to give balance.

 

Under the Alabama Accountability Act of 2013, schools were placed on the list if they were in the lowest 6 percent of schools three or more of the last six years. Schools were ranked according to the percentage of students whose scores on the Alabama Reading and Math Test (ARMT) were at or above grade level.

 

The BCS schools on the list include Bush Middle School, Center Street Middle School, Green Acres Middle School, Hill Elementary School, Martha Gaskins Middle School, Ossie Ware Mitchell Middle School, Putnam Middle School, Robinson Elementary School, Arrington Middle School, Wylam K-8 School and Hayes K-8 School.

 

If you look at the last two or three years, there definitely has been growth at most of these schools. For example, 53 percent of students at Hill made the cut in 2009. In 2012, the last year used in the calculations, 78 percent of Hill students were at or above grade level, for a 25-point increase.

 

Robinson and Arrington were not in the bottom 6 percent in 2010, 2011 or 2012 but are included on the list because of their 2007, 2008 and 2009 scores. The scores at both schools increased by more than 20 points.

 

Bush Middle School made it out of the bottom 6 percent in 2012 with an increase of 17 points in one year.

 

Click here to see a chart detailing the schools' scores and the gains they have made.

 

Schools that have made double-digit gains are not failing schools, but the Alabama Accountability Act does not recognize improvement.

 

The schools in Birmingham are indeed improving, some at an accelerated pace. Even so, we plan to address the list with our full focus and attention on teaching and learning and increasing student achievement at these schools and every school in the system.

 

As we take this challenge head-on, we invite our parents and other stakeholders to become even more personally involved and engaged with us. As partners, we can harness all of our resources and energy to make an important difference in the lives and learning of our students. Thank you for your continued support of Birmingham City Schools.

  
Sincerely,
  
Craig Witherspoon

Superintendent
Birmingham City Schools

Principals named for many schools
Some schools getting new principals, others retain current leaders

The Birmingham Board of Education has named principals for 18 schools across the system.

 

Two high schools will have new principals. Darrell Hudson, who was principal at Carver High School, will move to Parker High School. Dr. Charles Willis, who was principal at Smith Middle School, will replace Hudson at Carver.

 

Dr. Gwendolyn Tilghman, who was principal at Hemphill Elementary School, was named principal of the new Oxmoor Valley Elementary School. Tavis Sloan, who was principal at Jackson Elementary School, will move to Hemphill. Jackson and Hemphill are being consolidated at Hemphill.

 

Principals who will move from one school to another include:

         Mario Lumzy, from Arrington Middle School, to Inglenook K-8 School

         Robbie Sullivan, from Brown Elementary School to Ossie Ware Mitchell Middle School

         Cedric Tatum, from Parker to Hayes K-8 School

         Steve Brown, from Councill Elementary School to Brown. Councill is consolidating with Bush Middle School.

         Jesse Daniel, from Hudson K-8 School to Wylam K-8 School

         Damita Pitts, from Ossie Ware Mitchell to  Washington K-8 School

         Judith Ross, from Wylam to Bush Hills Academy

         Eddie Cauthen, from Daniel Payne Middle School to Arrington. Daniel Payne is consolidating with South Hampton.

         Carolyn Denson, from Center Street Middle School to Jones Valley K-8 School. Center Street is consolidating with Arrington.

         Willie Goldsmith, from Jones Valley to Green Acres Middle School

         Fred Stewart, from Woodlawn High School to Hudson

 

Dr. DeMarcus Gates, an assistant principal at Huffman High School, was named principal of Smith.

 

Dr. Selena Florence was named principal of Oliver Elementary School. Dr. Florence is elementary supervisor of curriculum for math and science for the Jefferson County Schools. She served as assistant principal at Pleasant Grove Elementary School and taught at Adamsville Elementary School.

 

Dr. Elvirita Finley, who was principal at North Roebuck Elementary School, will remain as principal as the school moves into the former Martha Gaskins Middle School building. Gaskins is consolidating with Smith and Ossie Ware Mitchell middle schools.

 

Several principals were reappointed to their current positions. They include:

         Brenda Dial at Putnam Middle School.

         Johnnie Finkley at South Hampton Elementary School.

         Milton Hopkins at Huffman Middle School

         Cynthia Ward at Princeton Elementary School

  
Glen Iris program is "Growing Gardeners"
Summer learning includes outdoor classroom

Glen Iris Elementary School is "Growing Gardeners" in its summer enrichment program.

 

Glen Iris students enjoy enrichment activities

In partnership with the Children's Creative Learning Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the school is offering students a program that engages them daily in opportunities to allow them to be creative thinkers as they do activities related to reading, math and science explorations.

 

Jones Valley Teaching Farm is providing hands-on experiences through the use of the school's outdoor classroom to students in kindergarten and first grade. Other students are making choices in afternoon sessions from a variety of garden-related topics such as "Fun in the Sun," "Water Works," "Air, Air Everywhere" and "Take Root."

 

Students are enjoying making salads from the garden, exploring with ramps and balls, using iPads, playing and making musical instruments, creating mosaics and much more.

 

Sponsors include The Daniel Foundation of Alabama, Belk Foundation, Jones Valley Teaching Farm and UAB School of Education.

  
Wenonah academy students participate in camp
Summer program includes college visits


Thirty-two rising sophomores and juniors at Wenonah High School are participating in a summer camp

Wenonah academy students participate in summer camp

for the school's Academy of Hospitality and Tourism.

 

The older students have completed their first year in the academy, which was begun last year. the younger students will enter the program in August.

 

"The Academy of Hospitality and Tourism has really blossomed since Superintendent Craig Witherspoon proposed the concept of academies," said Principal Regina Carr-Hope. "Our students are eager to learn about the hospitality industry."

 

The summer camp has included presentations from area chefs and hotel executives, as well as visits to the hospitality and tourism programs at Lawson State Community College and the University of Alabama.

 

Wenonah now has partnerships with a variety of establishments, including the Ross Bridge, Sheraton and Westin hotels.  

Coming events 
  
The Birmingham Board of Education will have a special called meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 25, in the auditorium of the Administration Building, 2015 Park Place.  
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