Board member, Stephanie Bell, explained that a state school board meeting is scheduled for October 11th to review a list of seven candidates for the Alabama School Board Superintendent position.  It is possible that they will vote for the new superintendent at this meeting.  The school board has yet to see this list; the first time they will see it is at this meeting!  IF there was a vote on October 11th, then the average citizen was left out of the process, with no time to alert the public on who those seven candidates are and allow them the opportunity to voice their opinion to the board about who they would like to see become the new State Superintendent.  Let's hope this is not the case.  An update on this development will be made as soon as information from the October 11th meeting becomes available.

At its monthly K-12 meeting on October 13, 2011, the Alabama State Board of Education will receive recommendations for adoption of textbooks for mathematics, Grades K-12. Dr. Janet Harris, Superintendent of Cullman City Schools, served as the committee’s chairperson. Dr. Harris will formally present an overview of the committee’s findings to the State Board at the October 27 work session.

In accordance with the State Textbook Law, §16-36-61, Code of Alabama, 1975, notice is hereby given that the recommendations are scheduled for consideration at a public meeting of the State Board on November 10, 2011. The meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will be held in the auditorium of the Gordon Persons Building, located at 50 North Ripley Street, in Montgomery.

Persons interested in addressing the State Board regarding any textbook should contact Ms. Ann Starks prior to the meeting at telephone number 334-242-9702. The recommendations will be available on the State Department of Education Web site (www.alsde.edu) after the October 13 meeting. On the Home Page, click on Special Links, Additional Special Links, then Textbooks.

Additionally, examination copies of the textbooks being considered for adoption are available for public review at the State Textbook office and at the following sites: The University of Alabama, Birmingham (Mervyn-Sterne); Troy University Dothan; Wallace Community College in Hanceville; The University of Alabama-Huntsville; Jacksonville State University (Houston Cole); University of South Alabama, Mobile; Alabama Southern Community College, Thomasville; and The University of Alabama (McLure), Tuscaloosa