2007 summer alabama school boards magazine

Official Publication of the Alabama Association of School Boards

June 2007

CELEBRATING THECAREER OF DR. SANDRA SIMS-DEGRAFFENRIED

This Road of LifeLearning Taking Place

Our Iceberg Isn’t Melting

CELEBRATING THECAREER OF DR. SANDRA SIMS-DEGRAFFENRIED

This Road of LifeLearning Taking Place


DROUGHT ENDS:$6.7 Billion Education

Budget and $1.1 Billion Bond Issue Passes Legislature

Give Teachers the Gift of Time

DROUGHT ENDS:$6.7 Billion Education

Budget and $1.1 Billion Bond Issue Passes Legislature

Give Teachers the Gift of Time

Face-to-Face with Sen. Vivian Figures

New Child Labor Rules Proposed

Face-to-Face withSen. Vivian Figures

New Child Labor Rules Proposed

Alabama School Boards • June 2007 3

IN THIS ISSUECOVER STORY

HIGHLAND AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AMONG 26 TORCHBEARERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

It’s the last day of school. Principal Pat Kornegay of Montgomery County’s Highland Avenue Elementary School steps into a classroom. The students flashwide smiles, yell ‘hey, mama’ and run up to her with outstretched arms. More thana see-you-next-year hug, it’s a warm appreciative embrace for the principal whohas led the high-poverty, high-achieving school to its third Torchbearer Schoolaward.

From the Staff’s Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

The Torchbearers: 2006-07 Award Winners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

FEATURES

Raise the Bar a Little Higher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Celebrating the Career of Dr. Sandra Sims-deGraffenried . . . . . . . 10

This Road of Life — By Dr. Sandra Sims-deGraffenried . . . . . . 12

Learning Taking Place: A Tribute to Dr. Sandra Sims-deGraffenried . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Our Iceberg Isn’t Melting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Give Teachers the Gift of Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Drought Ends: $6.7 Billion Education Budget and $1.1 Billion Bond Issue Passes Legislature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Face to Face with Sen. Vivian Davis Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

DEPARTMENTSAlabama Education News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Education & the Law: New Child Labor Rules Proposed . . . . . . . 7

At the Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Potpourri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

PUBLICATION POLICYAlabama School Boards is published by the Alabama Association of School Boards as aservice to its member school boards. The articles published in each issue represent the ideasor beliefs of the writers and are not necessarily the views of the Alabama Association ofSchool Boards. Subscriptions sent to members of school boards are included in member-ship dues, and complimentary copies are sent to public school principals throughout thestate. Additional subscriptions can be obtained by contacting AASB. Entered as third-classmail at Montgomery, AL. Permit No. 34.

Alabama School Boards is designed by J. Durham Design, L.L.C., Montgomery, AL.

Address all editorial and advertising inquiries to: Alabama School Boards, Editor, P.O. Drawer 230488, Montgomery, AL 36123-0488. Phone: 334/277-9700.

OFFICERSJim Methvin . . . . . . . . . . . . . PresidentAlabama School of Fine Arts

Sue Helms . . . . . . . . . . President-ElectMadison City

Florence Bellamy . . . . . Vice PresidentPhenix City

Tommy McDaniel . . . . . Past PresidentAlabama School of Math and Science

STAFFSandra Sims-deGraffenried, Ed.D.Executive Director

Sally Brewer Howell, J.D.Assistant Executive Director

Denise L. BerkhalterDirector of Public RelationsEditor, Alabama School Boards

Susan Rountree SalterDirector of Membership Services

Lissa Astilla TuckerDirector of Governmental Relations

Debora HendricksAdministrative Assistant

Donna NorrisAdministrative Assistant

Kay ShawBookkeeper

Lashana SummerlinReceptionist

Tammy WrightExecutive Assistant

Aeryca EzellClerical Assistant

BOARD OF DIRECTORSPatsy Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . District 1Monroe County

Steven Foster . . . . . . . . . . . . District 2Lowndes County

Jeff Bailey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . District 3Covington County

Katy S. Campbell . . . . . . . . . District 4Macon County

Jennifer Parsons . . . . . . . . . . District 5Jefferson County

Sue Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . District 6Jacksonville

Susan Harris . . . . . . . . . . . . . District 7Winfield

Dr. Charles Elliott . . . . . . . . . District 8Decatur

Laura Casey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . District 9Albertville

Sandra Ray . . . . . . . . . . . . State BoardTuscaloosa

June 2007Vol. 28, No. 3

NASA astronaut Joan E. Higginbotham visited students at Tuscaloosa’sPaul W. Bryant High School in Cottondale and Greene County’s Eutaw Pri-mary School in Eutaw in May. She spoke about her career, experiences as anastronaut and her recent space mission.

Higginbotham, a Chicago native, motivated students with details of herfirst spaceflight aboard Discovery in December 2006 on a 13-day mission to the InternationalSpace Station. Dur-ing the flight, Hig-ginbotham operatedthe station’s roboticarm.

If you would likeinformation on howto bring an astronautto your schools, con-tact Dana Davis ofNASA’s AstronautAppearances Officeat 281/244-0933.

4 Alabama School Boards • June 2007

AlabamaEducationNews

NASA’s Joan E. Higginbotham became an astronaut in 1996.

Teron Dukes, a fifth-grade student at Cleburne County MiddleSchool, and his family are winners. The Cleburne County student’sartwork will grace billboards throughout the state inviting Alabamaparents to visit their child’s school.

State Superintendent of Education Dr. Joe Mortonrecently announced Dukes’ poster — this year’stheme poster for Parent Visitation Month inOctober — and the posters of 11 other Alabama

families have been selected for recognition in the2007 Statewide Family Poster Contest on

Parental Involvement. The 11 additional posters will be displayed,along with the statewide winner, at the 2007 MEGA Conferencethis summer in Mobile and will become a part of the 2007-2008Alabama Parent and Family Involvement Calendar, which will beplaced online at www.alsde.edu beginning in September.

The contest is designed to raise awareness of the key role parentsand families play in the education of their children. Posters werejudged according to how well they communicated the 2007-2008theme: Parents—The Link to Success. The winning families, theirlocal school and school board include: the family of Bob Bismonte,Greensboro West High School, Hale County; the family of JessieCaraway, Huxford Elementary School, Escambia County; thefamily of Teron Dukes, Cleburne County Middle School, CleburneCounty; the family of Ashlyn Irvin, Haleyville Elementary School,Haleyville; the family of Mitch Nolte, Saks Middle School, Cal-houn County; the family of Sera Oglesby, Prattville High School,Autauga County; the family of Terrence Pierson, Bullock CountyHigh School; the family of Myah Piper, Fairfax Elementary School,Chambers County; the family of Tyler Reynolds, Section School,Jackson County; the family of Warren Smith, Jackson-Olin HighSchool, Birmingham; the family of Katherine Wester, OneontaElementary School, Oneonta; and the family of Stephanie Witt,Cleveland Elementary School, Blount County.

NASA Astronaut Higginbotham Visits Alabama Schools

Winner of 2007 Statewide Parental Involvement Poster Contest Announced

NASA Astronaut Joan Higginbotham (center) met withTuscaloosa’s Paul W. Bryant High School senior classofficers recently. The 2007 officers are (left to right)Ahzshaka Evans, Lindsay Starks, Hannah Essary andMallory Meissner.)

Summer Conference 2007 will help youhone your leadership, teamwork and crisis-management skills to create a rock-solid gov-ernance team. Whether you’re new to theboard or a long-time member, the July 29-31conference at the Perdido Beach Resortin Orange Beach will provide insightsand skills you can use even before youshake all the sand out of your luggage.

Learn from Two Renowned Team Trainers. Michael Cheney, CEO of Persogenics, will help you

identify your own personality and leadership styles and learnto work with team members who have very different styles. Toget the most out of this session, all attendees are asked to complete an online personality profile assessment available athttp://www.persogenics.com/modules.php?name=Persogen

ics&file=registration, print the results and bring them to the conference. Speaker Larry Johnson will focus his training on the ways

team members communicate and the impact that has on thewhole organization. The conference will also include a paneldiscussion with education leaders who survived serious crisesthis past school year.

Among the many special highlights of this year’s conference is Sundayevening’s Beach Blast Reception and Monday’s Academy Awards Luncheon.The reception will include a chance to greet your colleagues, meet AASB’snew executive director and bid farewell to retiring Executive Director Dr. San-dra Sims-deGraffenried, who will be back for this special event. Those whoachieved Level 4 in AASB’s School Board Member Academy or earned Mas-ter Level or Master’s Honor Roll this year will be recognized at the specialawards luncheon that replaces the recognition usually made at AASB’sannual convention.

Following Summer Conference will be a July 31-Aug. 1 Leadership Icourse, part of AASB’s orientation for new school board members and newsuperintendents.

Registration information has been mailed to all AASB members, or you canregister online at www.TheAASB.org. Housing information is also onlineor see the inside of this magazine’s cover for further details.

Build Your Leadership Team Skills at July 29-31 Summer Conference

Voters Said Yes to ConstitutionalAmendments

Amendment 1 won 80 percent approvalfor increasing the bonding cap authorizedfor the Capital Improvement Trust Fundfrom $350 million to $750 million. Theamendment also provides the resources for the state to continue offering economicincentives to new and existing businessesconsidering locating or expanding inAlabama.

Amendment 2, designed to protectAlabama’s investments and financialstrength, received an 84 percent yes vote at the ballot box. The amendment estab-lishes two irrevocable trust funds, whichwill be used solely to fund future healthcare obligations for Alabama’s publicemployees. It also ensures the availabilityof money to meet the health care needs of retired public employees and help protect Alabama’s position with bond rating agencies.

Both amendments passed the AlabamaLegislature unanimously in March.

Keep Your School Board Deposits SAFE

The Security for Alabama FundsEnhancement, or SAFE Program, providesa uniform program for the security of public funds deposited with qualifyingfinancial institutions in Alabama. It isadministered by State Treasurer KayIvey’s office.

Effective Jan. 1, 2001, any bank orfinancial institution in the state that accepts any deposits of public funds isrequired to be a member in good standingof the SAFE Program. They are furtherrequired under SAFE Law to insure thosepublic funds by pledging eligible collateralto the state treasurer for the SAFE collat-eral pool. In this way, the SAFE Programserves as additional insurance above andbeyond the FDIC insurance coverage.

Public depositors, such as schoolboards, also bear responsibility under theSAFE Law. As a public depositor you arerequired to ensure that your deposits meet


(Continued on page 6)


the definition of a public deposit. Publicdeposits are defined as funds of the variousgovernmental units of the state or coveredpublic official deposited in a bank or finan-cial institution, such as time depositaccounts, demand deposit accounts andcertificates of deposits. Funds not definedas public deposits include, but are not lim-ited to, bonds, notes, money marketmutual funds, repurchase agreements andsimilar instruments.

Public depositors are also required toensure that the financial institution inwhich deposits are made is a QualifiedPublic Depository in the SAFE Program.Each financial institution that has met allthe necessary requirements of the SAFEProgram to accept and retain publicdeposits will receive a “Certificate ofQualified Public Depository.” You may askyour bank for a copy of this certificationfor your files. All Qualified Public Depos-itories are listed on the state treasury’sWeb site www.treasury.alabama.gov.

Direct questions concerning the SAFEProgram to Mickey Daughtry, director, at334/353-3927.

‘Inside Out’ Prison Documentary to CurbSchool Dropout Rates

The idea is to makestudents think twiceabout dropping out ofschool and makingother poor lifechoices that could insome cases lead tolife behind bars.

“Inside Out’ is a34-minute documentary that features

prison inmates promoting education as away for youth to avoid prison. The emo-tionally charged film with one powerfulmessage — stay in school — was made intwo Alabama prisons and debuted in earlyMay in conjunction with a nationwidecampaign to slow the nation’s high schooldropout rate.

The documentary’s stars are inmatesserving life sentences or life withoutparole. Their personal stories of regret aremeant to inspire youngsters to graduateand avoid the pitfalls of dropping out ofschool. The film is a production of Birm-ingham-based marketing firm O2 Ideasand the Mattie C. Stewart Foundation, anon-profit organization that promotes lit-eracy and seeks to curtail the nationaldropout rate.

Available for classroom viewing, thedocumentary is being made available toschools, churches, youth clubs and com-

munity groups throughout Alabama andacross the country. The movie trailer canbe viewed online at www.insideoutmovie.com/preview.html.

For copies of the free “Inside Out”DVD (though shipping and handling maybe charged) or details, contact LestineHawkins at 205/949-9494.

DVD Helps Schools Talk about Bullying

Bullies can cause havoc in schools.Help for schoolchildren who face diffi-culties with anger management and peerpressure is available in the form of a new DVD produced by the Mental Health Association of West Alabama incollaboration with the University ofAlabama.

“Choices,” according to the TuscaloosaNews, targets K-8 students. Free copies are being distributed not only to elemen-tary and middle schools in Tuscaloosa, but also to Alabama’s city and countyschool boards, all state school boards inthe United States, the National Alliancefor the Mentally Ill and the Alabama Dis-abilities Advocacy Program. The DVDsells for $15 each.

The lessons in anger management benefit bullies and victims of bullyingand provides counselors with more realistic tools for teaching conflict resolu-tion, officials said. The film, conceived

Alabama Education NewsContinued from page 5 Magna Awards Nominations

Now Being AcceptedWould you like to win a national award for one

of your system’s innovative programs?American School Board Journal is accepting nominations online for the

2008 Magna Awards through Oct.1. Presented in cooperation with SodexhoSchool Services, winners of the Magna Awards receive national recognition ina special supplement to ASBJ and are honored at a luncheon at the NationalSchool Boards Association’s annual conference.

Awards are handed out in three enrollment categories — under 5,000enrollment, 5,001 to 20,000, and more than 20,000. Grand prize winners ineach category receive a $3,500 cash award from Sodexho.

To fill out an application, visit www.asbj.com/magna. Nominations thisyear are being accepted only online. For more information, call 703/838-6739.

Alcohol Tests EarnEntry to Prom

Using alcohol meters to crackdown on drinking at proms, gradua-tions and school dances appears to be a growing trend, reports ThePublic Education Network.

Breathalyzers are being used in thisway at some Michigan high schools,reports the Detroit News, wheremany parents welcome the tests as away to lower the potential fordrunken-driving crashes. Critics, how-ever, argue the tests could be used tounfairly target some kids and result inoverly harsh consequences.

Whether used only if drinking issuspected, randomly or on all stu-dents, some parents and administra-tors reportedly think the Breathalyzersare just another tool for discouragingunderage drinking.

(Continued on page 9)

&Education theLaw

New Child Labor Rules ProposedExcerpt from NSBA News Clips

S pecifically, under the current work study regulations, 14-and 15-year-olds can only work three hours on any dayschool is in session. Based on the success of a college prep

high school that allowed 14- and 15-year-old students to workmore, the Labor Department is proposing to allow public schoolsto offer a work-study program where 14- and 15-year-old stu-dents can work up to 18 hours a week in accordance with the fol-lowing formula based on a four-week cycle. In three of the fourweeks, students could work up to eight hours on one school day.During the remaining week, students could work up to eighthours on two school days. A school system would have to applyfor permission from the Labor Department. Students would haveto receive the minimum number of classroom instruction hours.A teacher coordinator would have to supervise the program, andemployers and parents would have to agree in writing to certainconditions.

The proposed rules also may affect school systems as employ-ers. For example, the proposed regulations allow 14- and 15-year-olds to engage in a wider variety of work, including office andclerical work, in a wider range of industries than retail, food serv-ice, and gasoline service. Also, the proposed regulations allow15-year-olds to be employed as lifeguards at school systemswimming pools as long as they are certified. The Department ofLabor has requested comments on the proposed rules by July 16.

The department has also requested comments on child laborrules related to occupations particularly hazardous for or detri-mental to the health or well-being of employees under 18 yearsof age. Fourteen- to 17-year-olds are prohibited from working in17 hazardous occupations, with limited exemptions permitting16- and 17-year-olds to work as apprentices and student learnersunder certain conditions in a number of these hazardous occupa-tions. Students must be enrolled in such student-learner programsthrough public or private schools.

In a related matter, the Labor Department commissioned areport assessing current workplace hazards and the adequacy ofthe hazardous occupations exemptions, which makes a number ofrecommendations. The department is also seeking input regard-ing those recommendations. Many of the topics which the depart-ment seeks input about are very technical, such as the use ofpower-driven machines; however, the department also seeks com-

ments on less technical subjects, such as what criteria should beused to determine when an exemption for student-learners isappropriate and whether the current limits on hazardous workand the required supervision of such work sufficiently protectyoung workers.

ASB Editor’s Note: To submit electronic comments on theproposed rule changes, go to www.regulations.gov [RIN docketnumbers (1215-AB57) and (1215-AB44)]. Comments must besubmitted by July 16. For additional information on the proposedrules, visit the Wage and Hour Division home page atwww.wagehour.dol.gov. For compliance information on the current child labor rules, see the YouthRules! Web site atwww.youthrules.dol.gov. ▲

Reprinted with permission from NSBA Legal Clips, a weekly e-newsletter of the National School Boards Association. Free subscriptions available at www.nsba.org/legalclips.


The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed new rulesassociated with child labor related to 14- and 15-year-olds, a number of which affect school systems.


Serving as Alabama Teacher of the Year affords mea unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that Icommit myself to fully leveraging. Through arti-

cles such as this, speaking engagements and workshops,it is my hope that I will be able to enliven this cause andin short-time evolve this philosophy into an uncompro-mised expectation within the state, the leaders within ourrespective communities and those I represent.

To my peers: As professionals, we will need to bewilling to dedicate the time needed to improve ourselvesas educators and managers of education. I believe animportant step is the pursuit of quality professionaldevelopment that is appropriate to our individual needs.For some, this may be the decision to seek NationalBoard Certification. For others, it may be necessary tolearn another language to help assist the ever-growing

number of students who speak English as a second lan-guage. Additionally, we need to remain focused on, andhold each other accountable for, the learning experiencewithin our classrooms. With the ever-increasing diversityof students in our classrooms, we must be willing todevelop a differentiated learning plan that allows us toreach and challenge each student at his or her individuallevel of potential. We must provide our students, regard-less of their ability, with the support and encouragementthey need to achieve at their greatest potential. Equally

important, we must encourage each other to stand firmwhen some of our students opt for a path of lesser effort. To the school board members and superintendents:

I believe your role in helping to develop this philosophy into anuncompromised expectation within the community you represent

is threefold. First, I believe the most important way you can support the edu-

cators within your community is to provide opportunity for the indi-vidualized professional development we seek. It is important to

understand that like our students, we have unique needs. The benefitsof providing individualized professional development are very muchin line with the benefits of differentiated learning we strive to providein the classroom. By providing opportunity for individualized professional development rather than taking a one-size-fits-all

approach, you enable every educator to pursue an activity thatreflects a personal or professional goal appropriate to his or

Raise the Bar a Little Higher By Pamela Harman

Raise the Bar a Little HigherAs the 2007-08 Alabama Teacher of the Year, I will spend thenext year championing a cause that I believe to be impor-tant not only within the state but on the national level aswell. That cause is the need to consistently raise educationstandards, promote accountability in the classroom to

ensure increased achievement for allstudents and stress the importance

of professional development tobetter enable our educators to

accomplish this objective.

"By main-taining an ever-increasing standardof excellence for ourselves and ourstudents, supportedby appropriate training of our educators, we can all do our part tohelp raise the bar."


her individual need, and you ensure a moresignificant impact on the overall learningexperience for our students.

Secondly, you must be willing to providecompensation and release time to encour-age the pursuit of quality professionaldevelopment. Many educators are alreadydoing as much as they can in a school dayand do not have time to add additionalactivities into their already event-filledlives. Release time to pursue professionaldevelopment would help encourage thosewho cannot fit an additional activity intotheir day to pursue the developmentalactivities that they would otherwise miss.

Finally, I encourage you to be willing tohold yourselves to an ever-increasing levelof accountability. Are you actively moni-toring the professional development activi-ties offered within your school system? Dothe professional development activitiesmeet the needs of the individual educator?Do you demand quality instruction forevery student, regardless of ability? Do youhave open lines of communication withyour teachers and principals? Are yourclassroom sizes within your schools appro-priate to allow teachers to work equallywith all students? If you answer no to anyof this, I encourage you to ask yourselves:Why not?

Too many times, the bar of expectationwe hold ourselves and our students to is toolow. One only needs to look at the latestACT Readiness Benchmark scores to seethat, on the whole, we are not adequatelypreparing our students to be successful incollege. By maintaining an ever-increasingstandard of excellence for ourselves andour students, supported by appropriatetraining of our educators, we can all do ourpart to help raise the bar. I fully intend todo my part and raise the bar a little higherthis year. Can I count on you to hold theother side of the bar with me? ▲

Pamela Harmanis a National BoardCertified Teacherand the 2007-08Alabama Teacher ofthe Year. She teachesat Spain Park HighSchool in Hoover.

in 2003, was funded in 2005 by a$25,000 grant from the Alabama Councilof Developmental Disabilities.

To order DVDs or find out more, contact Toni Welbourne of Mental Health Association of West Alabama at205/752-2689.

Online ‘Gradcasts’ Provide Front Row Seatto Commencement

The Public Education Network reportsthe latest trend in sharing a graduate’sspecial moment with families. Anincreasing number of school systems arebroadcasting commencement cere-monies online, allowing graduates’ fam-ily and friends to watch the streamingvideo live.

Other uses for the low-cost, Web-based technology being bandied about

include such school events as sportsactivities, theatrical and musical per-formances, open houses and more.

Toyota InternationalTeacher Program toCosta Rica

The Institute of International Educationrecently announced that applications areavailable for the 2008 Toyota Interna-tional Teacher Program to Costa Rica.This year all full-time classroom teachersin grades 7-12 in all 50 states and the Dis-trict of Columbia are eligible to apply.

Selected participants will have theopportunity to learn through hands-onprojects about the environment, culture,history and education system of CostaRica while traveling on the Caribbeanslope of Costa Rica.

The application is online at www.iie.org/toyota. The deadline is Sept. 7. Fordetails, send e-mail to [email protected] or call 877/832-2457. ▲

Alabama Education NewsContinued from page 6

2007 T+L Registration is Now Open!Register now for the Oct. 17-19 T+L Conference for education technology

leaders, presented by the National School Boards Association. The event fea-turing “six big ideas” will be in Nashville at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.Those ideas are: one-to-one initiatives, tools for the classroom, 21st centuryskills, using data to improve student achievement, professional developmentand open source initiatives.

Organizers say attendees can expect a whole new technology learningexperience with thought-provoking keynote speakers, hot topic breakfastspeakers, district workshops, mini-academies, site visits, field trips, a resource-rich exhibit floor and unique events to help attendees network.

The conference organizers also encourage you to nominate new, emerg-ing leaders in your school systems who use the power of technology toenhance education. Twenty emerging education technology leaders will beselected for the 2007 Twenty to Watch list and highlighted at this year’s T+L Conference. These emerging leaders — like today’s education technol-ogy pioneers — cross all job titles and district sizes. The nomination deadlineis Aug. 1.

To register for the 2007 T+L Conference or to nominate a Twenty to Watcheducation technology leader, go to http://www.nsba.org/t+l/ online.

Dr. Sandra Sims-deGraffenriedwill retire as AASB’s executivedirector June 30 after serving

more than 40 years in public education,including 19 years at AASB’s helm and 19years as a teacher in Morgan and Lawrencecounties, as a guidance counselor and ascentral office supervisor in Decatur.

“Thank you for being my friends allthese years,” Sims-deGraffenried toldattendees at the reception at the RSA PlazaTerrace in Montgomery. She asked for theircontinued friendship and thanked them forparticipating in her special day. “The factthat you are here means an awful lot to me.

Working with school boards across the statehas been a wonderful job, the most fun joband important job I’ve had.”

Laughter rose from the audience as theaccomplished leader said she would ratherleave when “people say to you, ‘why areyou retiring,’ rather than, ‘why don’t youretire.’”

She recognized her education associa-tion peers and thanked legislators for 22years of an amicable working relationship.“It’s been a pleasure,” Sims-deGraffenriedtold her legislative friends. “We haven’talways agreed, but we disagreed agree-ably.” The honoree also acknowledged thepresence of her former Decatur schoolssuperintendent, Dr. Bryon Nelson.

Among the many attendees offeringSims-deGraffenried hugs, hand-

shakes and endearing words werestate Board of Education mem-

bers Dr. Mary Jane Caylor, Dr.Ethel Hall, Randy McKinneyand Vice President SandraRay; state Superintendent ofEducation Dr. Joe Morton;

retired state Superintendent ofEducation Dr. Wayne Teague;

state Treasurer Kay Ivey; Rep.Richard Lindsey; Rep. Mac Gipson;

Alabama Education AssociationExecutive Secretary Dr. Paul Hubbert;and School Superintendents of

Alabama Executive Director Dr. SusanLockwood.

Members of the AASB family were also present, including AASB

President Jim Methvin;AASB Vice Presi-

dent FlorenceBel lamy;

former National School Boards Associa-tion and AASB board member RobertLane; and former district directors LucyBox, Henry Rookis, Willene Whatley,Harold White and Harry Williams.

“Sandra is a very special person, a rolemodel ... one who truly cares about others.She has high integrity, sound moral char-acter, and she’s always so very positive,”Methvin said. “Sandra, I want you to knowthat you are respected and appreciated byall of us. We thank you.”

At the reception, state Finance DirectorJim Main presented Sims-deGraffenriedwith a framed commendation from thegovernor.

“Sandra, we do appreciate you. Youknow, I don’t think I could draw this large ofa crowd unless it was an open casket,”quipped Main, before reading the commen-dation. “‘A gifted and talented educator, Dr.Sandra Sims-deGraffenried is an exemplaryAlabamian who has faithfully served herstate, family and community. Now there-fore, I Bob Riley, governor of Alabama, docommend Dr. Sandra Sims-deGraffenriedon her retirement as executive director of theAlabama Association of School Boards andextend to her my sincerest best wishes forher future endeavors.’”

Ivey praised Sims-deGraffenried be-cause she is “passionate in her leadershipefforts to empower members of localschool boards to be effective” and becauseof “her exemplary standards of conductand leadership.” Ivey then hailed Sims-deGraffenried as an Alabama treasure.

Speaker of the House Seth Hammettand Sen. Larry Dixon presented Sims-deGraffenried with an Alabama House and Senate joint resolution thatdescribes her as “a powerful advocate for children, school board members andpublic education, highly respected by her colleagues.”

“Sen. Dixon and I are glad to be here onbehalf of all the members of the House andSenate and are honored to present this res-

Celebrating the Career ofDr. Sandra Sims-deGraffenried

Alabama Association of School Boards Executive Director

Dr. Sandra Sims-deGraffenried was joined by more than

160 association members, family, friends, colleagues and

dignitaries at a May 23 retirement reception in her honor.



olution to you Sandra ... ‘for your contri-butions to education improvement in thestate of Alabama,’” Hammett said.

Dixon praised her for providing years ofannual briefings for legislators on the stateeducation budgeting process and emergingissues affecting K-12 public education.

“Of course, I always looked forward to the annual fanny-chewing that sheadministered to me, as well,” Dixon joked. “Sandra, I just want to congratulate you on a career well-spent.”

Sims-deGraffenried first joined theAASB staff in 1985 as assistant executivedirector. She became executive director in1988, breaking ground as the first femaleexecutive director of a major Alabama edu-cation organization and the first femaleschool boards association executive direc-tor in the Southeast.

While leading AASB, Sims-deGraffen-ried strengthened the association’s finances,solidified membership, increased the associ-ation’s visibility in the advocacy and leg-islative arena, and developed an extensiveprofessional development program forschool board members.

She earned respect at the Alabama StateHouse for persistently defending school-children and local control of publicschools. But her hardest-fought andlongest battle centered on the need tolimit state education funding to publicschools and colleges. That effort included

a lawsuit challenging the state’s fundingof private schools, charities and othernon-public, non-education programs at a time when public schools lacked ade-quate funding for educational necessities.Though the effort was not popular, lawmakers did eventually remove virtu-ally all such schools and programs fromthe Education Trust Fund.

In 2004, the AASB leadership recog-nized Sims-deGraffenried for the successof the long-running campaign by awardingher the Champion for Children Award. Shealso has been recognized twice by theAmerican Society of Association Execu-

tives — first with a national award in gov-ernmental relations and later with one forstatewide training programs she developedfor school board members. The Thomas A.Shannon Leadership Award for excellencein school board association leadershipannually recognizes one staff member of astate association for extraordinary effortsperformed on behalf of their association. Itis a prestigious award among school boardassociations and considered the pinnacle ofachievement. In 2005, Sims-deGraffenriedwas the recipient of NSBA’s Thomas A.Shannon Leadership Award.

In addition to her service to schoolboards across the state, Sims-deGraffen-ried has served the National SchoolBoards Association in numerous capaci-ties. She has been chairman of NSBA’sLiaison Committee, an ex officio memberof the NSBA Board of Directors, andtwice served as secretary-treasurer of theNSBA/Southern Region.

Recognized as a foremost leader andexpert in public K-12 education, Sims-deGraffenried serves as Education Com-mission of the States Commissioner and asa board member of the Southern RegionalEducation Board. She has also served onthe board for the Southeastern RegionalVision for Education.

Sims-deGraffenried was married to thelate Ryan deGraffenried Jr. ▲

(See related articles on the following pages12-15.)

In appreciation of her distinguished career serving Alabama’s public school systems, Dr. SandraSims-deGraffenried received gifts and commendations (inset) from friends and offices of stategovernment, including a joint resolution from the state Legislature presented by Sen. Larry Dixonand Seth Hammett, Speaker of the House.

“A gifted and talented educator,Dr. Sandra Sims-deGraffenried isan exemplary Alabamian who hasfaithfully served her state, familyand community. Now therefore, I Bob Riley, governor of Alabama,do commend Dr. Sandra Sims-deGraffenried on her retirementas executive director of theAlabama Association of SchoolBoards and extend to her my sincerest best wishes for herfuture endeavors.”

— Bob Riley, governor of Alabama


B ut, as I sit at this huge intersection, I must look backwarda bit because there are so many important, meaningfulevents that got me where I am.

When I started my career in education as a senior highschool English teacher Nov. 16, 1966, I never dreamedwhere the path would lead me. And, it led me to themost enjoyable, rewarding, exhausting and exhilarat-ing job I have ever had.

I have always been one to set personal goals andassess those every five years. When I came to workfor you in 1985, I promised the then-executive direc-tor only three to five years — because I wanted to bea superintendent. Well, in three years he retired, andthe rest is history.

Looking through this rearview mirror, I see manythings I’m very proud of and here are just a few:

▲ Designing and implementing the AASB School BoardMember Academy that has been so successful — moreso than I could imagine in my wildest dreams. So success-ful, that it received a national award.

▲ Seeking and obtaining nearly $1.3 million in grant money toreimburse school boards for members participating in profes-sional development.

▲ Attaining 100 percent membership of school boards in AASBand sustaining it all these years!

▲ Organizing a monumental legislative initiative that gar-nered AASB a national award and yielded millionsof unexpected dollars for local school boards.

▲ Implementing the Medicaid claiming programthat has recaptured over $55 million for localboards and has tremendous potential formuch more in the coming years.

▲ Leading the charge in 1988 that ultimately

led to the establishment of a state Proration PreventionAccount through the legislative process.

▲ Being one of a handful of executive directors receiving theprestigious Thomas A. Shannon Award for excellence inschool boards association leadership from the NationalSchools Boards Association.

▲ Receiving the coveted Champion for Children Award fromAASB!

Other things I reflect on that are just as important: ▲ Meeting and greeting thousands of people as your “ambas-

sador.” Those friendships will endure.

This Road of LifeBy Dr. Sandra Sims-deGraffenried

Life is full of crossroads, and I find myself

at another one — a very big one with

many attractions at the intersection.

As I pause, I remember that I've always

said one should look at life through

the windshield and not through the

rearview mirror.


“When my road finally

ends, I hope these words

mark the spot: She was a

Champion for Children

Who Made a Difference!’

— Dr. Sandra Sims-deGraffenried

▲ Discovering that school boardmembers are a dedicated, delight-ful group of folks to work with!Since I am an only child, youbecame my family!

▲ Putting together a strong, energetic,creative and caring staff. They willbe hard to leave!

▲ Having years of wonderful officersand directors with vision, warmth,commitment and support governingthe association.

▲ Enjoying the love and support ofmy family, which enabled me tofocus on the job to the fullest.

While I am retiring from AASB, I am not retiring my interest in and com-mitment to public education and thegreat state of Alabama. I will still be anactive advocate, for I have a debt to pay.All the successes I have enjoyed arebecause of the public education Ireceived in Alabama.

Having lost my mother, a dear friend,my sister-in-law and my husband inless than 11 months, I know it’s time topause at this intersection and chooseanother direction.

Please watch for me on this road oflife — our paths will surely cross, forwe care about the same things and arecommitted to them.

When my road finally ends, I hopethese words mark the spot: She was aChampion For Children Who Made aDifference!!!

I challenge you to continue to make adifference in public education inAlabama. That’s your legacy.

Thank you for allowing me to workwith you! ▲


“Courage becomes an overarching requirement when greatvision meets obstacles of historicand pervasive dimensions.”— Donald Sweeney

school board attorney

“Sandra never waits to see if someone else will tackle the problem. She is always tackling the problem and leading the charge.”— Dr. Susan Lockwood

School Superintendents of Alabama executive director

“Sandra is a strong, intelligent, strategic leader.”— Bradley Byrne

Former state senator and chancellor of the Alabama College System

“Her warmth and humorare her trademarks. She is a remarkable person.”— Dan Farley

Arkansas School Boards Association executive director

The words “Learning Taking Place” are the

legacy of Sandra in her work as executive

director of the Alabama Association of School

Boards. She has worked her entire life to

ensure that learning is taking place in

Alabama schools. She has encouraged school

board members to give 110 percent for the

children we serve. School board members

from across the state are very thankful for

Sandra's guidance and leadership.

In her 19 years as AASB’s executive director, Sandra hashad many career accomplishments. ▲ Under her leadership, every single local school board in

Alabama has been an AASB member.

▲ Sandra is the creator of AASB’s School Board MemberAcademy, which has won national recognition.

▲ Sandra led the charge to help local school boards recap-ture dollars spent related to special needs children. Thisprogram has already returned some $55 million toAlabama schools.

▲ Sandra worked tirelessly with the Legislature to protectthe Education Trust Fund and create a state prorationprevention account. Today there are two accounts —exceeding $600 million in total — set aside should therainy days of proration return.

Sandra has been a leader with the National School BoardsAssociation. She is well respected among her peers — fel-low state association executive directors she has mentored.She is well respected with NSBA’s management becauseshe has served as a resource. And, she is well respected byschool board members across the country for her leader-ship.

Sandra received NSBA’s most prestigious recognition,the Thomas A. Shannon Award, which recognizes outstand-ing leadership for state school boards associations.

AASB also recognized Sandra’s incredible leadership bygiving her our highest honor — the Champion for ChildrenAward.

The following quotes from several of Sandra’s colleaguestruly define her character and reasons for success:

Sandra is indeed a remarkable individual who truly cares aboutothers, has high standards of personal integrity, has soundmoral character, and is always so positive. She is a friend toso many people.

All of these key words are the foundation of Sandra’s workethic and being. Importantly, these words are the reasons thatSandra has been so very successful in leading our association andensuring that learning is indeed taking place in our schools. ▲

LEARNING TAKING PLACE:A Tribute to Dr. Sandra Sims-deGraffenried

By AASB Officers Florence Bellamy, Sue Helms, Tommy McDaniel and Jim Methvin

LEARNING TAKING PLACE:


“Our iceberg isn’t melting” is aphrase that can characterizethe Alabama Association of

School Boards at this time. Our associa-tion is so well grounded in its mission thatit continues to remain stable and success-ful for several reasons. ▲ During the last two decades, AASB

Executive Director Dr. Sandra Sims-deGraffenried has built a strong associ-ation.

▲ AASB has a newly adopted missionstatement that establishes its purposeand leadership direction. Leadership

principles from Jim Collins’ “Good toGreat” and from The Disney Institutewere utilized in formulating the state-ment. Importantly, this new visionstatement unites the association’s goalsand objectives.

▲ AASB’s membership is comprised ofinterested, enthusiastic and dedicatedindividuals from across the state with acentral goal of supporting and improv-ing public education.

▲ The AASB Board of Directors hasworked attentively, determinedly andthoroughly to select a new executivedirector who will be a dynamic leaderand who has the knowledge, skills andabilities to continue to move the associ-ation forward.

The directors worked together, makinguse of each other’s varied strengths, tosuccessfully address this “change” in ourassociation. I am reminded of the fable inthe 2005 leadership book, “Our Iceberg isMelting — Changing and Succeeding

Under Any Conditions,” by John Kotterand Holger Rathgeber.

School board members can easily iden-tify with the characters in this book. Theways in which the characters interact,learn from each other and support oneanother provide lessons for all of us,because working together is one key tosuccessfully addressing the educationneeds in our communities.

The fable is simple, emphasizing thethought — “I don’t see a change!” — in acontext of a melting iceberg and its pen-guin inhabitants. However, in the face ofa change, the penguins pull together as ateam.

This easy-to-read, short book inter-twines eight leadership principles forthinking, feeling and successfully address-ing changes in organizations. Changes canbe in any form: charting the course, align-ing one’s mission, gaining public support,eliminating inefficiencies or improving thequality of services.

Be assured, the AASB Board of Direc-tors is committed to successfully leadingthe association during this “climaticchange.” With AASB’s new executivedirector, its outstanding staff and with theassociation’s new mission statement, andgoals and objectives, AASB will accom-plish its mission of expanding outstandingmembership services and advocacy forpublic education in Alabama. ▲

Our Iceberg Isn’t Melting By Jim Methvin, AASB President


AASB MISSION STATEMENT

Helping local education leaders improve studentachievement through advocacy for Alabama’s public school students; leadership development and board training; and resources for effective education governance.

— Approved March 9, 2007


By Denise L. Berkhalter

It’s the last day of school. Principal Pat Kornegay of Montgomery County’sHighland Avenue Elementary School steps into a classroom. The students flashwide smiles, yell ‘hey, mama’ and run up to her with outstretched arms.

More than a see-you-next-year hug, it’s a warm appreciative embrace for the prin-cipal who has led the high-poverty, high-achieving school to its third TorchbearerSchool award.

“I’ve never seen such a group of children. They work so hard because they wantto please me and their teachers,” Kornegay explains. “I love them so much. I sit with my babies, cry with them, laugh with them. They respect me because I respectchildren. They know I’m fair.”

Kornegay says her 360 students, most from poor, single-parent families, are toldfailure is not an option, poverty is no excuse and high-performance is expected. Students know they let themselves and their school down if they do less than theirbest, so, Kornegay says, they aim high.

The students’ success resulted in Highland Avenue earning one of just 26 Torch-bearer School awards given to Alabama public schools by the state Department ofEducation for 2006-07. In addition, on the 2005-06 Alabama Reading and Mathe-matics Test (ARMT), 80 percent of Highland’s third-graders met or exceeded read-ing standards, as did more than 88 percent of fourth-graders, nearly 88 percent of fifth-graders and more than 90 percent of sixth-graders. Also, 78 percent of third-

graders, 93 percent of fourth-graders, nearly 94 percent of fifth-graders and morethan 90 percent of sixth-graders met or exceeded ARMT mathematics standards.


(Continued on page 20; see related articles on pages 18 and 19.)

Pat Kornegay, principal at Highland Avenue Elementary School inMontgomery County, shares a good-bye hug with students on the

last day of school and praises them for their part in earning theschool its third Torchbearer award. She says her students work hard to please her and the school’s faculty.

The TorchThe Torch


T he Torchbearer Schools Program was created in December 2004, inspired by Samuel Casey-Carter’s book “No Excuses: 21 Lessons from High-

Performing, High-Poverty Schools.” To be eligible for theTorchbearer School designation: 80 percent of the student population has to receive free/reduced pricemeals; 70 percent must score at proficient or above onthe Alabama Reading and Mathematics Test; studentsmust perform above average on the Stanford Achieve-ment Test —10th Edition; and the school must have adequate yearly progress under the No Child Left BehindAct for two consecutive years.

The 2006-07 Torchbearer Schools include:School Board School

1. Athens Athens Elementary **2. Birmingham Councill Elementary **3. Birmingham Hemphill Elementary4. Birmingham N.H. Price Elementary5. Cleburne County Fruithurst Elementary **6. Covington County Florala City Middle 7. Covington County W.S. Harlan Elementary8. Cullman County Jones Chapel Elementary **9. Dothan Heard Elementary **10. Dothan Cloverdale Elementary **11. Escambia County Huxford Elementary #12. Eufaula Bluff City Elementary **13. Fairfield Donald Elementary14. Florence Harlan Elementary15. Gadsden Walnut Park Elementary **16. Jackson County Dutton Elementary #17. Linden Linden High School18. Mobile County Anna F. Booth Elementary**

(formerly Peter F. Alba Elementary)

19. Mobile County Calcedeaver Elementary #

20. Mobile County McDavid-Jones Elementary **

21. Mobile County W.C. Griggs Elementary #22. Mobile County Saint Elmo Elementary #23. Mobile County J.E. Turner Elementary **24. Montgomery County Highland Avenue

Elementary #25. Perry County Albert Turner Sr. Elementary26. Talladega County Childersburg Elementary **

** Second year Torchbearer school# Third year Torchbearer schoolSource: Alabama State Department of Education

From theStaff’s Perspective

Jaclyn Brown’s last school day at Montgomery County’s High-land Avenue Elementary School May 23 ended five years asone of the school’s two reading coaches. Marriage is taking heraway from her school family and its matriarch, Principal PatKornegay.

“I’ve been totally, awesomelyblessed with two very responsi-ble reading coaches (Brown andSharron Carroll) who wereselected from within our school, who knew what our students needed and who wereexcellent,” Kornegay lamented,glancing over at Brown. “Unfor-tunately, I am in tears todaybecause they are leaving me thisyear; one is going back home toChicago and the other is gettingmarried.”

Brown was a bit unsure whenshe first walked into the schoolon Highland Avenue as a 21-year-old rookie. Thanks to toughbut fair leadership, she foundher footing.

“I knew I could be a goodteacher, but Mrs. Kornegaymade sure that I worked,” Brownsaid. “Once I got on the ball anddecided I was going to do what-

ever she told me to do because she knew something I didn’t —when that happened, it was smooth sailing from then on.”

Each day Brown tapped into her students’ eagerness tolearn. The students’ drive is what she’ll remember most whenshe leaves Highland Avenue for another Title I, high-povertyschool. She also leaves behind a bit of advice for her futurereplacement and others interested in helping all students —regardless of race or family income — achieve.

▲ Never give up.

▲ Be serious about your job. Teach and train with fidelity.

▲ Be collegial. Share what you know and have learned and experienced with your colleagues.

▲ Create winsome relationships with your colleagues. Once that barrier is not there, it makes yourjob a lot easier.

▲ Stay focused. Keep the main thing, the main thing. Your main focus is your students.

Highland Avenue ElementarySchool builds its success arounda strong team, said principal Pat Kornegay. The school’s tworeading coaches — Sharron Carroll and Jaclyn Brown —implement the fundamentals ofthe Alabama Reading Initiativeand use individualized tactics to reach struggling readers.

bearersbearers


1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24

25 26

FIND OUT MOREFor more information about the Torchbearer Schools Program, contact Dr. Angela Mangum at334/353-9251or [email protected].

State Superintendent of Education Dr. Joe Morton, along with members of the state Board of Education and school administrators recognize the 2006-2007 Alabama Torchbearer Schools.

More than 74 percent of HighlandAvenue’s students in grade five met orexceeded standards on the 2006 AlabamaDirect Assessment of Writing in holisticcomposition. Highland Avenue’s fifth-graders ranked in the 79th percentile on theStanford Achievement Test-10th Edition inreading and math, the 76th percentile inlanguage and the 77th percentile in sci-ence. Sixth-graders ranked in the 63rd per-centile in reading and 69th percentile inlanguage on the SAT-10.

At Highland Avenue, 71 percent ofteachers have master’s or doctoratedegrees, and all of the teachers on staff arenow highly qualified. Its attendance rate is 97.37 percent. And, students benefitfrom such programs as Dynamic BasicEarly Literacy Skills, the Alabama Read-ing Initiative, STAR Early Literacy Pro-gram, STAR Reading and STAR Math.The school made adequate yearly progressunder the No Child Left Behind Act in2006-07 and has not been in schoolimprovement.

The success comes despite the school’sstaggering poverty rate. Nearly 90 percentof students eat free/reduced price meals.Though 80 percent of the school’s studentsare African-American, 16 percent white, 4percent Hispanic and less than 1 percentAsian and Native American, HighlandAvenue’s students don’t get a break fromhard work and high expectations. Stereo-types regarding race and poverty arewritten off as fiction.

Parents don’t get a break either.If a child is in academic or atten-dance trouble, the school’s parentliaison just might show up on hisdoorstep or drive the child toschool. Moms, dads andguardians are often invited toworkshops, one-on-one confer-encing and are invited to investwhat they can in their children.Spanish-speaking parents often

receive materials in a format they canunderstand from the teacher who educatesEnglish language learners.

“When I first took this job, the super-intendent said this is going to be a challenge, working with poor students in one-parent families,” Kornegay said. But,she wouldn’t have had it any other way.“My parents separated when I was 8 yearsold, so it’s easy for me to relate and knowwhat these children are going through.”

This is the Birmingham native’s 10thyear at the helm of Highland Avenue Elementary School. She previously servedas principal of two other MontgomeryCounty schools. Her career also includes22 years as an elementary school teacher.Her entire work history has been a lessonin observing and learning school leader-ship styles. She filed away in memory themethods and techniques that worked wellfor her supervising administrators and col-leagues. The one leadership tactic sheplaces the greatest faith in is collabora-tive teamwork.

“Initially, I took a lot of timeworking with my stakeholders —my parents, my teachers, my sup-port staff, my kids, everybodyinvolved — because it takes awhole team to make things hap-pen,” Kornegay said.

“I wanted to build an instructional team ofcompassionate people who care enoughabout children, who know children arechildren regardless of color, culture orcharacter and who would help make myvision a reality and move students to alevel where they can be successful.”

Her role as the instructional leader wasparticularly important given that shearrived to find a fairly novice staff 10 yearsago. “I had to prepare my staff for theadventure,” she said, “because the schoolwas transitioning from a middle classschool to one receiving children from thehousing projects.”

The transition was a double-edgedsword. Kornegay had to adapt a new groupof students to the school’s structured, chal-lenging learning environment while dealingwith existing staff unwilling to do what wasnecessary to educate high needs students.

“So, I had to select teachers who werecompassionate for children and who saw

my vision. It doesn’t matterwhere our students come

from, but what matters iswhere we’re taking

them. The stereo-type of failingbecause of povertyisn’t acceptable.When you havehighly skilled and


Highland Avenue School...Continued from page 17

Highland Avenue Elementary School third-grade teacher Tawanda DuBose instructs her reading language arts class.

highly qualified teachers, there should beno failure.”

In addition to recruiting a highly effec-tive team, Kornegay places a lot of stock inretaining that team.

“To be a successful team, you should nothave too much transition among your play-ers. If you can keep a core team of people— who know what to do and how to do it— together for a couple of years, you canhave a really effective program. Teacherswho aren’t up to the work load and thechallenges weed themselves out, so if theystay here, they are up for the challenge.”

Kornegay admits she deserves the“mama” nickname her close-knit family ofstudents and teachers gave her. “I guessthat’s because when they come to me, Ibring them into the nest like a mother birdand hold them tight in there until I can givethem their wings.”

When nestling Jaclyn Brown was hiredas Highland Avenue’s reading coach, shequestioned her ability to leave the nest andstay on the team.

“When I came here, I was 21. I was ter-rified. I heard these horror stories andthought Mrs. Kornegay was going to jumpdown my throat if I just made one mistake.But, I came to realize the reason why sheexpected so much from me was that shesaw something in me that I didn’t even seein myself,” Brown said. The reading coachalso learned to look deeply at her students,searching for a way to reach each one.

“These students work really hard, inspite of all the things they may be goingthrough at home. We tell them they are thegreatest, and they truly believe they are,”Brown said.

“We don’t focus on poverty or what wedon’t have here at Highland Avenue,”Brown said from her desk planted in front

of shelves filled with books and readingaids. “We focus on what they do have —the most outstanding and amazing desire towant to learn and to please us. They want todo well.”

Kornegay agrees and says that’s why shefinds ways to celebrate student achieve-ment even when there is no money. Shecheers over the intercom. She challengesstudents to academically beat MontgomeryCounty’s magnet schools. She asks teach-ers to plaster doors and bulletin boardswith inspiring words. She and teacherssometimes even show up for their students’off-campus sporting events and churchprograms.

“We let them know, this school is spe-cial,” Brown said. “They have to hold upthat banner for this school no matter wherethey are in the community. People arelooking at them because they’ve done awe-some things in this school in spite of theodds. They know what the odds are, butthey also know they can overcome thoseodds.”

More than two-thirds of this year’sTorchbearer Schools, including HighlandAvenue, returned to the list for a second orthird year. Eight schools are new to the list.The state Department of Educationdescribes each Torchbearer as a shiningexample of how exemplary leadership andteachers can overcome obstacles to createeffective learning environments and inspirestudent achievement.

“The teachers, principals, students andparents (at Torchbearer Schools) haveworked so hard to turn their schools intohigh-performing schools,” said stateSuperintendent of Education Dr. Joe Mor-ton. “While the majority of these studentscome from high-poverty conditions, Torch-bearer Schools excel because they are trulydedicated to success.”

Dr. Angela Mangum of the state Depart-ment of Education’s Alabama LeadershipAcademy, which trains school leaders,says these schools are committed to excel-lence for all students.

“Schools in the Torchbearer Schoolsprogram are perfect examples of the posi-tive environment created when principals,faculties and staff members work togetherto set common goals and meet the samehigh expectations,” she said. ▲


Students sort through books in the library to prepare for summer reading.

Highland Avenue Elementary School usescomputers and educational software to reinforce reading and math lessons.

Failure is not anoption. Poverty is no excuse.

— What students at Highland Avenue Elementary School are told


There are so many new things in ourprofession, and we struggle dailyto keep our heads above water. I

say “we” because I am certainly one ofthose teachers. The new programs areamazing and necessary, but they seem toall come at once with training, reading,planning, collaboration and follow-upinstruction. In the past year, four programsthat have greatly affected my classroomare inclusion, the Alabama Reading Initia-tive, the Alabama Math, Science and Tech-nology Initiative and school improvement.These programs are wonderful, yet timeconsuming. When implementing new pro-grams, teachers and administrators arefocused on the details of the program.During times like this, school board mem-bers and superintendents need to ensurelocal administration sets aside time forteachers to reflect on what makes themgreat teachers.

After taking the time to sit and thinkabout things I have not thought about inyears, I feel uplifted, rejuvenated and readyto tackle my challenges once again. Tearshave come to my eyes many times thinkingabout several of the children and how theyhave changed throughout the year in myclass. I recall several children telling me atthe beginning of a year they hated to learnand be at school, but by the end of the year,they truly had a love for learning. I knowevery teacher has stories like this, if wecould only give them the gift of time toreflect on them. Encourage teachers to sit ina quiet place and think about their students’faces and remember when they got excitedbecause a child understood a new conceptor read a sentence for the first time.

Children are our future, and we are theirteachers. Whether school board members,

superintendents, parents or the generalpublic — we should respect, love andhonor all teachers. Every thriving personhas had incredible teachers to direct his orher life. Take a minute and think aboutwhere you are today as adults, and remem-ber you had many teachers guide yourlearning along the way and steer you in theright direction.

If you are a parent who has ever had achild in school, take time to rememberyour child’s teachers. Teachers spendmuch of their time in class and at homethinking about your child. After 11 years ofteaching, I still lie awake at night trying tocome up with unique ways to reach certainchildren with specific emotional needs aswell as their academic needs. Teachersconsider their class of students like theirown children, and no matter where we areor what we are doing, your children arealways on our minds. On each of my fam-ily trips, I am always thinking of ways toshare my experiences with your children.We use our holiday breaks to rejuvenateour minds, bodies and spirits, so we canreturn to the classroom to give our all toyour children.

Teaching is a truly rewarding career.Teachers love children and work hardevery day to help them strive to be the mostsuccessful they can be in life. ▲

Christine Sealy isAlabama’s Alter-nate Teacher of the Year and thestate’s ElementaryTeacher of the Yearfor 2007-08. Sheteaches at Larry

Newton School in Baldwin County.

Give Teachers the Gift of TimeBy Christine Sealy

As Elementary Teacher of the Year for 2007-08, my message for school board members and superintendents is to encourage your teachers to slow down and reflect on why they became a teacher in the first place.

"Teaching is a truly

rewarding career.

Teachers love children

and work hard every

day to help them

strive to be the most

successful they can

be in life."—Christine Sealy


“When it rains, it pours” was an often-used phrase by farmers struggling to grow crops and make ends meet. They needed reasonable rain on a regular basis. Instead, they appeared to receiveno rain for long periods and then a whole lot in a short time. Put another way, “When it rained, itpoured.”

The Alabama Senate had a drought for 12 of the 13 weeks in the 2007 Regular Legislation Session. We only passed five bills (excluding Sunset) during that time. The education budget andgeneral fund budget were dying from drought. So were the $1.1 billion bond issue and other billsof importance.

The drought was forged by the Senate lockdown. A minority of senators had closed the legisla-tive heavens. Nothing could pass. Not even dew fell from the Senate skies. All legislation wasdying on the proverbial vines. Storm clouds filled the sky but no rain fell.

Then the legislative heavens opened. The Alabama Senate rained bills. It poured during two leg-islative days. It was not just the number of bills, but the quality. We passed a $6.7 billion educa-tion budget. We passed a $1.8 billion general fund budget. We also passed 62 other bills all on thesame day. When it rains, it pours.

The next legislative day, we passed a $1.1 billion education bond bill for capital improvementsin our schools. We also passed 94 other bills and 98 resolutions. When it rains in the Alabama Senate, it pours.

This was the worst year yet, but it was not without precedent. Last year, the Senate passed154 bills during a two-day down pouring near the end of the session. The year before the

Senate passed 95 bills in a three-day stretch. Sometimes in cloud bursts the crops get lost in the flood. Therefore I want to share more specifically the planting, cultivation and harvesting of the

education budget and the bond bill. As chair of the Finance and TaxationEducation Committee, I had particular responsibility for guiding these

bills through the Alabama Senate.This year, the education budget and education bond bill wereintroduced in the Legislature in early March. We had intended to

consider the education budget in the Senate first because itstarted in the House last year. However, the Senate drought

(lockdown) changed our plans. Therefore, both the educa-tion budget and bond bill started in the House.

I was not idle. I worked as hard as if the budget hadstarted in the Senate. Several times a week, I

met with Rep. Richard Lindsey and LegislativeFiscal Office staff about the budget and bond bill. Lindsey is chair of the House committeewhich handles the education budget. He is smart,honest, fair and exercises very good judgment.

By Sen. Hank Sanders

When it rains, it pours. It happens in life. It happens in the Alabama StateSenate. I was scorched by the drought and flooded by the pouring. I amstill standing.


Joyce Bigbee, Norris Green and other LFOstaff members are smart, dedicated, hard work-ing and creative.

By the time the budget and the bond billpassed the House and arrived in the Senate, themajor issues had been resolved through collab-oration. Even though we could not get the billsassigned to the F&TE Committee because ofthe lockdown, I continued working. I met withsenators individually as well as representativesof K-12, two-year colleges and four-year uni-versities. I even held a committee meeting onthe education budget without the budget beingassigned to the committee.

When the majority broke the lockdown, the education budget was assigned to theF&TE Committee the same day. The next day we reported it out of the committee with-out amendments or much consideration. Wewanted it to be in position to be considered bythe full Senate at the earliest opportunity. TheAlabama Constitution mandates that a bill layover one legislative day after committee workbefore being considered by the full Senate.

I worked on the education budget that Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Mon-day. I had to have a substitute budget ready forTuesday. The $6.7 billion education budget wasdebated for only 38 minutes before passing theSenate. When it rains, it pours.

The bond bill followed a similar pattern. Itwas assigned to the F&TE Committee the firstlegislative day after the lockdown was broken.The next day we passed it out of committeewithout amendments. We also worked on asubstitute bill for consideration on the Senatefloor. On Thursday we passed the $1.1 billionbond bill after only 40 minutes of debate. Whenit rains, it pours.

I’m just glad the drought did not kill impor-tant legislation. I’m also glad the down pouringdid not wash away other much needed crops.I’m glad to be still standing.

My mother used to say, “Son, however bad itis, it will be all right. You will also be all right.”Understanding that helps me to get throughdroughts and floods. ▲

This is an excerptfrom the “Sketches”column written by Sen.Hank Sanders, chair of the Finance and Taxation EducationCommittee.

Legislative ReviewThe final day of the 2007 Regular Legislative Session was June 7. Here’s alook back at how major K-12 issues fared.

▲ Education Budget: On June 7, Gov. Bob Riley signed the $6.7 billionEducation Trust Fund budget. Act 07-361

▲ Education Bond Issue: The Legislature sent to the governor a $1.07billion education capital bond issue — with a roughly 75/25 percent splitbetween K-12 and higher education. About $658.64 million of the bondissue will go to K-12, $226.44 million to higher education and $185.5 mil-lion is slated for “other.”

▲ Essential Personnel Funding: The governor signed legislation tophase in state funding over a three-year period for principals, assistantprincipals and counselors through a modification to the state FoundationProgram formula for funding these essential personnel. Another key pro-vision ensures each school earns a minimum of one full-time principal by2009. At full implementation, the bill will cost the Education Trust Fund anestimated $45.4 million each year. Act 07-284.

▲ Pay Raise: The governor signed a 7 percent pay raise for educationemployees. The legislation increased the state salary matrix for all certifi-cated employees by 7 percent. For support employees, the raise would be7 percent or $1,000, whichever is greater. For education retirees, the billprovides a one-time lump sum payment calculated at $2 per month ofservice to provide an average $600 per retiree. Act 07-296

▲ Annual Reappraisals: All bills proposing to repeal annual reap-praisals failed this session. The detrimental financial impact to localschools and government operations triumphed over the minimal relieffor individual taxpayers.

▲ Home School Access: Local school leaders clearly voiced their concernsabout the effort to open access to public school extracurricular activities tohome-schooled students. The practical implementation problems helpedstop these bills for another year. School boards and others fought the billsbecause of concerns about enforcing discipline, no-pass, no-play and otherrules, as well as the fundamental unfairness of allowing nonpublic schoolstudents to take the limited number of positions on public school teams.

▲ Uniform Calendar: Although no legislation was introduced this year, aspecial House committee met to discuss a uniform start date for schools.The continued advocacy by school boards had an impact and helpedkeep school calendars a local decision with academically sound intent andthe flexibility to accommodate community preferences.

▲ Tenure/Arbitration Reforms: Lawmakers did not act on AASB-backedbills that would have immediately stopped pay upon an employee’s ter-mination and required that only Alabama education law be used in ter-mination cases. Arbitrators are often unfamiliar with Alabama’s tenure lawsand are applying their own collective-bargaining experience, which doesnot apply in Alabama. The problems have created confusion, delay andunpredictability in schools when local boards are trying to meet the pub-lic’s demand for accountability. In addition, school boards have had to payemployees they have terminated, find and pay substitutes and explain tothe public that the new law requires unnecessary expense and delay.

A summary providing additional information about the results of the legislativesession will soon be available with the Leg-Alert 2007 Enactments.


2WR/Holmes Wilkins Acrhitects Inc.Montgomery, Alabama334/263-6400

Alabama Beverage AssociationMontgomery, Alabama 334/263-6621

Alabama Gas CorporationBirmingham, Alabama205/326-8425

Alabama Supercomputer AuthorityMontgomery, Alabama 334/832-2405

Barganier Davis Sims ArchitectsMontgomery, Alabama334/834-2038

BlueCross BlueShield of Alabama Birmingham, Alabama205/220-5771

Christian Testing LabsMontgomery, Alabama334/264-4422

Council of Alabama Coca-Cola Bottlers, Inc.

Birmingham, Alabama205/841-2653

Curriculum AdvantageDuluth, Georgia770/325-6715

Davis Architects Inc.Birmingham, Alabama205/322-7482

Exford ArchitectsBirmingham, Alabama205/314-3411

Fuqua & Partners Architects PCHuntsville, Alabama256/534-3516

Gallet & Associates Inc.Birmingham, Alabama205/942-1289

Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood Inc.Montgomery, 334/271-3200Birmingham, 205/879-4462Mobile, 251/460-4006

Hoar Program ManagementBirmingham, Alabama205/803-2121

Jenkins Munroe Jenkins Architecture

Anniston, Alabama256/820-6844

JH Partners Architecture/InteriorsHuntsville, Alabama256/539-0764

Kelly Services, Inc.Dothan Alabama334/673-7136

KHAFRA Engineers, Architects and Construction Managers

Birmingham, Alabama205/252-8353

Paul B. Krebs & Associates, Inc.Birmingham, Alabama205/987-7411

Lathan Associates Architects PCBirmingham, Alabama205/879-9110

McCauley Associates Inc.Birmingham, Alabama205/969-0303

McKee & Associates Architecture and Design

Montgomery, Alabama334/834-9933

Payne & Associates ArchitectsMontgomery, Alabama334/272-2180

PH&J Architects Inc.Montgomery, Alabama334/265-8781

Rosser International, Inc.Montgomery, Alabama334/244-7484

Sain AssociatesBirmingham, Alabama205/940-6420

Scientific LearningTallahassee, Florida850/228-8882

Sherlock Smith & Adams Inc.Montgomery, Alabama334/263-6481

Southland International Bus SalesBirmingham, Alabama888/844-1821

TAC Energy SolutionsBirmingham, Alabama205/970-6132

Evan Terry Associates PCBirmingham, Alabama205/972-9100

Volkert & Associates Inc.Mobile, Alabama251/432-6735

AASB appreciates these professional members for supporting association activities and you all year long.

Alabama Association of School Boards

Professional Sustaining Members


InspirationMy wonderful parents. They raised me well, and I constantly seek their inspira-tion on a day-to-day basis. Of course, I also have a wonderful circle of friendsand family, including my dear children — my son, Preston, and daughter,Kasey — and my wife, Katie.

Motto as a Board MemberWithout dreams you can’t have any dreams come true.

Walter Mitty FantasyI would like to see every child in America have an education that makes thema viable part of not only their personal communities, but the world commu-nity.

Advice to New Board MembersAttend the AASB meetings. They have a wealth of information, and you canlearn so much from the presentations that are made. You also grow a lot faster as a board member by meeting people who have been there and have crossed the bridges you haven’t already crossed.

Greatest Accomplishment as a Board MemberMy greatest accomplishment is still a work in progress, because I have some very lofty goals. However, each time we have a successful graduating class, whether on the elementary or high school level, we have reached a milestone.

Pet Peeve as a Board MemberThough everyone can’t get everything they want, I believe working in concert we can achieve a lot better than what we might want individually. Iwant to be known as that person who always bends and does not break andto let people know that spirit of compromise is alive and well.

Reason I Like Being an AASB MemberThe camaraderie amongst board members and ability to forge relationships beyond your own board. I enjoy the very good information AASBcontinually provides to us that allows us to be better board members wherever we serve.

My EpitaphHe gave his all to serve his community and to make a difference in a positive way. ▲

At the TableAt the Table

School BoardMacon County Board of Education

Hometown Tuskegee

A Board Member for This is my fifth year.

Books at Bedside“The Audacity of Hope” by Barack Obama

Alfonso G. Robinson

July 200711- NSBA/Southern 14 Region Conference

San Antonio, Texas

29- AASB Summer 31 Conference

Perdido Beach Resort,Orange Beach

Jul. 31- Leadership IAug. 1 Perdido Beach Resort,

Orange Beach

September 2007District Academy Programs

17 District 2 Academy





October 2007District Academy Programs





21- Academy Core 22 Conference

Hoover

December 20076-8 AASB Annual

ConventionWynfrey Hotel, Hoover

6 AASB Leadership II CoreWynfrey Hotel, Hoover


▲ Stout: Please tell us a little bit about yourself.■ Figures: I am a very spiritually based woman who loves God,

family, children, senior citizens and people in general. I havea very soft heart for those in need and a strong will to standup for what I feel in my heart is right. I have a great sense ofhumor and love to have fun, give hugs and make people feelspecial. Lastly, I love to cook and feed people. Most peoplethink that I cannot cook, but at the risk of sounding as if I ambragging, I really can cook. (She smiles.)

▲ Stout: I understand you run a tight ship as chair of the Sen-ate Education Committee. Tell us about your service on thatcommittee.

■ Figures: It is an honor to serve as chairwoman of the SenateEducation Committee because education is the fundamentalbasis on which a foundation can be built to reach your high-est potential. With education, the sky is the limit as long asyou work hard and believe in yourself.

It has been said that I run a tight ship in regards to how Ichair the Senate Education Committee meetings. I open upevery meeting with a prayer followed by an announcementthat no cell phones or pagers are allowed. I even threateneveryone with a $50 fine to go to the Helping Schools TagsAwareness Campaign, should a device go off. We laugh it off,but they know I am serious.

▲ Stout: AASB often either strongly supports or stronglyopposes some of the bills assigned to your committee. Do youhave a philosophy about how to approach legislation thatimpacts school policy at a state level?

■ Figures: My main philosophy is to treat people the way Iwish to be treated, which is what my mother drilled into mewhile growing up. I try to put myself in the shoes of the otherperson before making a decision. I ask myself the followingquestions when considering legislation: What is the positiveimpact? What is the negative impact? Who are the affectedparties? Are all parties in agreement? Who are the propo-nents? Who are the opponents? Is there a cost associated withthe bill, and if so how will it be funded? At the end of the day,will the children, education and the state of Alabama be bet-ter off if the legislation becomes law?

▲ Stout: All of us were impacted by the devastation and deathsMarch 1 in Enterprise, and it posed a special challenge to theSenate committee on which you serve to determine how tohelp. You’ve been named to a special subcommittee to deter-mine guidelines about how to consistently treat any futurerequests for aid after natural disasters in schools. Has the com-mittee met and started discussion? How would you suggestapproaching the problem?

■ Figures: During the debate of the Enterprise tornado disaster,I was moved to tears as we struggled to do the right thing. Thissituation was different because eight children had lost theirlives, which made the whole debate emotional. On the otherhand, I wanted to make sure that every system in this state would be treated the same if a school was destroyed. I suggested to Sen. Hank Sanders, chairman of the Finance and Taxation-Education Committee, to appoint a subcommit-tee to make recommendations for a set policy and formula bywhich all schools would be treated the same when a disaster,

FACETOFACEwith Sen.Vivian Davis FiguresThis latest installment in a series of features

recapping discussions between members of AASB's grassroots Leader

to Leader program and their legislators spotlights Senate Education

Committee Chairwoman Sen. Vivian Davis Figures. Dr. Judy Stout,

president of the Mobile County Board of School Commissioners,

asks this key lawmaker for her take on major K-12 public

education issues.


accident or incident occurred. He asked to chair the committee along with House membersappointed by (House Education Finance and Appropriations Committee) Chairman Rep.Richard Lindsey.

The committee has met and is in the process of gathering information to formulate a pol-icy. My approach is simply to be fair to every system after a disaster, accident or incidentoccurs.

▲ Stout: During your tenure as chair of the Senate Education Committee, what educationissue has been your greatest challenge and what education accomplishment has been yourgreatest joy?

■ Figures: As chairwoman of the Education Committee, I would have to say the issue that haspresented the greatest challenge is the one dealing with home-schoolers wanting to partici-pate in extracurricular activities in public schools. My greatest joy has been to author theChild Protection Act, which requires all personnel with unsupervised access to children tohave a criminal background check. This act includes personnel in public, private andparochial schools.

▲ Stout: Was there a specific piece of legislation that was near and dear to your heart thissession?

■ Figures: This session I had two pieces of legislation near and dear to my heart. I introduceda bill that would make it a felony to leave a child unattended in a vehicle, which will benamed in honor of Amiyah White, if it passes. This is the 2-year-old girl who was left in achurch day care van a couple of years ago and unfortunately died as a result of it. The otherlegislation I introduced would ban smoking of tobacco products in all public places, restau-rants and bars in the state of Alabama. (Editor’s Note: Neither bill passed.)

▲ Stout: What role can school boards play in the state government and legislative arenas tomove an education agenda forward that benefits all of our schoolchildren?

■ Figures: School boards can play a critical role in the legislative process by having an opencontinuous line of communication with their local legislators. It is important that legislatorsare updated on an ongoing basis, rather than just before the start of a legislative session.

▲ Stout: We understand your future plans may involve representing all of Alabama in a newposition in our nation’s capitol. Do you want to share any news with school board mem-bers across the state about where you are in those decisions?

■ Figures: I am seriously looking at running for the United States Senate against Jeff Sessions in 2008. I will be making a formal announcement in regard to that decision in the coming weeks. ▲

About Sen. Vivian Davis FiguresService is the driving force behind Sen. Vivian Davis Figures, who is serving her

third full term in the Alabama Senate. She was first elected in 1997 to serve theremaining term of her late husband, Sen. Michael A. Figures, who was presidentpro tempore. She was re-elected without opposition in 1998 and 2002. Figuresserves on several committees, including Rules and Finance and Taxation-Education.She is chair of the Education Committee.

She was born in Mobile, educated in the Mobile County Public School System,received her bachelor's degree in management science from the University of NewHaven in Connecticut and attended Jones School of Law in Montgomery. A formerMobile City Council member, Figures is president/CEO of Figures Legacy EducationFoundation and serves on the Mobile Area Education Foundation Board of Direc-tors. The mother of three sons is a past at-large member of the Democratic NationalCommittee and has been recognized for her community and legislative service bynumerous organizations, agencies and professional groups.

✔ July 6 - The pre-registrationdeadline for the July 12-14NSBA/Southern RegionConference at the HyattRegency in San Antonio is July6. The event hosted by theTexas Association of SchoolBoards is themed “Bringing itall Together.” Speakers includeBrian Biro on “The Unstop-pable Spirit,” James H. JohnsonJr. on “People and Jobs on theMove: Implications for U.S. K-12 Education” and SuzieHumphreys on “I Can Do That!”For details, call 800/580-8272,ext. 6142 or visit LTS.tasb.orgonline and click “SouthernRegion” under “conferences/events.”

✔ July 31 - Applications for theEducation of HomelessChildren and Youth Pro-gram subgrants are nowbeing taken. Funds will beawarded to school systems tofacilitate the enrollment, atten-dance and academic achieve-ment of homeless children andyouth in school and, if appro-priate, in preschool programs.To apply for the three-yeargrants, submit a notification ofintent to apply to Dr. DorothyRiggins in the Federal Pro-grams Section by fax at334/242-0496. For details, call334/242-8199.

✔ August - Summer professionaldevelopment training forsuperintendents is available inschool finance Aug. 13-15;education law Aug. 2-3; andcurriculum and instructionAug. 9-10. For more informa-tion, contact Feagin Johnsonat 334/242-9716 or by e-mailat [email protected].

PEOPLE▲ Congratulations to AASB Executive

Director Dr. Sandra Sims-deGraffen-ried, who was honored with a resolutionat the May 10 K-12 state Board of Edu-cation meeting for outstanding serviceto school boards. Presented in advanceof her retirement, the board resolutiondescribed Sims-deGraffenried’s manyyears of distinguished public service as“a hallmark of exceptional commitmentand dedication to public education andto the children of Alabama.”

▲ Welcome aboard new board membersDr. Ruth Ash, Walter Batson, RobertCampbell, Ashley S. Harris, RobertJennings, Shelia Martin, NormanNicolson, Lawrence Pijeaux Jr., ElisaRambo, Rhinnie Scott and AnneUpchurch of the Alabama School ofMath and Science; Michael Box ofWinfield; Charles F. Harper of Ozark;Christopher Haughto of Haleyville;Willie Moore III of Jasper; BruyneRollins of Hartselle; TheodoreSamuel of Macon County; LisaSpence of Albertville; Steve Stott ofHaleyville; Mary L. Stowe of MadisonCounty; and Martha Windham ofGeneva County.

▲ Welcome to Greene County Superin-tendent Isaac N. Atkins, who wasappointed in May.

▲ Well done Kathy Self of Trace Cross-ings Elementary and Shane Callansof Greystone Elementary. The Hooverteachers earned $10,000 awards and all-expenses-paid trips to Washington to meet President Bush. They are theonly 2006 Presidential Award for Excel-lence in Mathematics and ScienceTeaching winners from Alabama.

▲ Way to go John Griffin of WalterWellborn High School in Annistonand Chelonnda Seroyer of Bob JonesHigh School in Madison. The Alabamateachers are among 40 U.S. teacherschosen as educational ambassadors bythe Toyota International Teacher Pro-gram. They will travel through rural andurban Japan from Tokyo to central Hon-shu June 22 through July 7 and willshare insights from their experiencewith students.

▲ Applause goes to Marc Knight ofEufaula High School, Eufaula, andBrittany Brooks of Coffeeville HighSchool, Clarke County, who were theonly two Alabamians named 2007 DellScholars. The program provides schol-arships to high-schoolers with financialneed and who participate in approvedcollege readiness programs. There were250 scholarships awarded.

▲ Hats off to the late William MarvinMoody, who served on the TallapoosaCounty Board of Education from1986 to 1990 and was honored with aboard resolution for his education serv-ice. The resolution was presented to hisdaughter, state Rep. Betty Carol Gra-ham.

▲ Way to go Zachary Woolley, 17, andLindsey Jones, 10. The two were hon-ored in the nation’s capital recently fortheir outstanding volunteer work duringthe 2007 Prudential Spirit of Commu-

nity Awards. Woolley, a sophomore atShelby County’s Oak Mountain HighSchool, and Jones, a fifth-grader atMadison County’s Central School,were among 100 other top youth volun-teers from across the country whoreceived $1,000 awards as well as per-sonal congratulations from IndianapolisColts quarterback Peyton Manning atthe 12th annual awards ceremony.

▲ Kudos to Bob Jones High School(Madison City) students Erin Gowdy,Travis Leder and Alexe Pounders forwinning an honorable mention in C-SPAN’s national “Studentcam” videodocumentary competition for their film“The Drive for a Fuel-Efficient Amer-ica” posted at www.studentcam.orgonline.

▲ Congratulations to the winners of theRep. Greg Wren Scholarship presentedto high school seniors in recognition oftheir exceptional academic achieve-ments, leadership qualities and commu-nity involvement. The winners wereElmore County students Kaitlin Coeof Stanhope Elmore High School;Andrew Corbman and Zach Martinof Wetumpka High School; and Kris-tle Lawrence of Holtville High School.

▲ Hats off to School Superintendents ofAlabama 2007 student and administra-tor scholarship winners. The studentwinners are Arthur Bosarge, FairhopeHigh School in Baldwin County; Keon Maiden, Amelia Love JohnsonHigh School in Marengo County;Samantha Dansby, Abbeville HighSchool in Henry County; ValerieHenry, Auburn High School; SedrickSmith II, Jess Lanier High School;Alisha Weathers, Sylacauga HighSchool; Abby Smith, Hillcrest HighSchool; Steven Carroll, West PointHigh School; and Allison Hill, Gris-som High School. The winning admin-istrators are Bonnie Short, Auburn;Vicky Ozment, Talladega County;Sarah Kneisley, Hoover; and DebraCarroll, St. Clair County.

Potpourri

2006-2007 Alabama State Teacher of the YearCameron Sharbel McKinley of Riverchase Ele-mentary School in Hoover, was honored for herservice by President George W. Bush and FirstLady Laura Bush April 26, 2007, in the OvalOffice at the White House. Credit: White House photo

by Eric Draper


SelfCallans

▲ Kudos to Brittany S. Kahlstorf ofHoover High School in Hoover andMario Myers Winburn of Bob Jones High School in Madison City,recipients of the 2007 SoutheasternStates Pupil Transportation Confer-ence Buster Bynum Scholarshipawarded to two public school studentsin each of the 14 member states of theSoutheastern States Pupil Transporta-tion Conference. Kahlstorf is thedaughter of Lisa Kahlstorf, a HooverCity Schools bus driver since 1998.Winburn is the son of Jesse J. Winburn,who has been a Madison City Schoolsbus driver since 2000.

▲ Applause for the late Claud Morrison,a former member of the TuscaloosaCity Board of Education, who wasrecently inducted into the Chamber ofCommerce of West Alabama’sTuscaloosa County Civic Hall of Fame.The 2007 class also included RyandeGraffenried Jr., the late husband ofAASB Executive Director Dr. SandraSims-deGraffenried, for his politicalleadership.

▲ Sympathies to the fam-ily of the late RussellCounty Superintendent Dr. Vivian Carter, whodied in early June. Theformer Barbour CountySchools director of federal programservices had served as Russell

County superintendent since 2006.Retired Assistant School Superinten-dent Lillian Baker, who previouslyserved as interim superintendent priorto Carter’s hiring, will again act as Rus-sell County superintendent until a per-manent appointment is made.

▲ Condolences to the family of the lateClaude Danvis Ezell, 83, who died inApril. Ezell served on the WilcoxCounty school board for 18 years andhad been a principal in Pine Apple for24 years. He had also served in the U.S. Signal Corp during World War II.Donald McLeod has been appointed tofill Ezell’s seat on the board.

SCHOOLS▲ Kudos to the Alabama schools listed in

the May 28 issue of Newsweek as partof the 2007 America’s Best HighSchools list. The honored schools by rank, name and school system are No. 4 Jefferson County Inter-national Baccalaureate Schoolin Jefferson County, No. 134 Love-less Academic Magnet Programin Montgomery County; No. 209Mountain Brook High School inMountain Brook; No. 293 AuburnHigh School in Auburn, No. 546Grissom High School in Huntsville;No. 1,070 Bob Jones High School inMadison City; and No. 1,249 SpainPark High School in Hoover.

▲ Hats off to the state’s 2007 NationalAssessment of Educational ProgressMotivation Contest Award winners,which include North Birmingham Elementary School, Birmingham; J. E. Terry Elementary School, DallasCounty; and Haleyville ElementarySchool, Haleyville. ▲

Congratulations to 2007-2008 Alabama Teacher of the Year Pamela Harman(center), an earth science teacher at Spain Park High School in Hoover. Shewas one of 16 finalists from elementary and secondary schools across thestate. She begins her service as state education spokesperson and trainer/workshop presenter to share her best practices and expertise and will beAlabama’s representative in the National Teacher of the Year competition.

Carter

Q What should beincluded in a school

safety plan?

A Under the federal No ChildLeft Behind law, school

systems must use federal school-safety funding to establish a planfor keeping schools safe and drugfree, according to the U.S. Depart-ment of Education. These plansmust include:• Appropriate and effective

discipline policies; • Security procedures; • Prevention activities; • Student codes of conduct; and • A crisis management plan

for responding to violent or traumatic incidents on schoolgrounds.

States must also report school-by-school safety statistics to the public.

— Denise L. Berkhalter

HELP!

Kudos to 2007-2008 Alternate Alabama Teacher of the Year ChristineSealy (far right), a first-grade teacher at J. Larry Newton School in Bald-win County. Sealy is the elementary winner among the district finalists,which also included (not pictured) Anita H. Thompson of Fairview Elementary School in Cullman County and Clarissa N. Daniels of LeeHigh School in Huntsville.


Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDMontgomery, ALPermit No. 34

Alabama Association of School BoardsPost Office Drawer 230488Montgomery, Alabama 36123-0488

2007 summer alabama school boards magazine

Documents

member school boards

day of school

members of school boards

public school principals

education budget

face withsen

gift of time22drought

gift of time drought