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Icontinue to be amazed at the innovative work occurring in Alabama’sschools by Alabama teachers, students, and all those connected with publiceducation. Recently, I attended the Lawrence County Agricultural Career

Day, a component of its Innovative School Systems plan submitted last year,led by its superintendent, Heath Grimes. The focus of this unique plan was oninfusing an agricultural theme throughout the curriculum culminating in anAdvanced Academic Agricultural Endorsement to the Alabama High SchoolDiploma. What I witnessed far exceeded my expectations and is a model ofwhat can happen when you give teachers, leaders, and their communities thelatitude to think creatively on how to best meet the learning needs of theirstudents.

When I arrived there were hundreds of students representing two highschools and two middle schools attending workshops and meeting withrepresentatives from state, regional,and national organizations andcompanies with connections to theagriculture industry. Just a few ofthe workshop sessions offered tothe students included:

• DNA Extraction by Hudson-Alpha• GPS Use in Large-Scale Farming

by John Deere• Careers in Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources by Auburn University• Careers in the USDA by USDA Rural Development• Careers Related to Forestry by International Paper• Organic and Urban Farming, Agricultural Lending by Regions Bank

The list goes on and on, not to mention the over 50 booths that students wereallowed to visit and ask questions about anything and everything you canimagine related to agriculture.

One story that stands out within this exceptional countywide project inreal-world and project-based learning comes from Speake School, a K-8 schoolin Danville, Alabama, which is part of the Lawrence County School System.

page 2 Teacher of the YearFinalists

Reduce, Reuse andRecycle!

Students Participatein Mock Trial

“April’s Rampage”Book Now Available!

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The electronic newsletter of the Alabama Department of Education

May 2012 · Issue I

Superintendent’s Message At Speake School this concept has trulybeen taken schoolwide. Kindergartenclasses are incubating eggs andstudying the life cycle of chickens.Second-grade classes have pen pals inLouisiana and share agricultural likesand differences between the two states.Third-grade classes are going throughthe Junior Master Gardner program andcomposting in the classroom usingvermiculture. The sixth-grade classescreated a fall garden and shared theproduce with the Senior Citizen Centerand will do the same this spring. Thesixth, seventh, and eighth graders arebuilding a chicken coop to study the lifecycle and care of chickens. A localcompany is funding the construction ofa composter for the entire campus touse for leftovers and scraps from thelunchroom that will in turn be used toenrich the school’s fall and springgardens. From these experiences,students can understand the age-oldquestion of why they need to learnmath, science, and all classes werequire them to take.

I would challenge each of our localsystems to find the definingcharacteristic that makes them uniqueand turn it into a thematic unit thatinvolves not only the students andfaculty, but parents and our businessand industry partners that are ultimatelythe recipient of our “harvest.”

Dr. Tommy Bice, State Superintendent of Education

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Alabama Education NewsMay 2012 · Issue I · page 2

“After a long and detailed process, the final four candidates for theAlabama Teacher of the Year have been chosen from many otheroutstanding examples of educational leadership in our state. The final fourare educators who have given more than just their time and attention;they have given all their energy and expertise to help prepare students forthe world,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tommy Bice.

The next step for the final four is an extensive interview with the statejudging committee, followed by the live broadcast awards ceremony, The2012 Alabama Stars in Education, on Wednesday, May 9. The 2012Alabama Stars in Education event is hosted by the Alabama Department ofEducation and Alabama Public Television (APT). The broadcast will air at 7p.m. on local APT stations. The 2012-2013 Alabama Teacher of the Yearwill be announced at the ceremony.

Alabama’s Teacher of the Year spends the majority of the school yearserving as the spokesperson for education and the teaching profession aswell as presenting workshops to various groups. Alabama’s representativeis automatically a candidate for the National Teacher of the Year Award.

Amanda Fox, Greystone Elementary School, Hoover City, District III“Sometimes students remark that my class makes theirbrains hurt, but the amazing ideas, innovations,projects, and products my students produce help merealize that I am doing the right thing.” A graduate ofSamford University and Lesley University in Cambridge,

Massachusetts, Fox has taught at Greystone Elementary since 2005 andwas the District Elementary Instructional Technology Specialist for sixyears prior. She is National Board Certified. “Don’t be a teacher” is whatshe was told due to the hard work, long hours, and low pay, but Fox wasinspired from her very first class full of inner-city students with a longingfor trust, stability, and a role model being evident in their eyes. Herpersonal mission statement is to provide students with the opportunity todiscover and develop their talents while learning to think at higher levels.

Meghan Everette, George Hall Elementary School,Mobile County, District V“My greatest accomplishments in teaching aren’treflected in plaques, titles, or shiny awards. My mosthonored and memorable achievements come fromsimple day-in and day-out acts that I can reap therewards of later.” Everette, a Master’s degree graduate

of the University of South Alabama and The University of Alabama, hastaught in the Mobile County system since 2006. She has been part ofnumerous school events including Girls Engaged in Math and Science(GEMS). Her hope is to produce well-rounded students with an intrinsicmotivation to learn, which gives her immense pride. Everette believes thatteachers should take an active role in attracting positive public relationsfor their schools, districts, and communities to bring every possibleadvantage to the school.

Final Four Announced for Alabama Teacher Of The Year!

Suzanne B.Culbreth, SpainPark High School,Hoover City,District III“The benefit comesnot in the concept

taught but in the process of learning,which can be applied to life.”Culbreth is a high school mathteacher at Spain Park High Schoolwith a Master’s degree from theUniversity of Montevallo. She hastaught at Spain Park since 2008 andat Oak Mountain High School from2002-2008. Culbreth considers hergreatest contributions to be as asupporter and encourager of fellowand future teachers. She enjoysincorporating technology into herclassroom as much as possible.Discovery is the cornerstone of herinstruction. She believes studentsshould be engaged in mathematicsand should tangibly experience itbeyond working a set of problemssuccessfully.

Karen M. Clem,Athens HighSchool, Athens City,District VIII“I fully believe indeveloping goodwork habits and I

try to instill those in my students. If Ican succeed in this, I know they willreap the rewards for their hard workin future careers…” Clem has aMaster’s degree from The Universityof Alabama and is National BoardCertified. She has taught math atAthens High School since 1989.Her greatest contributions toeducation are her passion forteaching and enthusiastic methodsused to teach math. She works hardat convincing the students that theycan be successful in math byleading by example, teaching themdifferent strategies and techniques.She believes building self-confidencebuilds confidence in math.

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Alabama Education NewsMay 2012 · Issue I · page 3

Afterschool Communities:Supporting Students After theBell Has Rung

“Name the Lander” classvisits Space Camp!

Karen McDonald’s fourth-gradestudents from Valley IntermediateSchool in Pelham claimed their prizefor naming the Rocket City SpacePioneers’ lander “Spirit of Alabama”in the recent “Name the Lander”Contest. They participated insimulated space missions, rocketbuilding and launching, and realisticastronaut simulators at Space Camp®.

Alabama will be joining the ranks of 40 other states across the nation inthe formation of Afterschool Community Networks. The driving force behindthe various state associations is to build community awareness, formulatepolicies, and grow support for sustaining high-quality afterschool andexpanded learning opportunities for children and youth. StatewideAfterschool Networks do not supply services, but instead provide supportand resources to improve policies that champion before/after/summerschool programs. They seek to establish partnerships across agencies,communities, and states to advance policies nationwide.

In July 2011 the Afterschool Alliance of Washington, D.C., selectedMs. Cherry Penn, the Afterschool Childcare Program Supervisor and 21stCentury Grant Programs Manager for Baldwin County Public Schools, asone of 20 individuals across the nation to represent their state as anAfterschool Ambassador. In this role Ms. Penn is spearheading the efforts inAlabama to form an Alabama Afterschool Community Network. The effort isbeing strongly supported by the Alabama Department of Education, theTruman Pierce Institute of Auburn University, and numerous organizationsthroughout the state.

To further the process in Alabama, a Steering Committee comprised ofindividuals with a key interest in supporting before/after/summer schoolprograms has been organized. The Steering Committee members andrepresentatives from various statewide organizations and agencies will bemeeting with a representative from the C. S. Mott Foundation. A letter ofintent to apply for a Mott Foundation grant, which will help fund theAlabama Afterschool Community Network, has been submitted.

If you are interested in knowing more about these endeavors or wishto be a part of Alabama's ongoing before/after/summer school efforts,please contact Ms. Cherry Penn at cpenn@bcbe.org.

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Alabama Education NewsMay 2012 · Issue I · page 4

“State Pilots America’sNew Aerospace Curriculumfor Secondary Students”

Alabama has become a leader in theaerospace manufacturing and aircraftcomponents industry. If you take aclose look at Alabama’s rich history,you will find a strong connection to aerospace and engineering success.

In 1910, the Wright Brothers opened the nation’s first civilian flyingschool in Montgomery. The honorable achievements of the famed TuskegeeAirmen during World War II and the Marshall Space Flight Center’s servicein creating the International Space Station also provide a brief glimpse intoour aerospace history.

In 2010, the Alabama Department of Education’s Career and TechnicalEducation (CTE) Section and the Southern Regional Education Board(SREB) partnered to create our nation's first Preparation for Tomorrow(PFT) Aerospace Engineering curriculum for secondary schools to use inpreparing students for aerospace technology and engineering careers.

Alabama was one of twelve states selected to participate in thisinnovative initiative. The PFT Advisory Panel was comprised of top nationalscientists, university professors, aerospace professionals, and keygovernmental officials. The first two foundation courses for this programhave already been developed, and writing is near completion on theprogram’s final two courses.

PFT is currently being administered and piloted in four high schools:• Baldwin County High School – Baldwin County • Booker T. Washington High School – Macon County• Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School – Montgomery County• Foley High School – Baldwin County

Alabama has distinguished itself as a productive leader in the PFTconsortium and will host the Master Teacher Training Seminar for theSummer Training Institute for all consortium members. The MasterTeacher Training Seminar is scheduled to take place in Mobile, atthe Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel, on May 11-12.

Currently, Alabama is the only state to successfully start the curriculum“piloting” process – a key part and important final step in fullyimplementing this program nationwide.

Representatives from Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina, NewJersey, West Virginia, Georgia, Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska,North Carolina, and Oklahoma will be attending the Master TeacherTraining Seminar in Mobile.

To learn more about the Preparation for Tomorrow AerospaceEngineering Curriculum, contact Alabama CTE Administrator and PFTProject Manager, Craig Collins, at ccollins@alsde.edu or (334) 353-8387.

Alabama Leading Nation to FutureAerospace Success

Reduce, Reuse, andRecycle!

Hewitt-Trussville High School has anew recycling program, and it isstudent-initiated! Program sponsorand high school teacher ErinCornelison said, “I recycled in myclassroom last year, and I saw how

some of the kids really enjoyed it.Senior Board president Hannah Riddlehelped propel recycling at school.”

The Recycle Rally program is amulti-year collaboration betweenPepsiCo, WasteManagement, andKeep AmericaBeautiful. Theprogram aims toraise awareness of the importance ofrecycling among students. Mrs.Cornelison said, “The students areresponsible for collecting therecyclable items, weighing the bags,and scanning the barcodes to accruepoints during their free time before orafter school.” Through Recycle Rally,the school will accumulate points tocompete with other schools across thenation for prizes and money for theschool, all while helping to make theplanet a cleaner, greener place.

Mrs. Cornelison added, “In the fallwe want to recruit more students who

are excited aboutrecycling and arewilling to dedicatetheir time. If thisprogram becomesa success, wehope to expandour collectionsites to differentareas of theschool.”

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Alabama Education NewsMay 2012 · Issue I · page 5

AWARDS/OPPORTUNITIESAlabama PublicTelevision’s 2012 YoungHeroes

Alabama Public Television establishedthe Young Heroes Awards in 2001 tohonor Alabama students in Grades9-12 who have excelled inacademics, given of themselvesthrough public service, overcomeadversity, or inspired others throughtheir deeds and strength ofcharacter.

Young Heroes receivescholarships, laptop computers, andother prizes. The Young HeroesProgram is made possible throughthe support of Blue Cross Blue Shieldof Alabama, Books-A-Million, Honda,and Publix. From hundreds ofnominations, a committee ofAlabama business, civic, andeducation leaders selected thefollowing five students as AlabamaPublic Television’s 2012 YoungHeroes:

• Ashley Askins, Cherokee HighSchool, Colbert County Schools

• Karlie Blankenship, LawrenceCounty High School, LawrenceCounty Schools

• K.J. Jones, Cullman High School,Cullman City Schools

• Wei Min Patrick, Baker HighSchool, Mobile City Schools

• Michael Tempero, J.F. Shields HighSchool, Monroe County Schools

The 2012 APT Young Heroes will berecognized at their schools with anaward as part of their seniorassemblies, and videos of theirpersonal stories of success overadversity will be shown on APTduring the Stars in Educationbroadcast on May 9.

On May 10 the Alabama StateBoard of Education will commendthese outstanding young people fortheir accomplishments and theircharacters and wish them everysuccess in their future endeavors.

Students Participate in Mock Trial

Guntersville High School seniors participated in amock trial to learn the consequences of drinking anddriving in Sherry Brown’sgovernment class. Mitch Floyd, aMarshall County Assistant DistrictAttorney, came to see Mrs. Brownearlier in the year to present theidea of a mock trial in which thestudents would participate. Hands-on learning experiences of this magnitude are every teacher’s dream, butwith most schools’ budgets, they don’t get to become reality. Mitch workedwith other District Attorneys, local clubs and organizations, as well asbusinesses to provide Mrs. Brown’s government classes with a uniqueexperience. In the case, a student has a few hypothetical drinks beforeprom and has a wreck on the way, which kills a motorcyclist. The facts ofthe trial came from an actual case that was tried by one of the DistrictAttorneys while working in another county. Students researched andportrayed several roles in the trial, including attorneys, jurors, witnesses,journalists, photographers, news anchors, and courtroom sketch artist.District Judge Tim Riley presided over the case. Lieutenant Josh Case, aGuntersville Police Officer, and David Chandler, an EMT, volunteered theirtime to serve as expert witnesses during the trial.

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Alabama Education NewsMay 2012 · Issue I · page 6

CONGRATULATIONS!

ALABAMA STATE BOARDOF EDUCATIONPresident – Gov. Robert BentleyDistrict 1 – Randy McKinney, Vice PresidentDistrict 2 – Betty PetersDistrict 3 – Stephanie BellDistrict 4 – Yvette M. RichardsonDistrict 5 – Ella B. BellDistrict 6 – Charles ElliottDistrict 7 – Gary WarrenDistrict 8 – Mary Scott HunterState Superintendent of Education and Secretary andExecutive Officer – Thomas R. Bice

Alabama Education News (USPS #387-290) is published bi-monthly bythe Alabama Department of Education, P.O. Box 302101, Montgomery,AL 36130-2101. This publication, authorized by Section 16-2-4 of theCode of Alabama, as recompiled in 1975, is a public service of theAlabama Department of Education designed to inform citizens andeducators about programs and goals of public education in Alabama.

No person shall be denied employment, be excluded fromparticipation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected todiscrimination in any program or activity on the basis of disability,gender, race, religion, national origin, color, age or genetics. Ref: Sec.1983, Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C.; Title VI and VII, Civil Rights Act of1964; Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Sec. 504; Age Discrimination inEmployment Act; The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and TheAmericans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008; Equal PayAct of 1963; Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972; Title II of theGenetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008: Title IXCoordinator, P.O. Box 302101, Montgomery, Alabama 36130-2101 orcall (334) 242-8165.

AEN EDITORIAL STAFFManaging Editor: Dr. Michael O. SibleyContributing Editors: Ed Crenshaw l Malissa ValdesGraphic Artists: Mary Nell Shaw l Charles V. Creel

Contact Alabama Education News334-242-9950 (p) · 334-353-4682 (f)aen@alsde.edu (e) · www.alsde.edu (w)

Alabama Education NewsP.O. Box 302101Montgomery, AL 36130-2101

State Board of EducationMeetings Now on Ustream.tv!

See your State Board of Education in action - Online athttp://www.ustream.tv/channel/alabama-department-of-education. See LIVE video every second and fourth Thursdayof the month or watch the archived videos anytime you want(different days in July, November, and December).

Gwin Elementary School (Hoover City) ThirdGrade Class Writes and Publishes Book onTornadoes – “April’s Rampage” Now Available

State Superintendent TommyBice congratulated Mrs. Dark’sthird grade class that wroteand published “April’sRampage,” a historical fictionsurrounding the April 27, 2011,tornado event at a ‘Meet theAuthor’ event recently.

The historical fiction novelsurrounds the April 27tornadoes that swept throughTuscaloosa and other parts ofAlabama. During the process,the class interviewed victims of the tornado,volunteers, and meteorologists. They combined thefacts they learned to create a wonderful story aboutthe Johnson family.

Dr. Bice met the class on the anniversary of thetragic event at a local Books-a-Million in Tuscaloosa,where they were interviewed by a local TV station.

Sixth Grade Teachers: Tell your students howthey can learn more about EmergencyPreparedness and Safety for the Community!

Serve Alabama (Governor’s Office of Faith-Based & Community Initiatives)and the Alabama Department of Homeland Security have announced the7th Annual Be Ready Camp. This camp provides an opportunity for sixthgraders across Alabama to become Youth Preparedness Delegates; receivea commendation from Governor Robert Bentley; and carry the message ofpreparedness and safety to their schools, communities, and families.

This camp has been featured in international Homeland Securityjournals and received national media attention, including coverage on theCable News Network (CNN). Additionally, the camp is considered a bestpractice by the White House and the U.S.Department of Homeland Security.

Check the flyer for Be Ready Camp anddisplay it in your classroom if you’d like to participate. Submissions mustbe received by May 30, and acceptance letters will be mailed after thedeadline.

Please contact Marguerite Long, Emergency Preparedness & OutreachCoordinator, Governor's Office of Faith-Based & Community Initiatives, at334-954-7451 or visit www.ServeAlabama.gov for more details.