Ann Marie Corgill
The good news is that Alabama school textbooks now require the teaching of
evolution and climate change. The bad news is everything else about Alabama public education. Ann Marie Corgill was a 2015 National Teacher of the Year finalist. She is the
2014-2015 Alabama Teacher of the Year. She's giving in her
resignation.
But in the letter obtained by AL.com, she cited confusion about her certification after Birmingham and Alabama Department of Education officials recently informed her she was not qualified to teach fifth grade.
"After 21 years of teaching in grades 1-6, I have no answers as to why this is a problem now, so instead of paying more fees, taking more tests and proving once again that I am qualified to teach, I am resigning," she wrote.
Part of what happened is that there is indeed some confusion about certifications.
But the teacher wrote that Kennita Allen, an education administrator with the Alabama Department of Education, called her this week and informed her the national certification does not override or replace the state certification requirements.
"The Alabama State Department of Education did not determine Ms. Corgill was not qualified," the department said in a release on Thursday. "However, when an inquiry was made, the department reported that her current teaching certificate covers primary grades through Grade 3. This does not carry with it a requirement for resignation."
This might be one of the many things that happens when your anti-public school education Governor Robert Bentley names Matt Brown, a 28-year-old design engineer at the Baldwin County Highway Department, to the
Alabama State Board of Education.
Bentley hasn’t been what you’d call a friend to public schools, given his support for tax credits, vouchers and charter schools. This year he signed into law legislation that amended the 2013 Alabama Accountability Act and that diverts up to $30 million a year from the Education Trust Fund for “opportunity scholarships” (vouchers). He also recently signed a law allowing charter schools to open in Alabama and giving a new state commission the right to overturn a local school district’s rejection of specific charter applications. (So much for the traditional Republican love of all things local).
Now, Bentley has appointed Brown, a man with absolutely no history of participation of even interest in helping public schools to represent his district on the state Board of Education. In his announcement statement, Bentley said that he was “honored” to appoint Brown, who would bring “a unique perspective to the position.” Unique indeed.
Matt Brown, the man in question has said he never attended public schools and neither would his children attend those public schools. The ones
he's in charge of now.
The reaction was loudest in Baldwin County, where Brown is from. And it is yet to die down along the coast. This is hardly a surprise since Brown was the face of an active effort last March to defeat a school tax vote. The campaign preceding the vote was contentious and divisive. Supporters of the measure felt that Brown and his followers were less than honest and forthright with their information. The Secretary of State’s office said the Brown troops were in violation of the Fair Campaign Practices Act.
Needless to say Governor Bentley is not just Alabama's problem. He's all of our children's problem now as he's been named the vice chair of the
National Governors Association's education and workforce committee.
"Alabama has made significant strides in preparing students for success in college and their careers. As governors, we are uniquely positioned to influence federal legislation and regulations that affect education and workforce policies," Bentley said in a news release. "I look forward to sharing Alabama's success in the area of workforce development with other governors."
This is the last paragraph of Ann Marie Corgill's letter:
Please know that I wanted to give my all and share my expertise with Birmingham City Schools. In order to attract and retain the best teachers, we must feel trusted, valued, and treated as professionals. It is my hope that my experience can inform new decisions, policies, and procedures to make Birmingham City Schools a place everyone wants to work and learn.
A woman passionate about her job is gone, young children lose an inspiring teacher, and a stressed public school system gets worse.
You can see a facsimile of the letter of resignation below the fold.
