Observing stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines, the State Board of Education met by teleconference Thursday morning for the first time in its history. While technical difficulties prevented online streaming, the meeting was later posted online. The board did not hold a work session.

In its first action, the board unanimously voted to temporarily suspend its rules to allow an electronic meeting pursuant to Gov. Kay Ivey’s supplemental State of Emergency order modifying the Open Meetings Act during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The board unanimously approved initial recommendations for the new Career & Technical Education (CTE) Course of Study. The course of study currently includes three clusters: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources and Law; and Public Safety, Corrections and Security. Additional clusters will be added each year until 2024, with the course of study committee already working to develop five new clusters for 2021: Manufacturing; Business Management Administration; Finance; Marketing and Work-based Learning; and Cooperative Education.

The board also unanimously approved special accommodations for 2020 graduates of teacher preparation programs who are unable to finish their student teacher internships due to school closures resulting from COVID-19. The resolution waives the usual required student teaching hours to allow these students to be considered graduates. Also, the deadline to complete EdTPA requirements is extended an additional year to allow students time to complete the program and earn qualifying scores. In the meantime, those students will receive a one-year teaching certificate. The resolution also extends deadlines for various teacher recertifications. State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey said additional accommodations may be necessary as the situation develops.

Other board action included approval of the SBOE’s appointments to the 2020-2021 State Textbook Committee for mathematics in grades K-12.

As part of the Superintendent’s Report, Mackey thanked members of the board, department staff and K-12 employees across the state for their hard work and support in these challenging circumstances. He acknowledged there have been and will be glitches along the way; however, he said he has received positive feedback as schools have worked to continue instruction through a blend of remote learning and traditional paper-and-pencil work packets.

Mackey said a partnership with Alabama Public Television (APT) is providing 12 hours of educational programming each day for various grades in multiple subjects. While the programming may not be tied to specific lesson plans, Mackey said the content being offered is strong. He also shared that a potential partnership with radio broadcasting may be on the horizon.

Discussing the lack of broadband infrastructure and Internet access for some students and families in rural areas, Mackey said the COVID 19 crisis put a spotlight on the issue. He said he is hopeful the crisis will jump start an investment to provide every county with access to broadband.

Mackey added that the department is working on other issues that have surfaced during the school closures, including mental health needs and special education services. He said some school systems have had to cut back on meal services, but he believes an early transition to summer feeding programs (six weeks earlier than usual) will help. In addition, federal funds provided to the Department of Human Resources should increase SNAP benefits for school-aged children during this crisis.

The next scheduled State Board of Education meeting and work session will take place May 14, 2020 at 10 a.m.