Jefferson County schools has proposed a number of changes in order to get out from under a court order dating back to desegregation.
One of Alabama’s largest school districts has proposed a plan to open new magnet schools, expand transportation and overhaul discipline in an effort to improve options for Black students and teachers in Jefferson County.
“This proposed consent order contains a number of important initiatives such as the expansion of our signature academies and the creation of magnet programs,” he said. “It is necessarily a bit complicated as it is a legal filing, but it is designed to make us better as a district while we continue to promote opportunities for all of our students.
Jefferson County’s newest desegregation plan comes after years of coordination with civil rights attorneys, officials said. In 2018, Judge U.W. Clemon, who is representing the plaintiffs, held a number of meetings with community members,In order to be released from federal oversight, the district must prove to a court that Black and white students have the same opportunities to learn, and that its schools reflect the diversity of the community.
Jefferson County currently operates two magnet programs at Jefferson County IB High and Middle School. The district also plans to improve instruction and the quality of facilities in alternative schools and place limits on how long students are expected to stay in those programs. Leaders also plan to expand access to advanced courses and to reassess how students are placed in gifted programs, with a goal to recruit and retain more Black gifted specialists. They also plan to create a teacher education magnet program for high school students, which will be located at Center Point High School.The district held a telephone conference with Alabama’s Northern District Court on Jan. 21 and is awaiting feedback.
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