Birmingham Board of Education

The Birmingham Board of Education is an elected body which oversees the operation of Birmingham City Schools. Each board member represents a district that coincides with the Birmingham City Council districts. The board meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month in the auditorium of the Birmingham Board of Education Building at 2015 Park Place North.

History

The first Board of School Trustees was appointed by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen in 1873 in preparation for the opening of the first school the following spring. The first trustees were J. T. Terry, George Thomas and J. J. Jolly. The board was reorganized as a Board of Education on July 16, 1884, shortly after the appointment of John Herbert Phillips as superintendent of schools.

Board members were originally appointed by the Birmingham Board of Aldermen to staggered five-year terms. Members came to informally represent various areas of the city, so that when a vacancy occurred a new member was typically chosen from the same part of town.

In 2002 the board became an elected body, with one member representing each of the city's nine City Council districts.

In April 2012, shortly after a contentious meeting at which the extension and/or termination of Superintendent Craig Witherspoon was discussed and numerous motions made out of order, the Alabama State Board of Education launched an investigation. The state had previously offered to provide conflict resolution and board governance training to the body, but the offer was never accepted. During the investigation, the board was instructed to vote only on routine matters and "not to initiate or approve any adverse personnel action at the senior executive level."

Members

• Mel Drennen, 1902-1906, president 1905-1906
• B. A. Thompson, president 1907-1908
• John L. Parker, president 1909-1914
• Ben M. Jacobs, -1915, president 1915
• E. P. Hogan, -1912
• Sam Will John, -1913
• John Tomlinson, -1915
• George Ward, president 1916-1917
• Nathaniel Barrett, president 1918-1920
• Erskine Ramsay, 1922–1941, president 1922-1941
• F. D. McArthur, 1923–1941, president 1941
• R. R. Moore, 1923–1924
• R. E. Chadwick, 1923–1930
• Mrs A. W. Bell, 1923–1930
• Lewis Bowen, 1927–1928
• J. C. DeHoll, 1929–1930
• Mrs Frank James, 1956-1957
• R. F. Whitaker, 1956-1961
• J. A. Holcomb, 1958-1960
• Mrs. J. A. Sargeant, 1958-1959
• Art Hanes, 1958-1961
• Robert Arthur, 1960-1971; president 1963, 1968-1969
• Harold Martin, 1961-January 28, 1963
• Liston Corcoran, 1961-1966
• Herbert Stockham, March 1962-June 1964
• Mrs Sam Phelps, 1964-1972
• Charles Price, 1965-1971
• Donald Newsome, 1967-1974, president -1974
• Alton Parker Jr, 1976-1981
• Belle Stoddard, 1977-1987
• Louis Dale, 1979-1989
• T. L. Alexander, 1981-1991
• Martha Gaskins, 1982-1990
• Mary Moore, 1998-2005
• Virginia Volker, 1998-2005

1882

• Alonzo Elliott, 1882-1888
• A. O. Lane, 1882-1904; president 1882-1884
• William Rushton, 1882-1922, president 1921-1922
• David Smith, 1882-1888
• Samuel Ullman, 1882-1904; president 1893-1900
• J. L. Watkins, 1882-
• C. P. Williamson, 1882-1884

1884

• H. U. McKinney, 1884-
• George Thomas, 1884-
• James Ware, 1884-

1890

• James Webb, president 1889-
• A. O. Lane, 1882-1904; president 1891-1892, 1901-1904
• William Rushton, 1882-1922, president 1921-1922
• Samuel Ullman, 1882-1904; president 1893-1900
• W. J. Cameron, 1890-1896

1902

• A. O. Lane, president
• Mel Drennen, vice president
• M. J. Gregg, secretary
• H. B. Gray, treasurer
• John Parker
• Burghard Steiner
• Samuel Ullman

1904

• A. O. Lane, president
• Mel Drennen, vice president
• M. J. Gregg, secretary
• Henry Gray, treasurer
• Samuel Ullman
• Burghard Steiner

1923–1924

• Erskine Ramsay, president
• R. E. Chadwick, vice president
• R. G. Miles, secretary (non-voting)
• Mary Echols, Commissioner of Health & Education
• R. R. Moore
• F. D. McArthur
• Mrs A. W. Bell

1927–1928

• Erskine Ramsay, president
• R. E. Chadwick, vice president
• R. G. Miles, secretary (non-voting)
• Mrs A. W. Bell
• Lewis Bowen
• F. D. McArthur

1929–1930

• Erskine Ramsay, president
• R. E. Chadwick, vice president
• R. G. Miles, secretary (non-voting)
• Mrs A. W. Bell
• J. C. DeHoll
• F. D. McArthur

1941

• Mrs J. A. Dupuy, 1939-1956
• William Christian, 1941-1957
• Donald Comer, vice president 1941
• Charles Glenn, 1941
• Lawrence Stevens, 1941

1953

• Kingman Shelburne, 1951-1956
• T. R. Broom, 1952-1959
• L. M. Smith, 1953-1957

1959

• Art Hanes, president
• R. F. Whitaker, vice-president
• Thomas Benners Jr
• J. A. Holcombe
• Adelia Troxell

1975

• Winnie Mae Shaffner, 1974-1976
• Ossie Ware Mitchell, 1973-1988
• Bettye Fine Collins, 1975-1982; president 1978-1981
• Clyde Kirby, 1969-1979
• William Morgan, 1975-1977
• C. W. Neville, June 1963-1969, 1971-1975, president 1974-1975
• D. R. Phares, 1966-1975, vice-president 1974-1975

2001-2005

• District 1:
• District 2: Virginia Volker
• District 3:
• District 4:
• District 5: Dannetta K. Thornton Owens
• District 6:
• District 7: Odessa Ashley
• District 8: April Williams
• District 9: Mary Moore

2005-2009

• District 1: Martha Wixon
• District 2: Virginia Volker
• District 3: Howard Bayless
• District 4: Carolyn Cobb
• District 5: Dannetta K. Thornton Owens
• District 6: Willie Maye Jr
• District 7: Odessa Ashley, vice-president
• District 8: April Williams, president
• District 9: Phyllis Wyne

2009–2013

• District 1: Tyrone Belcher
• District 2: Virginia Volker
• District 3: Brian Giattina
• District 4: Edward Maddox, president (2011–2012), resigned October 2012. Carol Clarke appointed to fill remainder of term
• District 5: Emanuel Ford
• District 6: Willie Maye Jr, president (2009-2010)
• District 7: Alana Haynes (formerly Alana Edwards), resigned February 2013. Wardine Alexander appointed to fill remainder of term
• District 8: April Williams, president (2012–)
• District 9: Phyllis Wyne, president (2010-2011)

2013-2017

• District 1: Sherman Collins, vice-president
• District 2: Lyord Watson
• District 3: Brian Giattina
• District 4: Daagye Hendricks
• District 5: Randall Woodfin, president
• District 6: Cheri Gardner
• District 7: Wardine Alexander
• District 8: April Williams
• District 9: Sandra Brown

2017-2021

• District 1: Doug Ragland, 1st term, vice-president
• District 2: Terri Michal, 1st term
• District 3: Mary Boehm, 1st term
• District 4: Daagye Hendricks, 2nd term
• District 5: Mickey Millsap, 1st term
• District 6: Cheri Gardner, 2nd term, president
• District 7: Patricia McAdory, 1st term, resigned 2020, Walter Wilson elected to serve remaining term
• District 8: Sonja Smith, 1st term
• District 9: Sandra Brown, 2nd term

2021-2025

• District 1: Doug Ragland, 2nd term; or Sherman Collins, 1st term
• District 2: Neonta Williams, 1st term
• District 3: Mary Boehm, 2nd term
• District 4: Derrick Billups, 1st term
• District 5: James Sullivan, 1st term
• District 6: Leticia Watkins, 1st term
• District 7: Walter Wilson, 1st full term
• District 8: Sonja Smith, 2nd term
• District 9: Le'Darius Hilliard, 1st term; or Jason Meadows, 1st term

References

• "Board of Education" (May 26, 1902) The Birmingham News, p. 1
• Birmingham Public Schools (1931) Report of Progress, Birmingham Public Schools: September 1, 1921 to August 31, 1931 - accessed via Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections
• Hansen, Jeff (April 16, 2008) "Birmingham Board of Education wrestles with superintendent search, curbing legal costs, and developing a sense of vision." The Birmingham News
• Dean, Chuck & Marie Leech (April 8, 2012) "Can Birmingham city schools escape an old cycle of dysfunction?." The Birmingham News
• Leech, Marie (April 13, 2012) "Alabama education department seizes control of Birmingham school board." The Birmingham News
• Crain, Trish (April 12, 2012) "The Superintendent and the Board – A Cautionary Tale" Alabama School Connection

External links

• Board of Education at Birmingham City Schools' web site.