Mountain Brook Schools

Mountain Brook Schools is an independent school system operated by the City of Mountain Brook. It was founded in 1959. The system includes six schools. The superintendent is Charles Mason.

Schools

• Mountain Brook High School
• Mountain Brook Junior High School
• Brookwood Forest Elementary School
• Cherokee Bend Elementary School
• Crestline Elementary School
• Mountain Brook Elementary School

Board of Education

The Mountain Brook Board of Education has five members, appointed to staggered terms by the Mountain Brook City Council. The board meets on the second Monday of each month. In 2006 the Board of Education moved to a new $3.44 million, 19,000 square-foot administrative office and staff development center. The new two-story building, designed by Paul B. Krebs & Associates and built by Stone Building Co. is clad in stucco and rough stone with a natural slate roof.

Members

• 2021: Nicky Barnes (president), Jeffrey Brewer, Tommy Luckie, Jenifer Kimbrough, and Brad Sklar
• 2018: Elizabeth Dunn (president), Brad Skale, Nicky Barnes, Tommy Luckie
• 2016: Brad Sklar (president), Elizabeth Dunn, Tommy Luckie, Richard Murray, Nicky Barnes
• 2014: Jane Menendez (chair), Elizabeth Dunn, Tommy Luckie, Richard Murray
• 2012: Jane Menendez (chair), Michael Thompson (vice chair), Elizabeth Dunn, Tommy Luckie, and Brad Sklar
• 2006: Gary London (chair), Lynn Lloyd (vice-chair), Michael Thompson, Jane Menendez, and Eli Capilouto

Diversity Committee

A recommendation in the system's strategic plan, made more urgent by incidents of antisemitism involving Mountain Brook students shared on social media, led the system to convene a "Diversity Committee" in 2020. It was co-chaired by Crestline Elementary principal Christy Christian and parent Al Cohn. Among its recommendations were for each school to offer diversity programming to faculty and students and to develop partnerships with local and national organizations engaged in anti-bias efforts. For faculty and staff, the school system offered a program developed by the Anti-Defamation League. The board had considered, but decided not to implement, an ADL program for schools entitled "No Place for Hate". In June 2021 an anonymously-published 12-page "Resource Guide to the Anti-Defamation League" was circulated, characterizing the organization as activists seeking to indoctrinate and recruit school children as "left-wing political operatives," and expressing suspicions that the system's statement that they were dissociating themselves from the ADL was dishonest. The Atlanta office of the Anti-Defamation League issued a press release condemning the "Resource Guide" for mischaracterizing its work and programs.

References

• Crain, Trisha Powell (May 13, 2020) "Jewish Federation concerned about video of Mountain Brook children drawing swastika." The Birmingham News
• Markham, Madoline (May 1, 2021) "A Wider Perspective: The Mountain Brook Schools Diversity Committee" Mountain Brook magazine
• "Mountain Brook Families: A Resource Guide to the Anti-Defamation League" (June 14, 2021) self-published
• Seale, Michael (June 16, 2021) "Mountain Brook Acts On Diversity Committee Recommendations." Patch.com
• Seale, Michael (June 22, 2021) "Mtn. Brook Schools To Disassociate With Anti-Defamation League." Patch.com
• "ADL Responds to Attacks On Anti-Bias Education in Mountain Brook Schools" (June 22, 2021) press release
• Griesbach, Rebecca (June 28, 2021) "Mountain Brook backtracks on anti-bias training after parent criticism links to critical race theory." The Birmingham News

External links

• Mountain Brook Schools official website