Birmingham Education Initiative

Birmingham Education Initiative, Inc. is a non-profit foundation created to handle the purchase, distribution and administration of laptop computers to Birmingham City Schools pupils in the 1st through 8th grades. The foundation will receive $3.5 million from the City of Birmingham during its first year, which includes $3 million for the purchase of 15,000 XO laptops from the One Computer Per Child Foundation. The funding is generated from the Birmingham Economic and Community Revitalization Ordinance proposed by Mayor Larry Langford during his first week in office.

The foundation was created by Langford in February 2008. Board members include George French, President of Miles College; Perry Ward, President of Lawson State Community College; George Munchus, a management professor at UAB; Barbara Shores Martin of the Jefferson County Office of Senior Citizens Activities, and a representative from the school system.

Langford requested that the Birmingham City Council approve the transfer of funds during their February 12 meeting. The council voted 8-1 to purchase the laptops, but tabled the vote on hiring Birmingham Education Initiative as the agent for the contract. At issue was the degree to which the foundation would be accountable for how it spent the remaining $500,000 of the proposed disbursement and the formal status of the newly-registered non-profit.

Councilor Valerie Abbott cast the dissenting vote against buying the computers and stated her concerns over the foundation's ability to administer the program. When challenged about her specific concerns, she related concerns about the involvement of former City Councilman John Katopodis. Katopodis worked with Langford to negotiate the purchase from OLPC, and was previously involved with him and former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy in the non-profit Computer Help for Kids, which could not account for $200,000 it received from the city in 2002. Langford labelled Abbott's concerns as "personal" in nature, and told her that she had no business dictating whom he hired for the program.

The Council's education committee met on February 15 and heard further details about the foundation from Katopodis. He told them that all administrative expenses would be invoiced and that the budget for the first year, excepting legal and accounting fees, stands at lust over $165,000. He said that he would not be paid by the foundation, but that he would work to secure charitable donations for the project, which has already received $115,000 in private funds. Council President Carole Smitherman voiced her satisfaction with the Council's oversight of the foundation, which will expand to include a Council member and the Mayor as non-voting members and will submit an annual report to the Council.

References

• Bryant, Joseph D. (February 13, 2008) "Birmingham City Council approves buying computers, rejects non-profit foundation as friction rises with mayor." Birmingham News
• Bryant, Joseph D. (February 15, 2008) "Birmingham City Council gets details on XO laptop computer foundation." Birmingham News