Honoring MLK's Vision: A Call to Grow Together as Educators
Greetings Region 5,
As we reflect on the enduring legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we are reminded of his unwavering belief in the power of growth, education, and collective action. Dr. King once said, "The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education."
In this spirit, let us recommit to our own professional journeys, embracing opportunities to grow, challenge assumptions, and deepen our impact on the lives of the students we serve. Just as Dr. King encouraged individuals to strive toward justice and equality, we too are called to foster environments where every learner can thrive.
As we move forward this year, let us collaborate, innovate, and support one another in the shared pursuit of meaningful education. Together, we can create classrooms and communities that echo Dr. King’s vision of equity, hope, and possibility.
Thank you for the passion, resilience, and care you bring to your work every day. Here's to a year of transformative growth—for ourselves and those we serve.
If you have any specific professional learning requests for your school or district, administrators and district leaders may complete the UABRIC Professional Learning Request form. Feel free to contact me directly should you have any questions.
Professionally yours,
S. Nicole Hill, EdS, NBCT
UABRIC Director
EdTech Tuesdays
EdTech Tuesdays will feature Alabama Technology in Motion specialists and a host of tech friends. They will present a variety of topics virtually throughout the academic year. Register in PowerSchool for the topic(s) of your choice. Click the link below to contact UAB ATiM specialist, Pernell Allen, or for more information about UAB-ATiM.
UABRIC National Board Writing Experience
The UABRIC National Board Writing Experience will be a day of focused writing for National Board and MOC candidates. You may collaborate with a small group, sit one-on-one with a mentor, or reflect and write in a quiet room. Breakfast will begin at 9:30 am. National Board resources will be provided for attendees.
Join us at the UAB School of Education building on Saturday, Feb. 8, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, for this valuable time of writing.
Is classroom management on your professional learning plan for this school year? Register to attend the Classroom Organization and Management Program (COMP) Saturday workshop. COMP certified trainer Dr. Tammarra Tippett will guide novice and veteran teachers through eight modules applying researched-based and evidenced-based strategies. All participants will receive a COMP manual.
Winter COMP Workshop Begins February 8, 2025
2024-2025 Save Date
This professional learning opportunity was designed to address the distinct needs of districts within all Alabama Schools catering to kindergarten through fifth-grade students. These sessions aim to enhance the foundation for developing a strong and comprehensive mathematics program by exploring district sustainability, mathematical mindset, continuous improvement, and application.
This year, an ACLD-PLU may be earned, pending approval, for participation in the Counting on You sessions! Sessions will be offered following the ALSDE Curriculum and Instruction Meetings.
See the flyer below for session topics and dates. Session 3 will be held in Region 5/7 at the Shelby County Instructional Services Center.
Start planning now to gather your district team for the Textbook Caravan for Science, 2024-2025!
What is the Textbook Caravan?
The Science Textbook Caravan for the 2024-2025 school year is a joint collaborative event with Alabama's Regional Inservice Centers & Publishers' Warehouse, Alabama's textbook depository. The Textbook Caravan is an opportunity for school district delegations to rotate through scheduled presentations from each of the state-adopted publisher options for comprehensive instructional resources.
Who should attend?
The two-day event has one day geared toward elementary team members (K-6) while the other day is structured for secondary representatives (grades 6-12). Sixth grade teachers should attend whichever day works BEST for their district's grade span configuration.
Is there a registration fee?
Lunch is provided at no cost, and there is no registration charge for participants.
What is the purpose?
School districts are encouraged to send active participants who will collaboratively reflect & discuss the resources being previewed in order to help their district narrow down decisions for their local adoption. Guiding questions will be provided to assist district teams with these discussions.
How do I sign up?
Click the button below to register in PowerSchool Professional Learning.
Spring 2025 eLearning Courses
eLearning for Educators will be celebrating its 19th year in the spring 2025 semester. We will offer one Early Bird course, CSDL4201: Application of CSDL COS running from January 8th though February 25th.
We will offer an additional 25 courses beginning on February 5th and ending on March 25th. All the regular courses are 6-weeks long, completely online, and entirely free. You can view the schedule on the COURSE LISTING webpage.
Additionally we will offer seven 3-week ACLD-approved courses that are follow-up showcase courses that can earn 1 ACLD-approved PLU for those who completed one of the EDU55xx prerequisite courses in an earlier semester.
If you are interested in earning a PLU, please look over the requirements on the PLU COURSES webpage.
Finally we will again offer courses that can earn APLDS hours for principals and assistant principals – these courses have been approved by the Alabama Principal Leadership Development System. Please look over their website for details.
All courses are approved by the ALSDE to help teachers and administrators renew their certificates with the new requirements posted last October on the Alabama Achieves website.
The School Principal Leadership and Mentoring Act was passed in 2023 to create and implement a new leadership development system for principals and assistant principals. Beginning with the 2024-25 school year, principals can earn an annual stipend up to $10,000-$15,000 and assistant principals can earn up to $5,000-$7,500 if they successfully complete all program requirements as outlined in the law.
