Unlocked UA, a student organization working to educate students on campus about the complexities of the issue of equitable education, is hosting an Alabama Charter School Forum Jan. 27.
“The name ‘Unlocked’ has many different meanings, but perhaps the most central is our belief in unlocking equitable educational opportunities for all students. The doors to a high-quality school are too often locked for children in underserved communities,” David Phelps, president of Unlocked UA, said. “Our members have a wide range of views on almost every educational issue, so we are committed to informing, inspiring and mobilizing a truly diverse community of advocates.”
The Alabama Charter School Forum is intended to educate students and the community on a topic seated deeply in recent educational reform.
“The goal of hosting the forum is to help the University of Alabama community join the conversation about charter schools in an informed way. Some students don’t know what charter schools are. Many students don’t know that charter schools are illegal in Alabama. I would argue that most students don’t know why,” Justin Heck, director of marketing of Unlocked UA, said.
The forum will host Emily Shultz, education policy director for Gov. Robert Bentley, and Amy Marlowe, research and information systems manager for Alabama Education Association, to discuss the topic of charter schools and answer the questions students may have. Though the issue of charter schools will be the main topic of the forum, Heck said Unlocked UA has no intentions of picking a side for the debate about the merits of public versus charter schools.
“Our goal isn’t to support or condemn either side of the charter school debate. We want the UA community to understand both sides and then to be able to form their own opinions,” Heck said. “Through the dialogue of the Alabama Charter School Forum, we can begin to ask these questions and hopefully leave with a few answers.”
Phelps said the organization’s primary focus is building a strong sense of community and working toward a more equitable education system.
“We have an exciting semester calendar planned to include discussions on relevant educational topics (race, assessment, teacher pay, etc.), documentary screenings, trips to local schools, fundraisers for teachers and even a symposium with potential internship and career opportunities,” he said. “We do not just build events. We build a community.”
The Alabama Charter School Forum will be held Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. in 1013 SERC. Refreshments will be provided. For more information on Unlocked UA, visit unlocked.ua.edu.
