There was a brief moment, a few tenths of a second to be exact, in which silence filled the air after the call for a motion was made for the renewal or nonrenewal of the Magic City Acceptance Academy's charter.
"So there are three options before you, Commissioners. You can have a motion to approve the renewal for five years, you can have a motion to approve for a shorter term, or lastly, you can put a motion to non-renewal," the attorney for the Commission explained. Though there were appointees from Governor Kay Ivey, Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth, House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) and former State President Pro Tem Greg Reed (R-Jasper) present, not a single one of them offered a motion for non-renewal.
Following the pause, came a motion for a three-year renewal from Dr. Sharon Porterfield, who was appointed by Reed.
Lakisha Wheeler, an appointee of Ledbetter, made a motion to second.
Before the commission could vote, however, Charles Knight, an appointee of Ivey's, shouted, "Point of Order, Point of Order" from Zoom.
Knight was insistent that in the brief silence before Porterfield's motion, he made a motion for a five-year renewal. He blamed technical difficulties for his motion not being heard.
A discussion followed, and a vote was taken to amend the motion for a three-year renewal to a five-year renewal.
When asked why they should be given a five-year vs a three-year renewal, representatives for MCAA said, "So, I will tell y'all that this application is a very, very arduous process, but I would love to redo in five years and not three."
Just when it appeared no one would bring up any of the concerns related to the school, Dr. Shelia Austin, an appointee of Ivey, asked about the school's adherence to the "Divisive Law," saying "that could be the monster in the room right now."
"We have, from day one, followed the law," the school said, a claim disputed by evidence that 1819 News uncovered and reported on earlier this year.
The lawyer for the Commission noted that each contract approved now included a clause that said if a school is not compliant with the law, it would be subject to a revocation hearing.
Ultimately, the amendment to the motion was passed, and there was a vote for a five-year renewal. Ainsworth's appointee, Dr. Cynthia McCarty, was among those who voted yes to give the school a five-year rather than three-year renewal, which is notable since she left the meeting before the final vote. Marla Green voted no, and Ryan Kendall, an appointee of Reed, voted no.
Ivey refused to comment on her appointments or her support or opposition to their vote. Her spokeswoman, Gina Maiola, instead offered a vague comment: "Governor Ivey expects all Alabama public schools – including our charter schools – to be compliant with the divisive concepts law she proudly signed in 2024."
Ledbetter told 1819 News in a written statement, "During the 2024 legislative session, I worked to pass the state's now-enacted ban on divisive concepts to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not spent in an effort to indoctrinate students. Since the passage of this legislation, one of my appointees to the State Charter School Commission has conducted a review of the Magic City Acceptance Academy and informed its leadership, in no uncertain terms, that any violation of state law will result in the revocation of its charter."
"Additionally, my appointee worked to ensure that the resolution renewing this school's charter included a clause stating that any noncompliance with the state's ban on divisive concepts will be met with the immediate revocation of its charter. The bottom line is that I am firmly against students learning about anything other than educationally relevant material during their time at school and will maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward bad actors with woke agendas."
While Reed did not return a request for comment on his appointments, current Senate President Pro-Tem Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) was incredibly responsive, saying, "The Pro Tem's appointees to the Charter School Commission were already in place before I assumed the office earlier this year. I believe the commission's actions and decisions should reflect the traditional values and cultural concerns that most Alabamians hold, and we are currently in the process of reviewing the situation and available options."
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