K-12

Arkansas

Arkansas to review advanced African American studies

Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios The state’s Division of Elementary and Secondary Education is seeking information about the content of an Advanced Placement course on African American studies, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports. The curriculum includes “events, experiences, and individuals crucial to a study of African American history and culture,” Education Week reports. Driving the news: The Arkansas […]

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Arkansas

School choice floated as educational policy change in Arkansas

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios School choice, a hot topic for which Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has voiced support, allows parents to apply to send their K-12 children to schools other than the public school in their district. Driving the news: Last week was National School Choice Week, aimed at helping parents discover education options, including traditional […]

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Arkansas

Arkansas School Choice Week provides education options for students and families

ARKANSAS (KAIT) – Arkansas schools, organizations, and individuals have planned a total of 303 celebrations of educational opportunities for January. During the last two years, families and educators in Arkansas have faced the academic consequences of the pandemic. According to a news release, a survey this month by the National School Choice Awareness Foundation showed that 53.7 […]

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Arkansas

Capitol review: Week 1 brings a new chapter to Arkansas

Lt. Gov. Leslie Rutledge oversees proceedings on the Arkansas Senate floor Thursday. Screenshot: Courtesy of the Arkansas Legislature The 94th General Assembly started its biennial session this week and Arkansas’ new leader was sworn in, meaning the Capitol was buzzing. Catch up quick: In addition to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the state’s new lieutenant governor, […]

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Arkansas

Bentonville school board race still hot

Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios Two of Bentonville’s five school board seats will head to a runoff on Dec. 6. Why it matters: The race has garnered national attention from a conservative PAC that endorsed school board candidates who opposed teaching critical race theory (CRT) in public schools. One candidate endorsed by the PAC won a school […]

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Arkansas

Arkansas’ school safety report OK’d

Illustration: Lazaro Gamio / Axios The Arkansas School Safety Commission’s final report got approval from Gov. Asa Hutchinson last week. Why it matters: The state Department of Education can now begin setting guidelines for school districts to apply for their share of $50 million in grant money to help pay for new or enhanced safety […]

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Arkansas

Northwest Arkansas schools’ safety report card

Northwest Arkansas schools have passing grades when it comes to keeping kids safe from possible shootings on campuses, according to data compiled by Axios. And 50% of the school districts surveyed are star pupils — scoring As. Driving the news: The Arkansas School Safety Commission has submitted its final report to Gov. Asa Hutchinson with […]

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Arkansas

Sarah Huckabee Sanders calls education a top priority

Education will be a major policy focus for Sarah Huckabee Sanders if she’s elected as Arkansas’ next governor, she said. What happened: The Republican candidate for governor made remarks at a campaign event Friday in Bella Vista to a crowd of about 400, then fielded a few questions from reporters. Why it matters: Arkansas received […]

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Arkansas

Arkansas School Safety Commission makes progress

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios Arkansas’ School Safety Commission met Tuesday for the 10th time since being reinstated by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in June. What happened: After hearing concerns and experiences from four parents living across the state, the group unanimously adopted several tactics to include in its final report, due in October. State of play: Hutchinson […]

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Arkansas

Day 1 recap: Arkansas’ special legislative session

Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin ajourns the Arkansas Senate until Wednesday morning. Screenshot from Arkansas State Legislature The third session of the Arkansas Legislature kicked off Tuesday. Here’s what happened: 1. Bills were introduced this week that align with Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s wishes for the session. HB1002 would cut taxes to 4.9% for individuals and 5.3% […]

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