Central High families, teacher file federal lawsuit over Arkansas LEARNS Act ‘indoctrination’ ban • Arkansas Advocate
A federal lawsuit filed Monday challenges the constitutionality of a section of the LEARNS Act that prohibits “indoctrination” in Arkansas schools and asks the court to block its enforcement. Civil rights attorneys Mike Laux and Austin Porter Jr. filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas on behalf of […]
Read More
Rules governing Arkansas community service graduation requirement approved for public comment • Arkansas Advocate
Arkansas school districts have already begun helping students meet a new community service graduation requirement as state officials work to approve final rules for the program. Under the LEARNS Act, a sweeping new education law, Arkansas students must complete 75 hours of community hours to graduate, starting with this year’s freshman class. De Queen superintendent […]
Read More
Arkansas education co-ops concerned about effect of reduced funding • Arkansas Advocate
The Sanders administration’s proposal to reduce funding for Arkansas’ 15 education service cooperatives has co-op directors concerned about the impact on students, especially those in smaller school districts. Fourteen cooperatives would receive $4.3 million less in state funds next fiscal year under the Department of Education’s 2025 budget proposal, according to estimates provided to the […]
Read More
More Arkansas school districts hiring unlicensed teachers to cope with staff shortage • Arkansas Advocate
(Getty Images) One in 12 educators working in Arkansas public schools are unlicensed or teaching outside of their certification area. That number has more than doubled in the last seven years, an Advocate analysis of state data found, as districts have used additional licensure exceptions to cope with teacher shortages. Research is mixed about what […]
Read More
Arkansas school districts consider alternate calendar to address inclement weather
Arkansas school districts are seeking unique ways to address inclement weather closures without using alternative methods of instruction (AMI) days, including requesting waivers to transition to an alternate calendar mid-year. This month’s severe winter weather highlighted the LEARNS Act’s practical elimination of AMI days, which allow districts to offer virtual instruction when schools are closed […]
Read More
Arkansas lawmaker considers legislation to restore remote learning flexibility
Arkansas’ first major snow since the passage of the LEARNS Act brought renewed attention to its practical elimination of alternative methods of instruction (AMI) days. With school canceled last week in much of the state, many districts will be tacking on make-up days at the end of the school year, but one state lawmaker is […]
Read More
Arkansas schools compress salary schedules in response to LEARNS Act
Nearly a third of Arkansas school districts no longer offer pay increases for experience or additional education, an immediate result of a new state law that increased the minimum teacher salary to $50,000 a year. The LEARNS Act increased Arkansas’ minimum teacher salary from $36,000 to $50,000 and requires all teachers to receive at least […]
Read More
Arkansas coalition submits measure to amend state Constitution’s education clause
A proposed constitutional amendment submitted to the Arkansas attorney general Thursday would require all schools receiving state funds to meet the same set of academic and accreditation standards. The Educational Rights Amendment of 2024 also proposes that the state expand its obligation to maintain a “general, suitable, and efficient system of free public schools” to […]
Read More
Education coalition unveils effort to amend Arkansas constitution
A grassroots coalition on Wednesday announced its intention to refer to the 2024 ballot a measure to amend the education clause of the Arkansas Constitution. Group members said they will file a proposed constitutional amendment and paperwork for their ballot question committee Thursday morning ahead of a noon press conference at the Arkansas Capitol. The […]
Read More
Federal funds helped Arkansas childcare providers stay afloat, but staffing struggles continue
Sherrie Gillespie wasn’t sure if the daycare center she runs in Monticello would survive the COVID-19 pandemic. “I may have stayed open, but I know I would have had to cut some services in order to maintain payroll and pay bills,” she said. Thanks to $445,000 in federal grant funds, Head of the Class Childcare […]
Read More