Student Focused Teacher Led conference will be held in Little Rock Sept. 30 and Oct. 1
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (July 19, 2021) – The Student Focused Teacher Led conference in Little Rock Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 will feature some of the nation’s leading educators and researchers.
The opening keynote speaker, Ruby Payne, educator and author best known for the book “A Framework for Understanding Poverty,” will speak about “Emotional Poverty in All Demographics.” Payne holds a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies.
In other sessions, NBA legend Sidney Moncrief, will about “Taking Ownership of Creating a Better World,” and education expert Tammy Pawlowski, who holds a doctorate in Early Childhood Education, will talk about “Myths and Misconceptions: Why Poverty Matters and Why Schools and Teachers Can Matter More.”
“We want to empower educators with research-based practices and industry-proven resources,” said Arkansas State Teachers Association Executive Director Michele Linch, who holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction. “Then, they can take these tools back to their classrooms and lead at their schools.”
The Arkansas State Teachers Association, Bright Futures USA, The Reform Alliance and the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education are hosting the conference.
Early registration until August 31 comes with a discounted rate of $50, a complimentary Student Focused Teacher Led T-shirt and a copy of Payne’s book “”Emotional Poverty in All Demographics: How to Reduce Anger, Anxiety and Violence in the Classroom.” Beginning Sept. 1, registration will cost $100. Registration is available at https://sftl.me/conference/.
“Over the past couple decades, the paradigm in education has shifted toward making sure instruction, relationships and classroom interactions are all centered around what is best for students,” said Emmy Henley, managing director of The Reform Alliance. “We invite all educators to attend the conference to learn more about what it means to be student focused like this.”
ABOUT BRIGHT FUTURES USA: Bright Futures USA is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing communities together to focus on the success of children. This grassroots movement uses the Bright Futures framework to engage businesses, human service agencies, faith-based organizations, and parent groups within communities to meet the needs of children so every child can be successful, now and in the future.
ABOUT THE ARKANSAS STATE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION: As a state chapter of the Association of American Educators (AAE), the Arkansas State Teachers Association (ASTA) is a statewide non-union, professional educators’ organization, advancing the profession by offering a modern approach to teacher representation and educational advocacy, as well as promoting professionalism, collaboration and excellence without a partisan agenda.
ABOUT THE REFORM ALLIANCE: The Reform Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring every K-12 student in Arkansas has equal access to a world-class education. The Reform Alliance is proud to manage the Succeed Scholarship at no cost to the State of Arkansas. Even small expenses like the cost of mailing checks to schools are paid for by a private foundation grant. Free educational resources and more information about The Reform Alliance are available at thereformalliance.org.
ABOUT THE DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION: The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is a division of the Arkansas Department of Education which provides leadership, support and service to schools, districts and communities so every student graduates prepared for college, career, and community engagement.
My Father's the Best Because ...
Do you have the best dad ever? Tell us why, and you can win a $100 Lowe's gift card for him for Father's Day!
Every Tuesday (June 1, June 8 and June 15), we will post on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and invite you to share your stories and pictures!
COMMENT
All you have to do is comment on the post by that Thursday at 11:59 p.m. Comments can include pictures, videos or just words.
WIN
We will randomly select a winner from the comments using the ShortStack app every Friday and announce the weekly winner on social media.
Governor officially marks the creation of the Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids Program
In April, the Arkansas General Assembly passed legislation for the tax credit scholarship program for K-12 students. Hutchinson signed the bill into law April 26 and met with supporters at the Capitol today.
Virtual town hall panelists spotlight value of flexible education strategies
Virtual town hall will highlight educational options available in Arkansas
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (May 10, 2021) – The Reform Alliance (TRA) is hosting an education-themed virtual town hall via Facebook live at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 12.
Annual Parent Survey Data
Succeed Scholarship Parent Survey Results
2018-2021 Parent Surveys
Parents have POWER! At The Reform Alliance, we recognize this, and we value their opinions. So, we survey all parents who have children participating in the Succeed Scholarship Program annually.
TRA believes that parents are the best decision makers when determining the right educational options for their children, and all children should have the opportunity for a world-class education regardless of zip code or family income. In our existing, one-size-fits-all zip-code-based education model, the financial means of the family, including the ability to live in the “right” zip code, determines the school that a child attends, regardless of what a parent thinks is best.
More than 98% of parents believe the Succeed Scholarship Program should continue to be available.
Because of the important role parents should play in making decisions for their child and the education freedom provided by the Succeed Scholarship, the annual parent survey is an important tool used to measure the success of this program. In fact, parent satisfaction with the Succeed Scholarship is incredibly high. In 2021, 100% of parents believed that the SSP should continue to be available to future students.
Academic Progress Satisfaction - SSP -v- Designated Public School
When considering the academic progress of their students, in 2021, 98.5% of parents said they were satisfied with the academic progress of their child in the SSP versus only 18.6% who were satisfied with the academic progress of their child in their designated public school.
Individual Attention - SSP -v- Designated Public School
When considering the individual attention received by their students, in 2021, 98.8% of parents said they were “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with the individual attention received by their child compared to 23.5% who felt the same about the designated public school.
Addressing Child's Disability - SSP -v- Designated Public School
When considering how the school addressed their child’s disability, 98.8% of parents were “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with how their SSP school addressed their child’s disability compared to only 19.1% who felt like the child’s disability was properly addressed at their designated public school.
Poll from Arkansas State Teachers Association shows support for HB1371
Poll from Arkansas State Teachers Association shows support for HB1371
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (March 12, 2020) – In a recent member poll from the Arkansas State Teachers Association (ASTA), a nonunion educator association, 56% of teachers indicated they support HB1371, which would create the Arkansas Child Academic Opportunity Scholarship and Grant Act.
“I think it is a great idea for businesses and the state to work together to support the community,” one response said.
About 24% neither agree or disagree with the proposed program, and only 20% oppose it. Many of the disagree comments reflected a misunderstanding of the bill, according to Michele Linch, ASTA’s executive director. For example, one survey response said, “Tax dollars are not for private or charter schools,” when the program is funded by donations made by individuals and organizations in exchange for tax credits, not by tax revenue. Also, tax dollars already go to charter schools because they are public schools; the program does not have an effect on that.
The poll follows a recently released survey from Cyngal that showed that more than more than half of voters in all eight of the identified House of Representatives districts support tax credits for scholarships. In February, the University of Arkansas Office for Education Policy and EdChoice also released a fiscal impact statement showing a positive benefit of $2.3 million for the state, along with a positive fiscal benefit of $773,00 to public schools, from the private scholarship component of the program.
ABOUT THE ARKANSAS STATE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION: The Arkansas State Teachers Association is the state chapter of the Association of American Educators (AAE), the largest national, nonunion, professional educator organization, advancing the profession by offering a modern approach to educator empowerment and advocacy—promoting professionalism, collaboration, and excellence without a partisan agenda. ASTA-AAE is committed to a teaching profession that is student oriented, well respected, and personally fulfilling. Classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators, student teachers, university professors, support staff, and supporters can learn more at astapro.org.
ABOUT THE REFORM ALLIANCE: The Reform Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring every K-12 student in Arkansas has equal access to a world-class education. The Reform Alliance is proud to manage the Succeed Scholarship at no cost to the State of Arkansas. Even small expenses like the cost of mailing checks to schools are paid for by a private foundation grant. Free educational resources and more information about The Reform Alliance are available at thereformalliance.org.
Researchers declare DFA’s statement about HB1371 is an 'incomplete picture'
Researchers declare DFA’s statement about HB1371 is an ‘incomplete picture’
The statement fails to take into account potential savings
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (March 4, 2020) – On Tuesday researchers from the University of Arkansas Office for Education Policy and EdChoice, a nonpartisan nonprofit, refuted the Department of Finance and Administration’s legislative impact statement about HB1371, which would create the Arkansas Child Academic Opportunity Scholarship and Grant Act, as an “incomplete picture.”
“The DFA fiscal note provides an incomplete picture of the likely fiscal impact of HB1371 because it only includes the cost of the program without regard for potential savings,” said Marty Lueken, director of EdChoice’s Fiscal Research and Education Center. “When students leave public schools via a scholarship program, it reduces educational costs for public school districts and generates savings for taxpayers.”
As written in HB 1371, the program would require all eligible students to be enrolled in public school prior to entering the program. When students leave a school district for any reason, total expenses for that district decreases by the foundation amount ($7,018 per student), plus any categorical or grant funding associated with the student. Because local revenue is fixed, any reduction in district costs resulting from HB 1371 would accrue to the state as savings.
Lueken and Josh B. McGee, associate director of the Office for Education Policy, recently released a fiscal impact statement that takes into account these potential savings. Their analysis estimates that the net fiscal impact of the scholarship program on the state would be $2.3 million in savings, and the net fiscal effect on districts would be a positive benefit of about $770,000.
DFA’s statement projected $465,000 in administrative costs exceeds the costs actually incurred in other states, even though those states don’t have the extra benefit of nonprofits administering the scholarships and grants.
For example, Arizona appropriated up to 3% of ESA amount for admin costs in FY 2012 (the program’s first year), which amounted to $47,280. The state appropriated $200,000 in FY 2013, and $240,000 in FY 2014 and FY 2015 ($200,000 for state DOE and $40,000 for the State Treasury). Mississippi set aside $180,000 for administrative costs and had $99,000 in unused funds in FY 2018 and $33,000 in FY 2020.
“In these states, a state agency is running the program whereas Arkansas’s program would be run by nonprofit orgs and only overseen by a state agency,” said Jason Bedrick, director of policy at EdChoice. “Other states are running much larger programs at less than half [DFA’s projected] cost, so it should take Arkansas even less than that to merely provide oversight.”
ABOUT THE OFFICE FOR EDUCATION POLICY: The Office for Education Policy (OEP) is a research center within the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas. The OEP exists to serve as a resource to state lawmakers, educators, administrators, and other leaders, providing them with current national, state, and regional research in education to support them in thoughtful decision-making concerning K-12 education in the State of Arkansas.
ABOUT EDCHOICE: EdChoice is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to advancing full and unencumbered educational choice as the best pathway to successful lives and a stronger society. EdChoice believes that families, not bureaucrats, are best equipped to make K-12 schooling decisions for their children. The organization works at the state level to educate diverse audiences, train advocates and engage policymakers on the benefits of high-quality school choice programs. EdChoice is the intellectual legacy of Milton and Rose D. Friedman, who founded the organization in 1996 as the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice.
ABOUT THE REFORM ALLIANCE: The Reform Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring every K-12 student in Arkansas has equal access to a world-class education. The Reform Alliance is proud to manage the Succeed Scholarship at no cost to the State of Arkansas. Even small expenses like the cost of mailing checks to schools are paid for by a private foundation grant. Free educational resources and more information about The Reform Alliance are available at thereformalliance.org.
###