News & Stories

I am writing to share my family’s experience with Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs) this year, hoping it might be helpful for new families who are becoming eligible for EFAs next school year. My daughter, who has autism, faced significant challenges in the public school system, especially after moving to a larger middle school following the pandemic. Despite our efforts and the school administration’s kindness, she experienced relentless bullying, which led to depression and thoughts of...

My husband and I are so grateful for all the donations to the Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids (PIAK) scholarship, and we were really delighted to hear that it has grown this year and can help more students like our great-granddaughter Angelina. She has had some turbulence in her young life, and for that reason we are very protective. We not only provide care for her in a safe, loving environment in our home, we also want her to be safe and loved at school. Last year, as she entered...

Our family had a unique experience seeking an Educational Freedom Account (EFA) for not just one, but two children after the LEARNS Act passed. We have one child who qualified, having received the Succeed Scholarship. The financial support it provided to send our child to a school that was an ideal fit was a blessing. It was as if the state was saying to us, “We see you, we support you as parents, and your child matters.” Additionally, we have a second child who, just starting school, also...

My husband and I understand how every child needs a specific learning environment to succeed. Our oldest son was an academic achiever who never needed help on homework and has successfully earned multiple college degrees. But our youngest has had a different journey. Diagnosed with autism and dyslexia, he struggled in public school. His kindergarten teacher was phenomenal, working closely with him, keeping him a second year and even coming to our home for tutoring. But that classroom was just...

I want to thank Arkansans everywhere who have contributed to the Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids program and encourage others to do the same. By designating your sales-tax bill for scholarship funding, you create something special for my granddaughter Teegan and hundreds of other students across the state. Teegan, who has autism, attends the Lighthouse, which provides not just learning but growth. She receives all her therapies–speech, physical, occupational–there on scholarship....

When covid started, I was a single mom trying to teach two special-needs children with two very different abilities by myself. Trying to juggle work, teaching, and taking both my boys to their different therapies alone was defeating. But I knew they could not reach their full potential with just my help. I started looking into alternative education opportunities for my non-verbal son Eli as he was about to transition to kindergarten. I found the Lighthouse and knew it was the best place for...

When we talk about how every child has different educational needs, we must also remember that these extend outside the classroom. In our family, that means time together, which might have been very limited since my husband often works afternoons, nights and weekends. Separation was not the family life or dynamic that we wanted, so I began homeschooling when my oldest of three kids entered kindergarten, and we have really enjoyed our journey and what it’s producing. For one, flexible school...

Individualized education is vital to a child’s success. This type of education helps both the child and their family, whether parent or guardian, feel a sense of pride and commitment because they are able to embark on a journey unique to each but common to both. They are able to set high goals individually and work together to achieve those goals collectively. My child needs creative spaces, assistance with conflict-handling skills and time-bound learning. As his parent, I must be a motivator,...

This fall I’m launching a microschool in northeast Arkansas called ACRES, meaning aspire, create, revolutionize, explore and succeed. It’s not just an acronym; it’s a mission. I’ve been a teacher my entire professional career because I want to inspire others and instill in them the same love of learning I’ve always had. But after 10 years in the traditional classroom, I felt more and more frustrated every year. I used to believe that I was making a difference, but every year I felt like I had...

Our family embraced the new educational freedom account program for the opportunities it will afford our youngest, Jaxon, 11, who in addition to ADHD and dyslexia, was diagnosed with high-functioning autism this spring. Our experience with both the local school district and a public charter school indicated they were not able to provide what Jaxon needed. The environment provided to him was detrimental, placing him in alternative learning with the “bad kids” rather than in a supportive special...