News & Stories
News
Stay up-to-date on any news and updates in education that may benefit or affect Arkansas families and their students.
May Awareness
May is a special month that includes awareness for mental health, children in foster care and military appreciation. We’d like to celebrate all these causes in the context of education with a special event featuring experts sharing advice and resources. Whether you’re...
Letters
The Reform Alliance helps passionate parents become advocates for children in Arkansas. Below are a collection of letters to the editor shared by families and educators in communities across our state who understand that every child has unique needs that need to be met for them to thrive.
A Different Dynamic
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...
Educational Journey
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,...
Educational Innovation
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...
Must Be Advocates
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...
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Faces of Freedom
Hear the voices of Arkansas families who have benefited from having alternative education options! At the Reform Alliance, we believe that students shouldn’t be punished and left behind because their families don’t have financial resources.
Faces of Freedom – The Esters Family
Pamela Esters shares the many challenges her son has faced, as well as the growth achieved and the...
The Succeed Scholarship Legacy
Created by the Legislature in 2015, the Succeed Scholarship Program, administered by The Reform...
Faces of Freedom – The Holleman Family
Parents Erin and Chris share their story of how they recognized and diagnosed disability and...
Faces of Freedom – The Paulus Family
Parent Mary Catherine Paulus talks about the new Educational Freedom Account (EFA) program created...
Faces of Freedom – The McWhorter Family
Earlier this year, just before graduation in the Spring, we spoke with Jennifer McWhorter about...
Faces of Freedom – Victoria’s Family
I can not express how grateful we are to have received this amazing scholarship. It has been a...