Education
Teachers, students voice support for AP African American Studies course
If C.C. Smith had had access to an African American history class as a kid, the self-described history nut said he “would’ve ate it up.” Smith said he learned much from his father, “an expert on the Delta” and professor emeritus at Arkansas State University where he was the school’s first African American faculty member. […]
SESSION SNAPSHOT: Arkansas Legislature rolls through Week 4 with ice and amendments
The fourth week of the Arkansas General Assembly’s 2023 legislative session brought lots of ice and amendments. Senate Bill 43, which targeted drag shows, has demanded the most attention of any legislation through the first month of the session, but by the time the House and Senate adjourned for the weekend, it had been so […]
Arkansas bill to create Holocaust Education Week headed to House for a vote
A bill to establish Holocaust Education Week in Arkansas public schools unanimously passed the House Education Committee on Thursday and will go to the House for approval. Senate Bill 68 amends state law that requires Holocaust education to designate the last full week of classes in January as Holocaust Education Week. The bill unanimously passed […]
High schoolers need exposure to ideas in African American studies
As Black History Month begins, our education governor’s Education Department says it’s reviewing an advanced placement course in African American studies that’s being tried out in two Arkansas schools as part of a pilot program in 60 high schools nationwide. The Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education is asking questions of the nonprofit that […]
Two LGBTQ-specific bills move forward in Arkansas Legislature
Two proposed laws that activists say discriminate against LGBTQ Arkansans progressed in the state Legislature Wednesday. State Rep. Mary Bentley (R-Perryville) is sponsoring both bills and has said repeatedly that they are meant to protect children from sexual behavior that could emotionally damage them. House Bill 1156 would restrict bathroom use in public schools based […]
Higher education free expression bill halted in committee
After an hour of debate among Senate Education Committee members on Wednesday, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Jonesboro) pulled down a bill he said was designed to protect free expression on college campuses. “The intent of the bill is to allow students to be expressive and we’re seeing a lot of bills now that seek to restrict […]
Arkansas Senate panel recommends ending state affirmative action
A legislative committee Tuesday morning passed a bill to end state affirmative action, but most of the public was left in the dark on the proposal’s language because it wasn’t made publicly available until after the panel voted and adjourned. Senate Bill 71 by Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Jonesboro) would do away with programs that encourage […]
SESSION SNAPSHOT: Drag queens, snow, masks and education at the Arkansas State Capitol
The third week of Arkansas’ 94th General Assembly began with the Senate’s passage of a bill to restrict drag shows the same as strip clubs and porn shops, and it ended with a long, tense hearing over a school bathroom bill. Between the culture war battles, the state House and Senate have started passing legislation […]
International Holocaust Remembrance Day: Still close to home
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The Arkansas Advocate occasionally publishes commentary from other sources, including other members of the States Newsroom network. This column from the Arizona Mirror reflects on the importance of educating younger generations about the Holocaust.) On Jan. 27, 1945, Soviet troops liberated the Auschwitz camp complex in occupied Poland. What the Soviet liberators found […]
Teachers would get $60K minimum salary under bill in Congress making grants to states
WASHINGTON – A panel of policymakers and educators, including author Dave Eggers and former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, gathered at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to promote the American Teacher Act. The bill, if passed, would authorize the federal government to create four-year grants for states to enact and enforce minimum school teacher […]
Democrats file legislation to increase pay for Arkansas teachers, school staff
Arkansas Democrats filed bills on Thursday to raise minimum salaries for teachers to $50,000 a year and for classified staff to $15 an hour. Sponsored by House Minority Leader Rep. Tippi McCullough (D-Little Rock), the Raising Arkansas’s Investment in Schools and Educators (RAISE) Act calls for an immediate $10,000 raise for all full-time teachers. The […]
Arkansas schools would observe Holocaust Education Week if bill becomes law
The Senate Education Committee approved a bill on Wednesday to establish Holocaust Education Week in Arkansas public schools. Sponsored by Sen. Jim Dotson (R-Bentonville), SB68 amends state law that requires Holocaust education to designate the last full week of classes in January as Holocaust Education Week. If approved, the State Board of Education would be […]