Education
Forged paperwork allowed special ed students’ move into GED program at youth lockup
Staff at Arkansas’ youth lockups forged the paperwork of students with disabilities to transfer them from special education classes to the GED program, internal emails show. The newly uncovered records further explain a suspicious increase in incarcerated youths obtaining GEDs last year. A state investigation in April found that teachers at the youth lockups — […]
Lawmakers approve $188 million in relief funds for schools in third review round
An Arkansas Legislative Council subcommittee approved the disbursal of $188 million in federal relief funds to 44 school districts Thursday. This was the third round of plans reviewed by lawmakers. Today’s authorization by the Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review panel is part of the council’s continued efforts to review districts’ use of American Rescue Plan […]
School Safety Commission recommends support for anti-bullying and inclusive classrooms
The Arkansas School Safety Commission adopted eight more recommendations Tuesday, including one to provide access to training and support for programs that deter bullying and create an inclusive classroom environment. These initiatives can provide better ways to provide intervention and assistance to students who need it, said commissioner Lori Poston, vice president of clinical services […]
Arkansas officials: No determination yet on tax liability for student loan forgiveness
Arkansas tax authorities haven’t yet decided whether borrowers must pay state income tax on canceled debt under President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan. Discharged debt is typically taxable as income. However, under the American Rescue Plan Act, student loan forgiveness between 2021 and 2025 is not subject to federal taxes. Arkansas is one of […]
Legislators OK additional $124M in recovery funds for schools
The state Department of Education received legislative approval Friday to disburse $124.3 million in federal emergency relief money to 36 more school districts. The Arkansas Legislative Council accepted a report from its Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review subcommittee to authorize spending for 35 districts and suspended its rules to add a 36th district — Rector, […]
College officials attend White House meeting on how to curb monkeypox on campus
WASHINGTON — The White House held a virtual meeting Thursday with more than 1,000 college and university officials to help them prepare for a school year when monkeypox cases are expected to crop up on campus. The Biden administration’s monkeypox and COVID-19 response teams as well as representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and […]
Legislative committee OKs salary bump for Arkansas PBS chief
The personnel committee of the Arkansas Legislative Council unanimously approved a salary increase to $180,000 for Courtney Pledger, executive director and CEO of Arkansas PBS. That amounts to a $27,418 raise over her current salary of $152,582. John Brown, chairman of the Arkansas PBS Commission, told committee members Wednesday that the network’s programming quality had […]
Biden to wipe out $10,000 in student loan debt for many borrowers
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that he will cancel up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for Pell Grant borrowers and up to $10,000 for all other borrowers with an income of less than $125,000 for an individual and $250,000 for a household. Biden also announced his administration is extending a pause […]
What monkeypox outbreak? Little planning by colleges as students resume classes
WASHINGTON — College students are heading back to campus following more than two years of a pandemic that led many schools to empty out for full semesters and later move to hybrid schedules in a struggle to curb the spread of COVID-19. But the attempt by colleges and universities to return to something resembling normal […]
Legislators’ concerns delay proposal to address Arkansas teacher shortage
After it became clear state lawmakers had concerns, Arkansas education officials on Thursday pulled down a proposal that would have made it easier for individuals who have not passed teacher licensure exams to be temporarily allowed to teach in the classroom. Deputy Education Commissioner Ivy Pfeffer said the emergency rule presented Thursday morning to the […]
School safety panel proposes hardening schools, improving mental health response
The Arkansas School Safety Commission adopted a dozen recommendations Tuesday aimed at hardening schools against intrusion and making sure staff and teachers are trained to respond not only to physical threats but also to students in mental distress. Commissioners voted to recommend that school campuses “should always have armed personnel when staff and students are […]
Probe finds cheating in GED program at Arkansas’ youth lockups
Arkansas officials last year noticed a suspicious increase in incarcerated juveniles earning GEDs. A review of classroom surveillance footage during a preliminary GED test at Mansfield Juvenile Treatment Center confirmed their fears. An educator for the contractor that runs Arkansas’ youth lockups provided answers to students, state records show. Sarah Gober, a then-teacher for Rite […]