teacher pay
Education secretary discusses LEARNS Act implications with Northwest Arkansas superintendents
Greenland School District superintendent Andrea Martin said she’s “been hungry for information” as the LEARNS Act made its way through the Legislature. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed the expansive education bill into law Wednesday. On Friday, Education Secretary Jacob Oliva traveled to the Northwest Arkansas Education Service Cooperative in Farmington where he met with Martin […]
What is the Arkansas LEARNS Act?
The LEARNS Act is a 145-page piece of legislation signed into law by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders Wednesday. The broad bill makes changes to multiple aspects of the state’s education system, including teacher pay, per-student funding, graduation requirements and annual student testing. Here are some details on the major parts of the bill: A voucher […]
Arkansas governor’s education package returns to Senate for final legislative approval
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ sweeping education bill will again be considered by the Arkansas Senate Tuesday, following committee approval Monday. Senate Bill 294, also called the LEARNS Act, is expected to clear the Senate and become law this week. Sanders said in a statement that she’ll sign the bill into law as soon as the […]
House education committee mulls education package after daylong meeting
House Education Committee members are taking the evening to consider everything they heard during about 10 hours of testimony Tuesday before voting on the governor’s education package Wednesday. Committee chairman Rep. Brian Evans (R-Cabot) said he was committed to allowing everyone to speak and asked lawmakers to listen with clear minds and open hearts. Senate […]
Education bill amendment filed ahead of House committee meeting
Rep. Keith Brooks (R-Little Rock), the House sponsor of the governor’s education bill, filed a six-page amendment late Friday following bipartisan calls for changes to the legislation. Senate Bill 294, also called the LEARNS Act, is the result of Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ campaign promise to make sweeping changes to the state’s education system. The […]
Governor shares details of education overhaul proposal
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Wednesday unveiled some details of her long-awaited education overhaul plan, which includes raising the minimum teacher salary to $50,000 and rolling out a new school voucher program that will eventually be available to all Arkansans. During a press conference inside the Capitol, Sanders said providing every child with access to […]
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 […]
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 […]
El Dorado’s Shepherd elected Arkansas House Speaker for third time
The Arkansas House gaveled into the 2023 legislative session on Monday with the swearing in of its members and the election of House Speaker Matthew Shepherd (R-El Dorado). Shepherd’s election to a third term means he will be the longest serving House speaker in state history. Only one member, Hope Hendren Duke (R-Gravette) voted against […]
Lawmakers authorize almost $55 million in recovery funds for school districts
More than $54.8 million in federal relief funds will be disbursed to 26 school districts following approval by an Arkansas Legislative Council subcommittee Wednesday. The action marked the panel’s seventh round of review of school districts’ spending plans since July, when the council strongly recommended that schools use American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School […]
U.S. education secretary urges boost in teacher pay, touts college debt relief
WASHINGTON — Amid K-12 teacher shortages, book bans and attacks over critical race theory, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona at a meeting with reporters on Wednesday stressed the need for higher salaries to attract prospective educators to the profession. Cardona also touted the Biden administration’s recent student debt relief announcement in late August. The White […]