GOVERNOR SIGNS EDUCATION LEGISLATION AIMED AT CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP

LITTLE ROCK – State education proponents joined Governor Beebe today at the State Capitol for a bill signing ceremony that will turn five important education bills into state law. The bills tackle a variety of significant issues that all address the state’s leading education crisis – closing the achievement gap.

“This package of legislation is one that the Citizens First Congress has pursued since day one of this session,” said Bruce Lockett, Co-Chair of the Arkansas Citizens First Congress. “Ensuring that all children in this state receive a quality education is the overarching theme of each of these bills.”

State Rep. David Rainey (D-Dumas), who sponsored three of the five bills, was equally adamant about the importance of improving education opportunities for all children, regardless of their racial or financial background.

“Too many children are falling behind because they don’t have the resources necessary to excel in the classrooms,” said Rainey. “There is a very real achievement gap in this state and it is imperative that we do everything possible to close it.”

The complete package of bill includes:

• SB 889, by State Sen. Steve Bryles (D-Blytheville), strengthens monitoring and reporting of poverty funding spent on programs to help low income children do better in school.  It directs the Department of Education to develop a comprehensive report to identify innovations, flag ineffective programs and ensure that poverty funding is spent on the most effective solutions.
• HB 2164, by State Rep. David Rainey (D-Dumas), reforms the Commission on Closing the Achievement Gap.  This bill reduces the Commission by one member, adds more parents from diverse areas around the state, and adds more low-income representatives.  It also expands the duties of the Commission and requires them to make a report before the Legislature every year on their efforts to help Arkansas close the achievement gap.
• SB 943, by State Sen. Joyce Elliott (D-Little Rock), expands access to school performance and improvement data by requiring each school district to host basic information on a website that parents, students and the public have a right to know, such as: school improvement plans and processes for making them; parental involvement plans; professional development plans; local achievement gap task force activities; and extra services the school is required to offer students such as tutoring and after school programs.
• HB 2163, by State Rep. David Rainey (D-Dumas), allows the Arkansas Department of Education to intervene in under performing school districts faster, utilizes school audits to identify needs and boosts professional development with more hands on strategies.
• HB1646, by State Rep. David Rainey (D-Dumas), makes it easier to vote in school board elections by ensuring that districts crossing county lines open at least one polling place in each county where the district has constituents.  Previous law only requires districts to open a polling place in the county where the district is physically located, causing some constituents to drive as far as 50 miles to vote.

Several organizations have been involved in addressing the education achievement gap in Arkansas, and all have played a key role in passing these bills as well as raising awareness about the issue.

“We could not have had these successes without the support of our member organizations,” said Lockett. “In particular, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families and the Arkansas Education Association both played instrumental roles in developing and supporting this legislation. Only by working together have we succeeded in taking yet another step toward closing the achievement gap in our state. Our sincerest thanks go out to everyone who played a role.”

For more information about these bills and other legislation supported by the Arkansas Citizens First Congress, please visit www.CitizensFirst.org.