Friday, April 16, 2021
Thank you for giving military families education options!
On Wednesday, Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed legislation into law that extends eligibility for the Succeed Scholarship to military families.

"The Succeed Scholarship has made a profound impact on the lives of participating families, and we are excited about extending that opportunity to children in military families," TRA Managing Director Emmy Henley said.

Henry and Shameka are raising a child with special needs while Henry is serving in the military.
Education Sec. Johnny Key spoke to the Senate Revenue and Tax Committee on Wednesday. The Department of Education has reviewed the bill, and Key said it “would not create an impediment to our responsibility under the constitution to fund our public schools.
Tax credit scholarship program passes in Arkansas Senate
The Reform Alliance (TRA) congratulated the Arkansas Senate for passing SB680, which would create a tax credit scholarship program for K-12 students.

“Arkansas has recently approved tax credits for a wide range of causes, like water development and railroad modernization,” said Emmy Henley, TRA’s managing director. “This would work like other tax credits, but it would be unique in that it directly benefits families by giving struggling students equal access to educational opportunities that have been out of reach financially.”

EDUCATION HEADLINES
Median salary for Arkansas teachers to increase by $2K
The Reform Alliance commends the Arkansas legislature on increasing the median salary for teachers by $2,000.

Education Tragedy in Los Angeles
Teachers’ unions in LA have caused many public school students to fall drastically behind as a result of their over-the-top demands for re-opening.

During the 2020-2021 school year, 37% of Los Angeles kindergartners exhibited basic literacy skills, compared to 57% a year before.

Image Source: Wall Street Journal
Image Source: Newsweek
Arizona and Florida point the way to better K-12 education
Over the last two decades, both Arizona's and Florida's schools saw surges in academic performance, including among disadvantaged student groups.

How has Arizona and Florida managed to improve their entire education system? Through a plurality of educational options for students.

Poll: Support for school choice increases after COVID shutdowns
Parents and families around the country are moving the conversation on education towards more educational options in massive numbers.

Image Source: The Center Square
Arkansas Succeed Scholarship success stories
"We are so grateful that our daughter receives the Succeed Scholarship!  Parenting a special needs child is so hard. Our daughter Christina was born with a rare genetic disorder called Angelman Syndrome. She is nonverbal and has some mental disability and is prone to seizures. She uses an app on her Ipad to communicate. 

We are so thankful that due to the Succeed Scholarship, she can attend the Easter Seals at Academy at Riverdale School. She is so happy and thrives there! We love the small classes that she would not get at a public school. The therapists and teachers are excellent. ... It really does make a difference."- Duong and Angela, Succeed Scholarship parents
We are proud to administer the program for the state with 100% of all state funding going directly to scholarships. All administrative costs of managing the scholarship for the state is paid for through a private philanthropic grant. 

Education bills of interest to our network
  • SB89 - Changes the IEP requirements for the Succeed Scholarship and establishes a lottery program for selection if applications exceed available scholarships.
  • Status: Passed and sent to the governor's desk
  • HB1446 - Opens the Succeed Scholarship to all children of active duty military members.
  • Status: Signed by the governor; now Act 689
  • SB25 - Schools do not have to count a student for the 3% cap of public school choice if a student has gone to the district for preschool.
  • Status: Amended and referred back to Senate Education Committee
  • HB1237 - Schools would have an option to provide virtual options permanently. The school year would be amended to not start before the Monday before Labor Day, and schools would have the option to implement an alternate school calendar. 
  • Status: Passed and sent to the governor's desk
  • HB1464: Provides a mechanism for parents to bring their concerns over instructional material and activities in the classroom to the district/school administration.
  • Status: Passed and sent to the governor's desk
  • HB1610: Requires reporting the use of restraints as a manner of discipline and to require training in disciplinary methods. 
  • Status: Passed out of the house. Sent to Senate Education Committee
  • HB1840: Gives income tax credits for donations to a scholarship fund for medical school students
  • Status: In House Revenue & Tax Committee
  • SB630: Creates a tax credit scholarship program for low-income Arkansas students to attend an approved private school of their choosing
  • Status: In Senate Education Committee
  • HB1891: Creates a network of certified academic language therapists to encourage and incentivise the training of more dyslexia therapists and interventionists. 
  • Status: Passed out of House Ed Committee Recommend do pass
We are a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring every K-12 student in Arkansas has equal access to a world class education. Our mission is to create a network of parent and community leaders so every policy decision and every conversation about education starts and ends with how it impacts our kids.