Wonky Word Wednesday: Consumer Price Index
Have you ever wondered how budget makers and policy wonks are able to come up with how much money it takes to pay for something? A key part of understanding the value of goods is connected to our use of...
AACF Weekly Legislative Update Vol. 3
HEALTH: This week, Gov. Hutchinson’s plan to continue the Private Option through 2016 passed in the Senate. This bill will also create a legislative task force to make recommendations about the future of the Private Option and comprehensive changes...
Kids Count Day at the Capitol – The budget is a moral document
Remarks by AACF Executive Director Rich Huddleston at the Kids Count Day press conference: The state budget is a moral document. It represents Arkansas’s commitment to investing in the future of our children and families and ensuring that all...
AACF sits down with Tom-FM
AACF Health Policy Director Marquita Little, Education Policy Director Jerri Derlikowski, and Development Director Mallory Van Dover sat down with Tom-FM 94.9 to talk about Soup Sunday and what to watch out for during this legislative session. You can...
AACF Weekly Legislative Update Vol. 2
It was a short week at the State Capitol but that doesn’t mean it was uneventful. Here’s what you need to know: HEALTH: Gov. Asa Hutchinson asked lawmakers on Thursday to go along with a plan that would continue...
Correcting the record on pre-K
Misinformation about the Arkansas state-funded pre-K program is being distributed. Two false claims are being made. Claims have been made that a report produced by the Office of Education Policy, University of Arkansas, indicates that the Arkansas state-funded pre-K...
Arkansas gets passing grade on pre-K, improvements needed
Arkansas ranks high in a national pre-K study but the state is falling behind in enrollment and equal access for poor students. Education Week’s annual “Quality Counts” report explores the complex landscape that defines early-childhood services in the U.S....
Wonky Word Wednesday: Common Core
Over the past five years, we’ve heard lots of discussion about the Common Core State Standards. There is even some confusion about what the standards are, who made the standards, and what they do for students. So, it’s important...
AACF Weekly Legislative Update Vol. 1
The 90th session of the Arkansas General Assembly is upon us. The legislature convened this week to swear in new members, hold the first round of committee hearings, and file a few pieces of legislation. Lawmakers are on recess...
Education: Year in review, with hopes for 2015
2014 was a year of progress that led to renewed efforts to inform lawmakers, engage parents, and connect with communities and their leaders about education in Arkansas. As always, AACF worked hard to improve access to high-quality education for all...