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...
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...
A new federal grant will provide $15 million each of the next four years for Arkansas Better Chance (ABC), the state’s high-quality pre-K program. Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF) and the Invest Early Coalition are grateful for...
As Governor-Elect Hutchinson begins to craft his budget strategy, we must keep the conversation going. As part of a series of videos highlighting voices in support of pre-K across the state, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families and the Arkansas...
The Joint Budget Committee of the Arkansas General Assembly recently rejected an increase in state funding for the Arkansas Better Chance pre-K program for fiscal year 2016. This marks the eighth straight year without an increase, a cut once...
The last funding increase for pre-K in Arkansas kicked in on the first day of fiscal year 2008, which would have been July 1, 2007. For a program that’s proven to be such a powerful tool, that’s way too...
A statement from AACF Executive Director Rich Huddleston on last night’s elections in Arkansas: Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families would like to congratulate all of the Arkansas candidates on their victories last night. Now that the elections are...
Here in Arkansas, many parents, educators, and business leaders agree that pre-K is a valuable and effective strategy for preparing children for the future. Students who participated in the Arkansas Better Chance program scored 11 percentage points higher in Math...
Last week, the joint legislative education committee met to make spending recommendations in education. The committee made a few recommendations that involved more spending. They suggested putting more money towards technology, substitute teachers, and English language learners (ELL). Alternative...
Mandatory retention policies without significant resourcing are often ineffective, financially draining, and damaging to student’s emotional health. Since 2002, 15 states have implemented grade level retention policies as a means to combat “social promotion.” States typically focus retention efforts...