Quality early education is so important to the development of our youngest Arkansans that more people are speaking up for pre-K programs. We are excited to release the second video of our #preKstories series. You may remember the first...
Quality pre-K matters. It matters most to the children who start off with their backpacks full of knowledge — they are familiar with school routines, they understand the importance of using words rather than fists when there is conflict over crayons, and they...
The following is a statement from Rich Huddleston, executive director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, on the decision by state officials not to renew the contract of Little Rock School District Superintendent Baker Kurrus: Arkansas Advocates for Children...
The year 2015 was a milestone year of political change in Arkansas. Because of term limits and the changing political landscape at the state capitol, we lost many of our long-time champions of children’s issues on both sides of the political...
As a result of legislation that Arkansas Advocates and the Arkansas Opportunity to Learn Campaign pushed for in 2013 (Act 1329), the state of Arkansas has since reviewed school discipline practices in schools statewide. From year to year, the...
In light of the attention paid to the achievement gap between white students and students of color during the recent legislative hearing on adequacy (the descriptor for the hearings that determine our state’s education funding priorities), I thought it...
The grades are in for the Education Week Quality Counts ratings. They gave Arkansas’s education system a C-, ranking our state 41st in the nation. We want to explain what that means. Every year, Education Week reviews the components...
Education has been called “the great equalizer,” because it is a key tool in lifting the working poor out of poverty, decreasing crime, and improving health. Arkansas has made education a priority since statehood. The state’s constitution says the...
Parents and Guardians: you are the most important person in your young child’s life. You are already doing great things to help your child succeed. You are your child’s most valuable asset when it comes to making sure their...
Today, we’re releasing a report that talks about what our children really need from birth to eight-years-old. Of course, kids need lots of things including access to health care, nurturing environments, and economically secure households. Check out the report for...