Arkansas education secretary withdraws Solution Tree contract after legislative opposition

KUAR | By Antoinette Grajeda / Arkansas Advocate

Arkansas’ education chief withdrew from legislative review a $99.4 million contract with an Indiana-based education company following pushback from lawmakers on the proposal’s high cost and the vendor’s effectiveness.

During Friday’s Arkansas Legislative Council meeting, Sen. Scott Flippo, R-Bull Shoals, said Education Secretary Jacob Oliva asked to withdraw a proposed seven-year contract with Solution Tree, which has implemented its professional learning community program in Arkansas since 2017.

In a Thursday email to ALC’s co-chairs, Sen. Terry Rice and Rep. Jeff Wardlaw, Oliva requested that the contract be pulled from the agenda and said his agency would let them know when it intends to resubmit it.

Arkansas education secretary withdraws Solution Tree contract after legislative opposition

Arkansas Advocate Antoinette Grajeda

Gov. Sanders promises upgrades to deaf, blind school campuses

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Students with the Arkansas School for the Deaf and the Arkansas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired will get new facilities. Gov. Sarah Sanders, Arkansas Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva and other officials announced Wednesday (Feb. 14) that final plans are being formulated to reconfigure a shared campus for the schools located in Little Rock’s Stift Station neighborhood.

A timeline for the construction was not released, but Sanders said she hopes work begins “quickly.” A cost for the project, which will include the construction of new primary learning facilities for both schools with some shared common use buildings, was not released, but Sanders noted that $30 million for this project was set aside by the legislature in 2021.

The facilities are outdated and the infrastructure for the schools is in disrepair. Oliva said they have been working for about a year to formulate a plan. State officials promised many years ago to take care of blind and deaf students in the state and those efforts have fallen short, Sanders added.

Gov. Sanders promises upgrades to deaf, blind school campuses

Parnell Hall, Arkansas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

The Arkansas Legislative Council (ALC) and ALC subcommittees convened this week. In these meetings, members received an update regarding the implementation of LEARNS, an update regarding a study of our state’s firearms laws, and approved funding to expand nurse training programs in the state.

Education Secretary Jacob Oliva updated the council on the use of Education Freedom Accounts. Education Freedom Accounts (EFA) is a school choice initiative that provides funding for eligible students to attend participating private schools. Secretary Oliva told the council that 4,795 students and 94 schools are currently participating. 

For this school year, EFA’s are limited to first-time kindergartners, students coming from “F” rated schools, students with a disability, foster care children, or children of active-duty military. 

Students with a disability identified under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act represent the largest share of participating students, amounting to 44% of total participants. First-time kindergarteners likewise represent a sizable share of the total participants, making up 31% of the participants’ population. 

Upon request, the council approved the disbursement of federal American Rescue Plan funds including a request from the Department of Commerce for $25 million to educate more nurses in Arkansas. The department says the funding will be used for a grant program to expand nursing apprenticeships, increase nursing program capacity, and tuition reimbursement. A portion of the funds will also be used for career center licensed practical nurse pathway development. These centers provide high school seniors and juniors college credit while in school.  

The Council was also informed that the Game and Fish and State Police Subcommittee will meet on Monday, November 13 at 1 pm in the MAC building behind the Capitol to begin hearing information presentations regarding federal laws related to firearms. 

This is the beginning of the Arkansas Firearms and Concealed Carry Laws Study. The public will have an opportunity to provide comments at the meeting. There will be a link on the General Assembly website for public comment, and there will be a signup sheet at the committee meeting. Only those members of the public who have signed up in one of those two ways will be allowed to come forward and present their comments to the Subcommittee. 

You can watch all ALC meetings and subcommittee meetings at www.arkansashouse.org.

De Queen’s Beau McCastlain named Arkansas Teacher of the Year

by Steve Brawner (BRAWNERSTEVE@MAC.COM)

Beau McCastlain, a television production teacher at De Queen High School, was named the Arkansas Teacher of the Year Monday (Oct. 9).

McCastlain learned he had been selected out of 34,000 public school teachers statewide during a surprise visit to his school studio by Gov. Sarah Sanders and Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva. His students responded with enthusiastic applause. He had been selected as one of four semifinalists this summer.

Starting July 1, 2024, he will spend next year out of the classroom traveling the state and promoting teachers, and he will serve as a nonvoting member of the Arkansas State Board of Education.

De Queen’s Beau McCastlain named Arkansas Teacher of the Year

Judge rules that LEARNS Act not effective until Aug. 1

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Herb Wright on Friday (June 30) ruled that the Arkansas LEARNS Act cannot go into effect until Aug. 1. The ruling, if it stands, could complicate the past few months of efforts by the Gov. Sarah Sanders’ administration to implement the law.

The case was brought by residents of the Marvell-Elaine School District and education advocates. The State Board of Education had voted to direct Arkansas Education Secretary Jacob Oliva to place the district under the management of the nonprofit Friendship Education Foundation through a transformation contract made possible by the LEARNS Act.

The plaintiffs had sued saying lawmakers had erred in voting on the bill and its emergency clause at the same time. The Arkansas Constitution says the votes on the two are to be separate. The votes were recorded separately by the House and Senate clerks.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/06/judge-rules-that-learns-act-not-effective-until-aug-1/

Education department asks for applications for LEARNS working groups

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

The Arkansas Department of Education is seeking applicants for six working groups to develop rules for the LEARNS Act, the recently enacted education reform bill supported by Gov. Sarah Sanders.

A memo from Education Secretary Jacob Oliva asks for stakeholders to complete a form and upload a resume by a March 31, 2023 deadline for consideration.

“The next step is a call to action, and we invite Arkansans statewide to engage with us in the implementation of LEARNS. We are seeking volunteers to become part of working groups to provide ideas, expertise, and feedback to the Department of Education in the development of rules and policies. The work groups will submit recommendations to the ADE secretary for consideration,” the memo said.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/03/education-department-asks-for-applications-for-learns-working-groups/

Gov.-elect Sanders names Jacob Oliva of Florida to education post

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

Gov.-elect Sarah Sanders announced Thursday (Dec. 29) she would nominate Jacob Oliva of Florida as Arkansas’ next Secretary of Education. He will replace Johnny Key, the current education secretary.

Oliva is the senior chancellor for the Florida Department of Education and was a former teacher, principal, and superintendent in Flagler County, Fla., where he was hailed as a progressive and innovate educator and helped improve the district’s student achievement rankings.

“Education is the foundation for success, and, with my nominee for Secretary of Education and Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Jacob Oliva, we are ready to transform Arkansas education with bold reforms that will empower every kid to succeed,” Sanders said. “Jacob’s proven success increasing student achievement and his experience serving in many educational roles will make him an asset to my administration. Through my Arkansas LEARNS plan, we will expand access to quality education for every kid growing up in our state, empower parents, not government bureaucrats, and prepare students for the workforce, not government dependency, so everyone has a shot at a better life right here in Arkansas.”

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/12/gov-elect-sanders-names-jacob-oliva-of-florida-to-education-post/

Gov.-elect Sarah Sanders announces her Education Secretary pick, Jacob Oliva.