Report Card

T he J ournal of T he a rkansas s chool B oards a ssociaT ion

News and Features

10 Cover / From Lonoke High to high-paying jobs

A partnership between the Lonoke School District and the Greenway John Deere dealership will prepare Lonoke High School students for agricultural technician jobs that will pay them $40,000-plus a year when they graduate. It’s part of a larger program where students are learning workforce skills with help from community partners. And it’s all the result of a millage campaign led by a patron who became a school board member.

16

Conference: Less news, great info

The 2022 Annual Conference lacked the drama of the previous year’s when ASBA left the NSBA for COSSBA. But sessions covered a lot of important topics, including communications and engagement.

39

School lawyer: Don’t get near FOIA line

When in doubt, notify. That was one of the messages shared by four full-time school attorneys at the ASBA School Law Seminar Feb. 7.

Anyone who’s ever complained about the state of America’s youth has never heard the winners of ASBA’s Student Speaker contest speak at the Annual Conference.

This fairly new tradition is one of the better things ASBA has done. Each year, ASBA gives students across Arkansas a chance to express themselves through a written essay and a recorded speech reviewed by judges. This year’s topic was “Define and discuss challenges you see in our educational system. What changes can be made to improve it for the next generation of learners?”

The winner, Pryce Renfroe, a senior at Russellville High School, received $1,000, while Little Rock Central High junior Ava Walker came in second and received $750. Bryant High School senior Sabian Murray won $500 as the third place winner, while Bigelow High School junior Bennett Wilson placed fourth and received $250.

The top three finishers addressed school board members, administrators and other attendees at the Annual Conference. Their speeches were thoughtful, and their demeanors were poised and confident. If they were nervous, they didn’t show it.

In his speech, Pryce encouraged audience members to put themselves in students’ shoes and ask how schools can give them more of a voice. He noted that students are more inclined to be engaged in things that are important to them, and that they are shaped by the hours they spend consuming media and marketing.

Given those realities, school leaders should empower students to be involved in the decisions that affect their educations. Students need to believe their voice has value. In his school, a student advisory board serves that purpose.

In his conclusion, Pryce encouraged audience members to listen to students and learn what changes they want to see.

Students should see that their input is valuable, and they should be told when their ideas are implemented. Likewise, staff members’ input should be valued, and all stakeholders should know schools will listen to them and strive for excellence.

I’m pretty sure I didn’t know the meaning of the word “stakeholder” when I was a high school senior, but Pryce definitely does. Ava’s and Sabian’s speeches were equally impressive.

I don’t know what those young people are planning to do with their lives, and at their ages they can’t know for certain either. I’m confident they will succeed in whatever they do, and if they choose to be in the public eye, we haven’t seen the last of them.

School board members aren’t involved in their districts’ day-to-day operations. Their leadership comes in other forms, such as community relations.

Public schools are often criticized by adults who have not stepped foot in a school building since they graduated high school. When given a chance to defend schools, leaders can talk about the programs they are implementing, the new digital technology available to students, the fact that students now can earn associate’s degrees and technical certificates while still in high school, and the steps being taken to make schools safe.

In fact, let’s do talk about those things every chance we get. But our best defenses of public education are the young people themselves – students like Pryce, Ava and Sabian. Point to them.

And while we’re at, let’s heed Pryce’s advice and listen to what they have to say. Let students be involved. Listen to them. Implement their ideas. And then tell them when we do that.

That’s because Pryce is right. An engaged and empowered student is a better student.

The Journal of The arkansas school Boards associaTion

Vol. 17, Number 1 March 2023

Board of Directors

President: William Campbell, McGehee

President-elect: Randy Hutchinson, Springdale

Vice President: Jeff Lisenby, Sheridan

Secretary-Treasurer: Doris Parham, Bearden

Past President: Rosa Bowman, Ashdown

Region 1: Travis Warren, Farmington

Region 2: Mitchell Archer, Bergman

Region 3: Joe Sheppard, Jonesboro

Region 4: Craig Frost, Clarksville

Region 5: Clint Hull, Pottsville

Region 6: Nikki King, Pangburn

Region 7: Kristain Dedmon, Osceola

Region 8: Jereme Carter, Carlisle

Region 9: Donna Dunlap, Barton-Lexa

Region 10: Mark Curry, Lake Hamilton

Region 11: Carl “Buddy” Puckett, Poyen

Region 12: Laura Clark, Blevins

Region 13: Open

Region 14: Jerry Daniels, Warren

Staff

Executive Director: Dr. Tony Prothro

Board Development Director: Tammie Reitenger

Governmental Relations Director: Dan Jordan

Finance Director: Diana Woodward

Communications and Technology Director: Sherri Fite

Staff Attorney: Kristen Garner

Policy Director: Lucas Harder

Database Administrator: Kathy Ivy

Commercial Affiliates/Board Liaison Manager: Angela Ellis

Bookkeeper: Kayla Orr

TIPS-TAPS Project Manager: Stacey McPherson

General Counsel: Jay Bequette

Risk Management Program & Workers’ Comp. Program:

Shannon Moore, Director

Krista Glover

Dwayne McAnally

Misty Thompson

Melody Tipton

Linda Collins

Lisa Wigginton

Kara Quinton

Julianne Dobson

TO CONTACT THE MAGAZINE

Please contact Steve Brawner, Editor 501.847.7743; brawnersteve@mac.com

Report Card is published quarterly by the Arkansas School Boards Association. Copyright 2022 by the Arkansas School Boards Association and Steve Brawner Communications. All rights reserved.