Report Card
Education transformation
Education Secretary Johnny Key leads a larger Department of Education since it merged with the Departments of Higher Education, Career and Technical Education, and other agencies. The merger is part of Gov. Hutchinson’s initiative reducing the number of cabinet-level agencies from 42 to 15. So how will all this affect schools and students?
Trust must be earned
Trust is defined as a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.
“Trust” should be in the forefront of our minds and actions both as individuals and board members. To thrive as a public school or board, trust must occur.
– We need our parents to trust us with their children.
– We need our community to trust us with their taxes.
– We need to be able to trust our fellow board members.
– We need to be able to trust our superintendent and staff.
At the NSBA conference in Chicago, one of the presenters made me think about trust. I always knew trust was an important factor in both my professional and personal life, but I hadn’t really thought about how it affects so many aspects of our school board service.
Trust on the surface seems like a fairly basic thing. However, to create trust many things must happen. Most of us agree trust must be earned. It is not built on honesty alone, but also requires openness, communication, results and clarity. We must be as open as possible to patron questions and communicate the answers clearly, simply and precisely. Failure to be clear and honest in our communications often results in the appearance of dishonesty and untrust-
by Neal Pendergrass ASBA President
worthiness. I also believe that when our communications, written or oral, become too complicated it raises suspicion. Communications must be easily followed and easily understood.
People in leadership positions should strive for a culture of trust, which leads to a higher level of integrity. Trust and integrity are integral to a successful leader.
If board members don’t trust each other, it can create many issues and confusion. For example, it could delay adoption of important policies or implementation of educational strategies.
One thing that reduces trust is when a board member doesn’t agree with a close vote and voices their opinions to the public. Even though the outcome might not be what we want, once the
vote is taken, we should support the action of our board. Board members gossiping about school-related issues, staff or students, or interacting inappropriately with staff, students or other board members will kill trust.
It often seems to me that the general public does not trust the education system, even though most people attended a public school. One thing that interferes with establishing trust is the need for privacy when it comes to students and sometimes staff. Most people don’t understand the privacy laws boards must follow. They believe that since we can’t explain it (whatever “it” is), then we must be hiding something from them.
Most often the board’s actions result in a favorable outcome, but most boards don’t communicate these consistent actions. To increase the trust factor, we should communicate our favorable results as well as sometimes openly admit our failures. We have all gone down a path that didn’t produce the best results. Instead of admitting our failure and making changes, we stick with our decisions because we have invested too much time or money, and eventually make some excuse for it not working. Doing so hinders trust.
All of us have a mission statement. Does it really indicate to the public the
Please see TRUST on page 30
14
Education Secretary Johnny Key leads the governor’s transformation efforts at the Department of Education. It now houses the Division of Higher Education, the Division of Career and Technical Education, and other agencies.
Why did school board members run for an unpaid office that requires many hours of their time? Attendees answered that question at the New Board Member Institute, which provides newly elected board members with initial training in their responsibilities.
Education Secretary Johnny Key is in charge of making the governor’s transformation initiative happen in education, as all the state’s education-related agencies are being merged into one.
A nonprofit organization is helping Prescott revive its animal science program by providing barns along with livestock for students to raise and display. Superintendent Robert Poole said the partnership has greatly expanded the agriculture offerings in a school district where agriculture is a major industry.
ASBA News and notes
Fall regional meeting dates, places scheduled
Dates have been set for ASBA’s fall regional dinner meetings Oct. 8-22.
Check-in for each meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. each evening, dinner will be served at 6 p.m., and the meetings will end at 8:30 p.m. Board members will earn three hours of training credit.
Individual board members elected before January 1, 2018, who have earned at least 25 hours of continuing education credit will be recognized for achieving Outstanding Board Member status. Members elected after that date who have earned at least 25 hours, including specific training events/hours, will be recognized for achieving the Certificate of Boardsmanship. Addition-
ally, elections for positions on the ASBA Board of Directors are conducted at the regional meetings.
Meetings and locations are as follows.
– Region 1: Gravette, Oct. 10
– Region 2: Mountain Home, Oct. 10
– Region 3: Paragould, Oct. 8
– Region 4: Fort Smith, Oct. 17
– Region 5: Atkins, Oct. 15
– Region 6: Clinton, Oct. 17
– Region 7: Harrisburg, Oct. 15
– Region 8: Bryant, Oct. 21
– Region 9: DeWitt, Oct. 22
– Region 10, Centerpoint, Oct. 8
– Region 11: Sheridan, Oct. 10
– Region 12: Hope, Oct. 22
– Region 13: Magnolia, Oct. 22
– Region 14: Warren, Oct. 14
Those who cannot attend the meeting scheduled in their region may attend any of the other regional meetings.
ASBA News and notes continued on page 7
ALL ROADS LEAD TO COMPLIANCE...
by Dr. Tony Prothro
Thank you, Deborah Newell, for keeping the numbers straight
There’s a reason ASBA’s New Board Member Institute always includes a discussion about finances: Because districts must get them right. And there’s a reason ASBA’s finances have been right for at least the last 27 years: Because of Deborah Newell.
Deborah has been our finance director since October 1992. Her duties also have included human resources, employee benefits and the employee handbook.
She is ASBA’s second longest serving staff member; only Angela Ellis, our commercial affiliates/board liaison manager, has been here longer. Deborah was hired by former ASBA Executive Director Dr. Tommy Venters and stayed through the tenure of Dan Farley. Previously, she was ASBA’s auditor.
When she started, she joined a staff of five and worked about 25 hours a month for an organization with a budget of about $500,000. It was, she said, the perfect “mom job” for a mother of two who wanted to be at home as much as possible.
But as the organization grew, so did her responsibilities until she was working full time. ASBA brought property claims in house in 1994 and added staff. It brought its workers’ compensation program in house in 2010. Today, ASBA’s staff has grown to 22 and the budget to almost $2.7 million. Keeping up with those dollars is an important job, which is why she’s so careful to do it right. Asked how she meets her many deadlines, she said she doesn’t just trust her own memory. Instead, she said she keeps “Plenty of notes.” Deborah strictly follows procedures to make sure she stays on track.
“The other part is analysis and comprehension,” she said. “Procedures are important, but you also have to be able to analyze and comprehend the data.”
This is an area where Deborah excels. She is involved in every facet of ASBA finances, from department budgets to investment of funds. She is a one-stop shop for ASBA finances and HR. It takes a very intelligent and disciplined individual to keep all of the working parts moving in the right direction. Very few people have the expansive skillset necessary to maintain and develop the finances of an organization like ASBA.
Procedures, analysis, comprehension – that’s how schools can stay out of trouble, too.
As finance director, Deborah perhaps has had the least interaction with schools of any of us at ASBA. But her role was just as important in serving students as ours is. While we’re training board members, organizing conferences and advocating for schools, she’s making sure the numbers add up. If she doesn’t do her job, we can’t do ours.
Deborah came here because of the people, and the people were one of the main reasons she stayed. She says ASBA has always been a family-friendly place.
Now she’s leaving at the end of October to spend more time with her family. After all these years managing ASBA’s accounting systems, she’s retiring to travel with her husband, Dean, who retired last year after serving as Conway Public Schools’ special ed supervisor. She’ll also be spending more time with her two grandkids.
In the meantime, she’s training her replacement, Diana Woodward, who comes to us from telecommunications provider Windstream. We know Diana will do a great job and make her own mark on the organization. But as she said in a story on page 9 of this magazine, “No one can replace Deborah.”
Exactly. Thank you for your 27 years of service, Deborah. Now enjoy your retirement – and those grandkids.
The Journal of The arkansas school Boards associaTion
P.O. Box 165460 / Little Rock, AR 72216
Telephone: 501-372-1415 / 800-482-1212
Fax: 501-375-2454
E-mail: arsba@arsba.org / www.arsba.org
Board of Directors
President: Neal Pendergrass, Mountain Home
President-elect: Randy Goodnight, Greenbrier
Vice President: Rosa Bowman, Ashdown
Sec.-Treasurer: Dr. Tad Margolis, Valley View
Past President: Debbie Ugbade, Hot Springs
Region 1: Randy Hutchinson, Springdale
Region 2: Randy Rogers, Lead Hill
Region 3: Dr. Julea Garner, Highland
Region 4: Kyle Cannon, Mena
Region 5: Clint Hull, Pottsville
Region 6: Keith Baker, Riverview
Region 7: D’James Rogers, West Memphis
Region 8: André Acklin, Conway
Region 9: Joey Astin, Forrest City
Region 10: Mark Curry, Lake Hamilton
Region 11:Jeff Lisenbey, Sheridan
Region 12: Willie Buck, Hope
Region 13: Mike Waters, Magnolia
Region 14: Katie Daniel, McGehee
Staff
Executive Director: Dr. Tony Prothro
Communications Director: Jennifer George
Board Development Director: Dr. Anne Butcher
Governmental Relations Director: Dan Jordan
Staff Attorney: Kristen Garner
Policy Director: Lucas Harder
Commercial Affiliates/Board Liaison Manager: Angela Ellis
TIPS-TAPS Project Manager: Mickey McFatridge
Finance Director: Deborah Newell, Diana Woodward
Administrative Assistant/Receptionist: Joyce Brown
Database Administrator: Kathy Ivy
Risk Management Program & Workers’ Comp. Program: Shannon Moore, Director
Krista Glover
Amanda Blair
Dwayne McAnally
Ashley Samuels
Jennifer Shook
Misty Thompson
Melody Tipton
Tiffany Malone
LaVerne Witherspoon
Linda Collins
General Counsel: Jay Bequette
TO CONTACT THE MAGAZINE
Please contact Steve Brawner, Editor
501.794.2012 brawnersteve@mac.com
Report Card is published quarterly by the Arkansas School Boards Association. Copyright 2019 by the Arkansas School Boards Association and Steve Brawner Communications. All rights reserved. Vol. 12, Number 3 September 2019
ASBA seeking presenters for Annual Conference
ASBA is seeking presenters for its Annual Conference Dec. 11-13.
All proposals must be completed entirely and submitted by October 4, although materials are not due until November 15. Proposals should:
– Target board members as the primary audience
– Enhance board members’ knowledge, skills, and abilities while emphasizing improving student outcomes
– Include a board member as a participant in the presentation (not required but preferred)
– Share promising strategies and practices that can be replicated by other districts of all sizes
– Be designed and delivered to engage the audience in meaningful ways
– Demonstrate innovative ideas and solutions
– Provide solid, practical, how-to information and tips that board members can apply at the board table
Proposals must be submitted under one of the following categories intended to address the challenges facing school board members and administrators:
Student Achievement. Presentations will center around the implementation of unique practices that have a positive impact on student achievement. Presenters can celebrate their successes with a “we did it and so can you” approach.
Governance and Leadership. This includes topics such as advocating earnestly, leading responsibly, governing effectively, planning thoughtfully, evaluating continuously, communicating clearly, and acting ethically.
Advocacy. This category focuses on how advocacy makes a difference both in your community and in the legislative process. Attendees will learn how to be
more effective advocates for public education as well as how to organize at the grassroots and legislative levels.
Technology. This category demonstrates how a district can best utilize technology for learning and leadership.
Finance. Sessions will show how districts allocate resources to support their mission and goals. This track can cover budgeting, financial issues affecting districts, and practical advice on surviving difficult economic times.
Legal Issues. Topics covered include laws and regulations, best practices, ethical issues, court decisions, and legal hot topics.
Stakeholder Involvement. Presentations will focus on processes and activities used to increase involvement and collaboration with parents, families, educators and communities to improve school and student welfare and success.
To submit a proposal, go to ASBA’s website, www.arsba.org.
ASBA News and notes continued on next page
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McIntee to speak on building trust at Annual Conference
Dennis McIntee, a speaker, coach and author nationally recognized as “The Drama Free Guy,” will speak about building a culture of trust as the keynote speaker at ASBA’s Annual Conference Dec. 11-13.
McIntee will share how successful leaders and teams have learned strategies to draw out the best in people while maximizing their team’s and their school’s performance. Attend this keynote to:
• Understand why your team struggles;
• Know how to overcome “excusitis” within your team;
• Discover how to end victim thinking, the formula that creates behavioral change, and coaching questions that cause people to take personal responsibility.
McIntee is the author of “The 8 Qualities of Drama Free Teams,” “The Power of Pursuit,” “Drama Free Teams in Healthcare,” “Drama Free Productivity,” and “Drama Free Relationships.”
Nominations sought for annual Dr. Dan Award
ASBA is seeking nominations for the Dr. Daniel L. Pilkinton Award, presented each year at the Annual Conference.
DR. DAN AWARD. Last year’s winner was Mike Pennington, a Drew Central School Board member for more than 30 years.
Pilkinton, who died in 2009, was known throughout Arkansas for his lifelong service to public education. He was ASBA’s first executive secretary. After his retirement, Dr. Dan served ASBA in many ways, particularly in the areas of state governmental affairs and legislation.
In 1993 the ASBA Board of Directors voted to create the annual Dr. Daniel L. Pilkinton Award as a tribute to him and the work he performed for public education in Arkansas.
Nominees should have made a significant contribution to public education in Arkansas as school board members, administrators, teachers, school attorneys, other school employees, legislators, elected officials or school patrons.
The nomination may relate to a singular experience in one year or cumulative experiences over a period of years. Nominations may be valid for up to three years after submission.
Nominations may be made by Arkansas school boards that are ASBA members, the superintendent of an ASBA-member district, or by individual school board members. The deadline is Oct. 15.
Nominations should be sent to: Award Committee; ASBA; P.O. Box 165460; Little Rock, AR 72216-5460.
New Board Member Boot Camp on conference’s first day
The New Board Member Boot Camp will run concurrently with the first day of ASBA’s 66th Annual Conference Dec. 11.
This day-long event will provide critical information and resources to help new board members become effective board members quickly. Veteran board members and superintendents are encouraged to attend as well to refresh, recharge and work with new board colleagues.
The agenda will cover such topics as the basics of board governance, the Freedom of Information Act, ethics, the roles and responsibilities of board members, fiscal oversight, and the legally required audit training for board members.
School board members will earn six hours of boardsmanship training credit for attending.
Check-in will begin at 7:30 a.m. in the Osage Room of the Statehouse Convention Center. The morning session will take place from 8:30 a.m.-noon, lunch is from noon-1:15 p.m.,
McIntee
Photo by Lifetouch National School Studios.
and the afternoon session will be from 1:30-4 p.m. Lunch is included with registration.
Registration information will be posted mid- to late-October 2019. For questions, please contact Dr. Anne Butcher at abutcher@arsba.org.
Fall Leadership Institutes held at Fayetteville, Jonesboro
ASBA will host its second Fall Leadership Institute in Fayetteville after already hosting its first in Jonesboro.
The Northwest Arkansas edition will be Nov. 1 at the Chancellor Hotel in Fayetteville. Last year’s event, the first of its kind, attracted school board members from as far away as McGehee and Blytheville.
This year, ASBA added a northeast edition in Jonesboro Sept. 20. Dr. Tony Prothro, ASBA executive director, said this was done because of the success of last year’s event and to make it easier for board members to travel to the training.
Speakers at both events include Dr. David Lee, University of Southern Mississippi associate professor of educational administration, who will speak on the topic, “What Great Boards Do that Others Don’t”; attorneys Cody Kees and Duane Kees, who will speak about “Cell Phones: Search, Seizure and Sex Predators”; Dr. Mark Gotcher, Russellville School District superintendent, who will speak about “Generations Together (Creating New Learning Environments for Today’s Learners)”; and Kristen Garner, ASBA staff attorney, who will speak about “Ban the Fan? Dealing with Disruptive Adults.”
The Northeast Institute was held Sept. 20 after Report Card went to press. Check-in and continental breakfast for the Northwest Institute begin at 7:45 a.m. Sessions begin at 8:45 a.m. and adjourn at 3 p.m. An on-site lunch is provided.
Board members earn six boardsmanship credit hours. Register for the Institute at arsba.org.
Woodward to be ASBA’s
new finance director
Diana Woodward grew up around teaching, and now she’s supporting teachers as ASBA’s incoming finance director. She’ll be responsible for ASBA’s accounting as well as employee benefits, the employee handbook and other duties.
The organization has a budget of almost $2.7 million. Previously, Woodward worked for telecommunications provider Windstream.
Woodward is taking over the position from Deborah Newell, who is retiring Oct. 31 and is training her for her new job. But as Woodward explained, “No one can replace Deborah.”
Woodward’s mother, Barbara Nevin, was a kindergarten and second grade teacher for 40 years in the Fort Smith School District. Woodward helped her mom set up her classroom and read books to students. Working at ASBA allows her to follow in that family tradition even though she won’t be in the classroom.
“I’m an accountant. I’m not a teacher, so it’s kind of my way to help,” she said.
Woodward has two children ages 6 and 4. In her spare time, she sews her children’s clothes – shirts, shorts, dresses. She taught herself the skill through YouTube videos and trial and error because she didn’t want to spend money buying expensive princess dresses. Her previous sewing experience was limited to making a pillow in junior high.
Her occupation and her hobby both involve meticulous attention to detail, but she said they “don’t correlate at all.”
“I don’t use patterns,” she said. “I just get an outfit that matches what my kids wear, and I cut the pattern using that outfit. So there’s no math involved. I just kind of cut.”
Gotcher
Kees
Garner
Newbies get crash course at NBMI
Annual New Board Member Institute offers quick lessons in responsibilities of office
By Steve Brawner Editor
Why did school board members run for an unpaid office that requires many hours of their time?
“I want to serve my community and serve the students that are tomorrow’s generation.”
“I wanted a chance for public service without partisanship.”
“I want our school to be the best that it can be.”
“I was appointed. I spent 35 years in education, and I want to make a difference.”
Those were some of the answers given by attendees to Forrest City School Board member Annie CobbNorman during her presentation at the New Board Member Institute June 24 in Hot Springs.
SPRINGDALE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER Randy Hutchinson tells New Board Member Institute attendees about school board members’ 10 statutory duties.
The Institute provides newly elected board members with initial training in their responsibilities and also attracts veteran board members along with superintendents.
Afterwards, Springdale School Board member Randy Hutchinson asked attendees if they have a vision and goals for academic achievement, are willing to inspire parents and other stakeholders to have confidence in public schools, and understand their focus must be on the big picture.
He asked them if they are committed to focusing on a broad range of concerns rather than a single issue, and asked if they are good at working collaboratively.
“What you guys do can help make or break a community,” he told them.
Hutchinson described school board members’ 10 statutory duties:
– Attend board meetings
– Determine the school district’s mission and direction
– Follow all state and federal laws governing public schools
– Make, enforce and obey all school district policies
– Hire the right superintendent
– Employ staff and conduct hearings
– Evaluate the superintendent annually, usually before the contract is renewed
– Oversee the district’s finances and all aspects of the budget
– Visit schools on a regular basis
– Obtain professional development
Hutchinson said Springdale School Board members have lunch at one of the district’s 31 schools each week, usually on Wednesday, and meet with administrators, teachers and students.
“That’s where you really get to see where the rubber meets the road is being in those schools and being a part of a school day, even if it’s just an hour or an hour-and-a-half,” he said.
He reminded attendees that individual board members have no legal authority, and he encouraged them to support board decisions and speak with one voice once those decisions are made.
FOI and other legal issues
ASBA Staff Attorney Kristen Garner covered critical legal issues including the Freedom of Information Act, executive session, and ethics.
Garner said the state’s FOI law is one of the nation’s most expansive.
Districts should respond to requests for documents as quickly as possible, and costs are supposed to cover only the actual costs of reproduction, which does not include labor. Even if a document is available online, districts must still provide copies upon request unless it is exempted. Moreover, school districts cannot refuse to make even a duplicate copy. Sometimes, she said, requesters try to “cripple you administratively” with their requests. School districts nevertheless must respond to them. However, districts do not have to respond to out-of-state requests, and documents that do not already exist do not have to be created. Garner warned attendees that text messages can be FOI’d. Therefore, she encouraged them to set their iPhone to store messages for 30 days rather than “forever.”
The FOI law requires meetings to be held in the open. School districts must notify members of the media at least two
Continued on next page
FORREST CITY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER Annie Cobb-Norman opened the NBMI by asking attendees why they ran for school board.
New Board Member Institute
hours before a board meeting – the media being composed of local newspapers and radio and TV stations along with out-of-town ones that regularly cover the district. Bloggers and individuals do not have to be notified. She advised districts to use fax machines because they can confirm that the notice was sent. Under Act 1028 of 2019, meetings must be at least sound-recorded, with the recording retained at least one year.
Two or more board members cannot discuss school business even casually outside of an open meeting without notifying the media. Garner described one situation where board members discussed filling a vacant library/media position via text. By doing so, they violated the law, and now they and their district are the subject of a costly and distracting lawsuit by a teacher who was not hired for the position.
Garner explained that executive sessions are reserved for employment, appointment, promotion, demotion and resignation. Their purpose is to protect individual privacy only.
“You can’t go into executive session to make a plan,” she said. “You can go into executive session to discuss a person. Ask yourself, is there a face we are going into executive session to discuss?”
She encouraged districts that meet in executive session in the same room where the meeting occurs to ensure audience members take their things with them when they leave. That’s because there have been instances of people leaving behind recording devices. She warned attendees that they can be forced to testify about what was said in executive session, and if they lie under oath, they’re committing perjury.
New Westside member encouraged
Jeffrey Tubbs is new to school board service, but he’s not new to school board meetings. Before his election to the Jonesboro area’s Westside Consolidated School District’s board in May, he had been attending meetings occasionally the last three or four years.
“I’m the type of person that you always hear complaints about what they’re doing, but you go to the school board meeting, very few people are there, and I just want to know what’s going on,” he said.
Tubbs attended the New Board Member Institute in June after already attending his first board meeting as a member. The Institute offered good information about school funding and accounting and also opened his eyes to board members’ legal liabilities. He was encouraged by being around so many quality people who care about their schools and their community.
Tubbs, the father of two preschoolaged sons, defeated an opponent in May. In his first meeting, the board discussed a potential building project.
Tubbs was raised on a 2,500-acre farm that straddled the Westside and Valley View School District’s boundaries. He graduated from Valley View. In 2012, he left the farm and now works for Rabo AgriFinance, an international crop insurance provider.
Garner also covered some of the state’s sometimes counterintuitive ethics laws. Regarding conflicts of interest, school principals are not “administra-
That experience in finance meant he wasn’t surprised by some of the legal and financial issues discussed at the Institute. He’s also been active in a statewide Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers committee, so he was familiar with school board business procedures.
“One thing that did not shock me is the money,” he said. “I’m used to being around large dollar amounts, claim issues.”
tors” because they don’t exercise “entity-wide purchasing.” Nepotism laws don’t apply to school board members’ grandchildren and grandparents unless they live in the same house, but they do apply to siblings of a spouse regardless of where they live. School board members can pass local resolutions allowing their district to do up to $10,000 in business with a school board member or their family, at which point it must be approved by the secretary of education. But Garner cautioned attendees nonetheless.
“When you are putting these approvals together, your foremost question should not be, ‘Hey, we like Fred. We want to do Fred a solid. He needs the
JEFFREY TUBBS had been attending school board meetings for several years before he was elected in May.
money.’ It should be, ‘What is in the best financial interest of the school district?’” she said. “If you can make a legitimate, non-foot-shuffling business case for it, and you don’t care who knows, fine, let’s approve it. But let’s not try to throw people business because they need the money or could use the help, because that’s not what’s in the best interest of the school district.”
She advised board members to end all their school volunteer activities other than board service. And she warned them not to use their position to secure unwarranted privileges, such as free school lunches.
Conway Superintendent Dr. Greg Murry had the unenviable task of explaining school finances and conducting audit training after lunch, but he made it interesting. Murry told attendees that budgets are financial plans that reflect an organization’s values and culture.
“When somebody says, ‘I don’t have enough money in the budget for that,’
they might be making a statement of fact, and they might be making a statement of philosophy and values,” he said.
Murry described the various funds each school district maintains – including teacher salary, operating, and debt service funds, which together compose the operating budget. He encouraged attendees to underestimate revenues and overestimate expenditures in their budgets. He said board members should ask
CONWAY SUPERINTENDENT Dr. Greg Murry explained the basics of school finance.
questions about the district’s previous year’s finances, property tax growth, and new personnel requirements. He warned attendees that a new employee becomes an employee for life, and that districts get in trouble because they hire too many people. Board members should pay attention to trends, not isolated numbers. The most important number is the unrestricted legal ending balance on June 30, which the Arkansas Department of Education considers when determining if a district is in fiscal distress or subject to a takeover.
“All other numbers lead to this one,” he said.
Another important number is the student average daily membership. If a district is losing students, board members might have to make difficult decisions regarding staff members.
Murry also reminded board members that while they must take care of the district’s finances, “Numbers are not the most important thing – kids are.”
A Longtime Protector of Educators’ Professional Reputations
• School board legal liability insurance
• Employment practices liability insurance
• Outside of Arkansas General Liability coverage
• Distinctive and identifiable coverage grants
• Modified “defense outside of the limits” provision
• Separate crisis management fund
• Employment law resources through Enquiron
• Online resource website
• Panel defense counsel
• Dedicated claim representative
Education transformation
Secretary Johnny Key is in charge of making the governor’s transformation initiative happen in education, as all the state’s education-related agencies are being merged into one.
By Steve Brawner Editor
When Johnny Key became secretary of education as part of Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s government transformation initiative, he knew it meant rearranging the state’s education-related departments. But it didn’t mean he would change the personnel who were leading them.
In fact, he never considered it. Hutchinson had told agency leaders that no one would lose their jobs, and that’s how Key approached it.
“I met with every one of those leaders, and no, I never asked, ‘Do you want to stay?’ and they never asked, ‘Can I stay?’” Key said. “The premise was you’re in that role, you’re leading that role, we’re going to keep moving together, and how can we move together in a collaborative way?”
The initiative came about through Act 910 this year because of Hutchinson’s desire to reduce his cabinet from 42 department directors to a more manageable 15 secretaries. Hutchinson wanted to increase efficiencies while reducing costs to the taxpayers. For educators and schools, all of the state’s education agencies are being brought under one roof, ideally with better coordination and one shared vision.
Hutchinson announced his new cabinet secretaries May 22 after informing Key of his selection the day before. He told reporters he picked Key because of his accomplishments in the state’s largest education-related department.
“In the interview process, he understood transformation. … But in education, you’re looking at efficiencies, but you’re really also looking at better delivery of services,” Hutchinson said. “And bringing over career education is a good example of that, where you can have one
FROM SENATOR TO SECRETARY. Gov. Hutchinson named Johnny Key secretary of education May 22 as part of his initiative reducing the number of cabinet agencies from 42 to 15. Key previously had served as Arkansas Department of Education commissioner. He previously chaired the Senate Education Committee.
department now issue an approval for new career tech courses versus two different departments. He has that vision. I think it’s a critical part of that mission.”
All of the state’s education-related agencies were absorbed into the newly expanded Department of Education. Key is secretary of education and retains day-to-day leadership of K-12 education as commissioner of the newly named Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. Other divisions include the
Division of Higher Education, which coordinates the state’s colleges and universities and is led by Dr. Maria Markham; and the Division of Career and Technical Education, which manages K-12 career and technical offerings and is led by Dr. Angela Kremers. Also absorbed into ADE were the School for the Deaf; the School for the Blind & Visually Impaired; the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission; and the Arkansas State Library.
Hutchinson’s initial goal for the overall initiative is $15 million in annual savings through increased efficiencies. ADE will do its part, though leaders are still working on a target. Human resources, finance, information technology and other functions can be streamlined. Personnel can move to the department’s headquarters if space opens up.
Key met with agency heads individually and as a group shortly after being named education secretary to get their perspectives on transformation and education policies. Those discussions began “really on day one” and are ongoing, he said. The department must meet certain deadlines in reporting to the governor regarding the initiative’s progress. Leaders need to be on the same page when reporting to the Legislature.
Key came to the department without a background in K-12 education, a fact that met with some disapproval in the education community. Instead, he had chaired the Senate Education Committee representing a district that included his residence in Mountain Home. He had left office to serve as the University of Arkansas System’s associate vice president for university relations before Hutchinson offered him the job as education commissioner in 2015. Earlier, he had owned a day care, the Open Arms Learning Center.
How will this affect schools?
Having everyone under one roof will hopefully create stronger connections and conversations, which is how transformation will really affect schools. Policies that once were decided in multiple agencies, who then had to coordinate, now will be decided in one, with Key responsible for tying it together.
One area where transformation will change the way schools operate is in data collection. School personnel have had to input data into separate systems for pre-K, K-12, higher education and career and technical education. ADE is now working to place everyone into the same system. It will take some time to streamline, and privacy will have to be protected, but it will make it easier to longitudinally track students and monitor how cohorts have progressed. The combined system will offer benefits for
education, economic development and federal reporting.
There will be challenges involved in combining the cultures of the K-12 and Higher Education divisions. The Department of Education has been a rulemaking body whose dictates K-12 schools must follow. Higher Ed is a coordinating entity working with independent colleges and universities, each with their own leaderships and boards. It shapes academic policies through funding decisions, but the colleges and universities have much more freedom in charting their own paths than K-12 schools do.
The Division of Higher Education will retain part of its traditional independence and will be governed by its own coordinating board, with the State Board of Education having no say in its operations. But the connections between K-12 and Higher Ed will be stronger than they have been. Markham has asked Key to be involved as Higher Ed creates its next five-year master plan. Working together will strengthen the links between the two divisions, particularly regarding
DR. MARIA MARKHAM is director of the Division of Higher Education after previously serving as Higher Ed director. She said the merger will allow K-12 and higher education to better work together.
STEPHENS VALUES PUBLIC EDUCATION IN ARKANSAS, AND ITS MUNICIPAL ADVISORS SHARE THE PASSION
An interview with Jason Holsclaw, Senior Vice President of Stephens Public Finance
For more than 80 years, Stephens Public Finance’s client-first service to Arkansas school districts has found root in a sincere commitment to public education in the firm’s home state.
Knowing the value well-educated students bring to Arkansas, Stephens nurtures relationships with districts that have a bigger picture in mind than just the next transaction. Stephens puts the focus on long-term success rather than short-term gains, seeing its role as an ongoing partner working for the enduring benefit of its school district clients.
Stephens’ unmatched expertise and experience, along with its irreproachable integrity, are systematic, but the dedication to Arkansas schools is also personal for members of the firm. Jason Holsclaw, a senior vice president of Stephens Public Finance, believes in the profound value of a good education and wants to see Arkansas students reap the benefits of one. After a decade with the U.S. Government Accountability Office, Holsclaw brought his knowledge of public education financing to Stephens, where he knew he could have a positive impact on public education in his home state.
What makes Stephens such a good partner for Arkansas school districts?
Because Stephens is Arkansas-based, all of us at the firm care about what happens in districts throughout the state. Nearly 95 percent of Arkansas children are enrolled in public schools. Stephens understands that for the state to be competitive in the marketplace, these students need a quality education. Our philosophy is to be good community partners, and we want to be partners with our clients for a long time.
Stephens values soundness and strength, and our mission is to always put the client first. Even though we have our own financial interests, we know that the long game is more important than the short game. We would walk away from a transaction if we thought it might in any way hurt our reputation or the reputation of our clients. Arkansas
school districts appreciate our relationships with them and know we will be there supporting them, whatever they might need, for years to come. Some districts we have been partners with for more than 30 years.
What shaped your personal dedication to Arkansas public schools?
I’m the son of two educators. My parents were both public school teachers, and now my father is a college professor and my mother a college instructor. They were the first in their families to graduate from four-year universities. I have heard my whole life about the value of education, which I think can have a great impact on someone’s life path.
Even though I am not in a classroom every day, I still get to support students. When I see a new high school built or see kids playing on a new football field, it is gratifying because I know that when helping finance projects such as these, I am supporting the mission of education.
How does your background, somewhat atypical for an investment banker, better equip you to help school districts?
For 10 years I worked at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in Washington, D.C., leading reviews of federal agency operations and programs, including the U.S. Department of Education. In that role, I gained a better understanding of education policy, programming and best practices, as well as the challenges facing our country’s public schools. I learned how the allocation, control and management of financial resources shape public policy and management. Today, I am able to transfer those skills into developing sound financing strategies for my education clients that take into account being good stewards of taxpayer monies while delivering costeffective results for their patrons.
Does your experience at the GAO affect your perspective working on behalf of public schools?
At the GAO, we were working on behalf of the taxpayers to be a good steward of public funds and ensure monies were being spent the way they are supposed to be spent.
Stephens applies that same accountability while always putting the interest of our clients first.
That culture of accountability, reliability and integrity is why I wanted to be part of Stephens after working for the GAO. Also, my wife and I are both from Arkansas. When our son was born we wanted to get back here, and I was fortunate enough to get on with Stephens and continue my work supporting public education.
How do you serve Arkansas school districts as their municipal advisor?
The firm assists school districts with debt financing and financial advisory services. To that end, we keep in constant contact with the districts and make ourselves available if they have any financial or borrowing questions, and we work to best position them in capital markets to borrow large sums of money. We are available to them as a resource for information while also proactively working to maintain their long-term and short-term viability and flexibility. We are conservative but always looking out for positive opportunities.
My goal personally is to make sure we are providing a level of service where we are not only there when transactions are being done – for example, a big bond issue – but that we are there to be a constant resource throughout the school year.
What’s one way that Stephens provides educational resources for school district officials?
Stephens is sanctioned by the Arkansas School Boards Association to offer each year two three-hour training sessions on school district finances. School board members, of course, are required by state law to have six hours of continuing education each year. We work with districts individually to set up a time most convenient for all the board members to come to a public school finance workshop. We provide a smaller setting where they can feel more comfortable asking questions and best understand their district’s financial position.
In the public finance world, what developments have unfolded that could affect Arkansas school districts?
Beginning back in January 2018, school districts could no longer refinance debt earlier than they would have otherwise, ultimately letting districts take advantage of lower interest rates years sooner – a process known as “advance refundings.” An advance refunding was a cost savings tool eliminated under tax reform in 2017 that districts had used to save millions. By some accounts, this action has reduced the supply of municipal bonds by almost 20 percent, which generally translates into increased investor demand for municipal bonds when offered.
In addition, the Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate, as expected, in part to blunt the impact of a beginning of a trade war with China. Trade war and global recession fears have sent key interest rates lower in recent weeks as investors are looking for safer assets, such as government bonds. This has translated to some of the lowest rates we have seen. For example, one district I work with recently secured a 2.96-percent rate on 30-year money.
Couple investor demand with a continuing low-interestrate environment, and districts should be considering refinancing their bonds if they are able to do so, as well as consider moving forward with financing any new projects. There is great demand for Arkansas school bonds, and districts should take advantage.
Jason Holsclaw is Senior Vice President of Stephens Public Finance. You may contact him at 501-377-2474 or jason.holsclaw@stephens.com.
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workforce and economic development so the department is “reverse engineering these employees back … to the K-12 level,” Markham said.
Reducing remediation rates was one of the goals in Higher Ed’s previous strategic plan, and that goal was achieved. However, it could only address students’ needs after they arrived at college. Markham said merging with the ADE will enable the two divisions to work together to close the gaps.
Key said the agencies are working well together so far. He dealt with Higher Ed when he was in the Legislature, so he’s familiar with its workings. He attended the Higher Education Coordinating Board’s first meeting after transformation occurred and was encouraged that the conversation focused on outcomes rather than financial issues and compliance.
“I don’t sense any apprehension from the Higher Ed folks at this point, any concern that this is going to somehow negatively impact them,” he said. “The feedback I’ve had so far has been positive, just from the opportunities that it’s going to have to promote more thorough conversations with the K-12 world out there in Arkansas.”
In an interview in her downtown office, Markham said daily operations haven’t really changed and the divisions are “kind of at the exploratory stage to see what kind of services we can share, where the efficiencies can be found.”
But certain efficiencies are already occurring. Higher Ed, which now has 45 employees after absorbing eight from other agencies after transformation occurred, previously relied on the attorney general’s office for legal counsel. Sometimes it had to wait in line. Now it has lawyers through ADE. The change won’t necessarily save taxpayers money, but it will speed up the processes. Communications is another area already being shared. Higher Ed’s communications director, Alisha Lewis, is now ADE’s chief communications director. The combination will let Higher Ed better communicate with K-12 students about scholarships and programming, Markham said. Previously, Higher Ed asked ADE’s shop to work its contacts when it needed to communicate with the K-12 world. The informal partnership worked OK, but transformation has removed that degree of separation. Another streamlined area is career coaches, who previously were college employees funded by the Department of Career Education and working in the K-12 school system.
“Now that we’re all one department, we’re hoping that we can expand that and really build on it because it’s one of the best things that we’ve done,” Markham said.
Concurrent credit is another area that could work better after transformation. Key said there’s been some “friction” when schools would create partnerships with a local community college, and then another entity such as Virtual Arkansas or a four-year school would also offer concurrent credit opportunities, leading to questions about who should be doing what. These have been worked out through memoranda of understanding. It’s unclear how transformation will change that process because colleges and universities are still independent entities, but at least now only one state agency will be overseeing the process.
Markham said she had informed Hutchinson she had an interest in being secretary of education when the process began, and they had a conversation about it. “I was interested, but you can’t win ‘em all,” she said.
Now she and Key are jointly visiting colleges and universities around the state. He’s familiar with many of the University of Arkansas campuses but not with many of the others. Markham knows them all.
“She’s been great,” Key said. “Everybody’s been great. There hasn’t been any conflict or disruption or anything in the work, and no personality issues or anything. She’s a great contributor, very highly thought of with the higher ed community, and will help me immensely.”
ADE + CTE
Schools also will see streamlined processes when dealing with career and technical education (CTE) issues. As with higher education, policymakers will have more opportunities to work together to solve problems earlier in the process, and all under one reporting structure. Schools will have a better idea who can answer their questions.
“In the past, there have been times schools may not have been sure who they needed to talk to,” Key said. “Well, now if they need something, they can call here to the department, and if they call the commissioner, the deputy commissioner or if they call someone that is in the agency that knows, hey, that may be a CTE issue, we go pull CTE in and get their input more immediately than maybe what we’ve been able to do in the past.”
Key and Kremers said combining the agencies will remove some of the barriers between academic and CTE courses. Thanks to legislation passed this year, students taking certain CTE courses also will receive academic credit; in the past, they received only CTE credit. Other legislation will provide weighted credit so students won’t be disincentivized from taking CTE courses because of scholarship or class ranking concerns. The U.S. Department of Education wants to provide more flexibility in using federal dollars, so schools hopefully won’t have to segregate those dollars so rigidly, Key said. Kremers said ADE’s combined communication efforts will
DR. ANGELA KREMERS is director of the Division of Career and Technical Education. She said the agencies’ merger will break down barriers between academic credit and CTE classes.
help CTE-related student organizations communicate with students and families and remove the false academic/blue collar division that has sometimes existed in the public’s mind when it comes to CTE courses. Kremers said the merger with Higher Ed will also benefit students by making post-high school pathways clearer.
As with Higher Ed, the Division of Career and Technical Education is seeing efficiency gains by coming under ADE’s much larger umbrella. ADE simply has had more capacity and bigger, more organized systems; Kremers called it a “well-oiled machine.” Her division has already seen more than $30,000 in website savings since the merger. In the past, the Department of Career and Technical Education would send staff to school districts each fall and spring as part of its technical assistance process. It’s been disruptive for schools, and the miles driven and overnight stays have been costly for taxpayers. But the Department of Education has performed desk audits and traveled to schools only if there’s a problem. Now Kremer’s division is piloting its own desk audit process this year.
“Now we’ve aligned that process, so administrators will feel that immediately this year, and when we do go, we’re hoping that in those schools that are identified as risks, we can align and go at the same time and not separate,” she said.
The transformation initiative also brings the Arkansas Better Chance pre-K program into the Department of Education. In the past, state funding has traveled through ADE’s budget, but the program was administered by the Department of Human Services, the sprawling agency in charge of everything from nursing homes to Medicaid to foster children to juvenile justice. DHS was paid a percentage of those funds to operate the ABC program. Now, all the funding and responsibility will remain with ADE. How schools will be affected is still to be determined. The processes and rules are well established, and people are comfortable with them, Key said. Decision-making processes can be streamlined, and data collection will be easier. For example, it will be
easier to determine how participation in a pre-K program affected a student’s academic progress.
One other agency brought into the ADE’s fold is the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, which has an educational role as part of its mission promoting understanding, human equality and community. A recent unfortunate example showed how the combination could work. The Dumas New Tech High School football coach used a racial slur in a text with a school parent and was given a 100-day suspension and a requirement to attend sensitivity training by the school board. The divisive issue came before the State Board of Education. Key said he asked the commission’s director, DuShun Scarbrough, to see what resources it can deploy to address the issue in the community.
Maximize Your School District Investments
“I really believe that’s the kind of thing the governor wants us to look at to say, hey, when we have resources as secretaries at our disposal, how do we use them to provide better services to the taxpayers?” he said. “So if the King Commission can go to a community and really help not just smooth over something like this, but to really get resolution and understanding and folks can move on in a positive way from there from that instance, then I really believe … that can demonstrate the real power that a more streamlined government can have understanding where those resources can be deployed.”
While Key is now secretary of education, he retains his role as Division of Elementary and Secondary Education commissioner. That’s what he’s been doing since 2015. And while combining the cultures of multiple agencies is now his primary job, he finds himself still motivated by those important concerns.
“As far as day to day, I trust the leaders of the divisions to continue operating their divisions, continue leading their divisions,” he said. “Where I have found the difficulty is moving away from the day-to-day operations here and the activities, the projects. I have to do a better job of being able to pull away from that, so that I can spend the time I need to spend on the planning, the managing, and the strategy of transformation in this first year.”
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The Right Team Backing Your School District
Prescott animal science program
Prescott says, go hogs!
A nonprofit organization is helping Prescott revive its animal science program by providing barns along with livestock for students to raise and display
By Steve Brawner Editor
It’s Friday morning in August in Prescott, and Steve-O is not cooperating for the photo shoot.
Incoming eighth-grader Kage Hilery, 13, is trying to maneuver the hog into position, but he’s running around the barn and won’t stay still. At one point Steve-O did what hogs do, and Hilery had to spray the barn’s concrete floor clean with a hose. By brushing the hog’s
coat, Hilery managed to keep him in one place long enough to take some pictures.
Hilery voluntarily came to the Prescott School District’s new 40-footby-80-foot barn every day this summer to take care of Steve-O. The pig, and the barn, were funded entirely by private donations to a nonprofit group, Organization for Youth Education in Agriculture. The district owns the barn as part of an interlocal agreement with OYEA saying it and the surrounding 10-acre farm will be used for agricultural education for 20 years. OYEA also purchased pigs, sheep and rabbits, and by the time you read this, hopefully a black angus heifer. It also pays for the feed and equipment needed to raise those animals.
Superintendent Robert Poole said the partnership has greatly expanded the
agriculture offerings in a school district where agriculture is a major industry. Before, classes focused on shop skills, with animal science learned entirely from a textbook. The district owned an aging 20-foot-by-60-foot barn, but it wasn’t used for animals.
About two years ago, the district asked Darren Neal, the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service county agent, to lead an effort reviving its animal science program. The retired Arkansas State Police officer – Hilery’s uncle – had dealt with plenty of people who would have benefitted from positive activities in their youth. He’s also served a five-year term on the Prescott School Board that ended in 2014.
OYEA was formed with a five-member board of directors. It achieved its
KAGE HILLERY, an eighth-grader in Prescott, shows off Steve-O, a hog he is preparing to show in county, district and state fairs in the fall. Steve-O and the barn are owned by Organization for Youth Education in Agriculture, a nonprofit that is supporting Prescott’s animal science program.
nonprofit status in June 2018 with a mission of letting students learn hands-on animal science by raising cattle, swine and small ruminants. Barn construction and renovation started in July 2018, and the school started receiving the animals in November.
OYEA has raised about $120,000, all of which has gone back into the program. It has no overhead and no paid staff, so donors know their contributions go entirely to serve the students. That money paid to build the big barn and renovate the smaller one into an airconditioned rabbit barn. Arkadelphiabased AllCare Pharmacy, owned by former state Sen. Percy Malone, donated $50,000. The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission provided a $13,000 grant for pasture maintenance, while a Soil Conservation District grant paid for fencing. OYEA hired professionals to frame the big barn, but volunteers contributed more than 1,000 hours wiring, plumbing, and finishing out the insides of the facilities. The big barn features individual hog pens, a watering system and feed troughs, and lockers with rubber boots and work gloves. OYEA has a 2019 operating budget of $16,750. The organization hopes to raise $25,000 this school year.
Organizers hope the program can sustain itself through livestock sales within four years. Twenty-three piglets have been born and 13 sold, raising about $3,800. OYEA hopes to raise $8,000 in the next 12 months selling livestock.
The district, meanwhile, provides the education and curriculum. Gabe Mormon, an agriculture and history teacher who raises cows, is handling the teaching side.
Any student can participate
As a nonprofit, OYEA can do what the school district can’t: allow any student regardless of their family’s situation to personally raise an animal, show it in county, district and state fairs, and keep the donated prize money as a reward for their hard work.
“The organization is really here to remove all barriers from prohibiting any kid from not being able to have that opportunity,” Poole said. “Providing the animal, providing the feed, providing
the barn, providing the acreage that’s needed.”
The goal is to have 50 students participating in the animal science program by the end of this school year. The number of classes is increasing from two last year to four. Two students will show hogs and one will show sheep at fairs in the fall, but organizers have bigger plans as the program grows.
“That’s the part of the deal,” said Neal, OYEA’s president. “If they want to participate through the summer to exhibit an animal at a fair, then here’s your animal. The feed’s over here. There’s your pen. But you’re going to do it. We’re not going to do it for you. That’s where the teaching of responsibility comes in. They’ve got to commit to us. They’ve got to come up here every day. You have to eat every day, they have to eat every day, and that animal’s got to eat every day.”
While not every student in the program will show an animal in the fair, they all will get an education in animal science. Three litters of pigs have been produced, with two more coming in October and three in March. Students will see pigs grow from newborn to adult.
Organizers plan for the program to evolve into teaching forage production, weed and brush control, and rotational
grazing, where more than one species feeds on the same plot of land.
“It can snowball and splinter into a thousand different directions. This is just the start,” said Neal.
Organizers say the program could lead to careers for students in a county where agriculture is a big part of the economy. One student who lives in town and had never had experiences with farm animals has decided to pursue an agriculture degree. Noncollege-bound students will develop skills that can help them find jobs after high school. The program’s agribusiness aspect will teach students basic lessons about revenues and returns on investment. The program will reach students who might not excel in traditional extracurricular activities such as athletics and band. One student had disciplinary problems but bonded with the pigs, giving her a positive outlet until she graduated last year.
“She found a purpose every day,” Poole said. “That was her purpose. Her focus was on coming to take care of her animal every day.”
The program itself is for high school students, but it’s attracting interest from other grade levels. Fifth grade science teacher Debbie Maxwell brings her students out to the barn to see the animals.
SCHOOLING OUR COMPETITION
Prescott animal science program
She said they could be used to teach science and biology, along with life lessons about responsibility and caring for something other than themselves.
“I like the farm animals,” she said. “I’m behind this program 100 percent. I do bring my fifth graders down to introduce them to the program so to get the interest, and I have probably about 15 kids that I had last year that are already ready to sign up and go with it. I just think it’s a good thing for kids.”
Nearby residents were concerned about how the operation would affect them, so OYEA emphasized controlling odors. Tunnel fans cool the facility not by blowing air into it but by pulling air through it in a direction away from the school and nearby houses.
“We want to be a good neighbor,” Neal said. “The bus garage is right there. There’s houses right to the other side of here. The campus is over here. Just
because it’s a livestock holding facility doesn’t mean it has to smell like one.”
The program is still barely a year into its operation, but organizers have already learned lessons. On the nonprofit side, they didn’t realize the commitment that would be required to lay the groundwork. On the academic side, the district found it was struggling to ensure students had time both to do handson work and learn academic lessons without feeling rushed. Poole said the schedule was altered so students focus on chores one day and academics the next.
OYEA board member Fred Harris said efforts like this must be a partnership between the school district and the organization.
“You’ve got to have the backing of the school administration,” he said. “It won’t work unless both sides are working completely together and are commit-
ted to the program rather than just give it lip service. And we’ve got that here. The school board and administration’s 100 percent behind developing this program.”
Poole said the program might lead to higher test scores because students are more engaged. However, students will learn valuable lessons that won’t show up on standardized tests.
“Ten years from now when a kid graduates, you go back and ask that same kid, ‘Hey what did you make on that math test third week of school and fourth week of school or that first semester or the second semester of your sophomore year, they’re going to look at you like, ‘Man, I have no idea,’” he said. “You ask them, ‘Hey, what did you do in your animal science class?’ And they’ll probably tell you everything that they did in this animal science class down here in this agri barn.”
PRESCOTT SUPERINTENDENT ROBERT POOLE, center, stands with Organization for Youth Education in Agriculture President Darren Neal, right, and OYEA board member Fred Harris at the AllCare Animal Science Facility.
‘Flashing Red. Kids Ahead.’ returns
By Mattie Brawner Contributing writer
During a one-day survey April 24, bus drivers in 227 Arkansas school districts reported 884 instances of a vehicle illegally passing their buses. Twelve happened on the right side where students exit.
The Arkansas Department of Education led the seventh annual “Flashing Red. Kids Ahead.” campaign during the month of August.
This campaign encourages motorists to stop when they see a stopped school bus and to be aware of child safety. Arkansans were asked to post pictures and videos promoting bus safety on social media while using the handle #2019FlashingRed.
It is illegal to pass a school bus when the lights are flashing and the arm is extended, no matter what lane you are in. This year Act 166 raised the maximum fine for illegally passing a school bus to not less than $500 and not more than $2,500. Violators who fail to comply with the law while demonstrating a reckless disregard for passenger safety can be found guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
There are approximately 6,000 school buses in the state of Arkansas, with roughly 350,000 students riding them.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Secretary of Education Johnny Key, and others marked the start of the campaign Aug. 13 at the Capitol.
Hutchinson spoke of his bus driver growing up who would write down the license plate numbers and report drivers who passed the bus.
Of all the speeches, the one made by William Brian was the most sobering. His son, Isaac, a student in the Bryant School District, was killed by a passing driver at age 9.
“On September 28, 2004, my world changed forever. My son’s life was taken that day while he was exiting a school bus in Saline County,” he said.
In 2005, the Legislature unanimously passed Isaac’s Law, which made anyone who killed a person by illegally passing
a school bus guilty of negligent homicide and increased penalties for violations.
Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, spoke of his time as a bus driver in the late 1990s. He said that one day as he stopped to let a child off the bus, he saw
a vehicle approaching and had a feeling it wasn’t going to stop. He didn’t open the door, and sure enough, the car sped past. If he would have opened the doors, that child may not be alive today.
For more information, visit www. flashingredkidsahead.org.
WILLIAM BRIAN, father of the late Isaac Brian, speaks Aug. 13 at the Capitol to publicize the annual “Flashing Red. Kids Ahead.” campaign.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
with André Acklin
By Steve Brawner Editor
Andre’ Acklin grew up in Conway Public Schools and worked in his father’s business, Larry G. Acklin Funeral Homes. He’s still heavily involved in both as a funeral director and as president of the Conway School Board.
Acklin, 51, often deals with tense family situations while on the job, which has prepared him to react to difficult situations in the boardroom. During his first week in office after being elected in 2010, he participated in a hearing for one of his former coaches.
He’s now president of the Conway School Board and ASBA’s Region 8 director. Report Card sat down with him in the school district’s boardroom July 31 to talk about how his professional life prepared him for his school board service.
André, you have an interesting profession. Let’s talk about what you do for a living.
“OK. Well, I’m a funeral home director, owner, and I serve families. I serve families probably in their most darkest time, toughest time in their life when they lose a loved one, so I’ve been doing that ever since I was probably about 15, 16 years old. And so that’s what I do.”
It’s a family business, right? Your dad started it?
“It is a family business. My dad started it in 1982, and I probably was in
about the ninth grade when I started to work. And I was too scared to deal with the bodies, things of that nature. But I started off building the boxes that you put in the graves. I would build those, and I would wash the cars. One day the embalmer asked me to hand him something. I was standing at the door,
and he asked me to reach him something, and my interest just grew from there.
“I do a lot. I meet with families and make removals at hospitals and nursing homes, and I’m up all kind of different times of the night. I’m on call 24 hours a day seven days a week and do a lot of
dressing bodies and family hours and all of that kind of thing. Everything that it takes to run a business.”
What’s the name of the funeral home?
“The name of it is Larry G. Acklin Funeral Homes. We’ve got three locations: Little Rock, Conway and Morrilton.”
What is the key when talking to a family that’s just lost a loved one?
“Well, just listening. You know, sometimes people handle grief differently, and so sometimes there are things that they want to get off their chest. The funeral director serves a lot of different roles because people look at death differently. People grieve differently. I can have a roomful. Mother just passed, and I can have a roomful of sisters and brothers, and so sometimes within that, there’s conflict. It might be on the color of Mother’s dress, or it might be on the color of the casket, or it might not have anything to do with any of that. It might be something else, but it all comes back to the funeral director. He always gets caught up in it to try to resolve it. So that helps me with the school board in terms of dealing with conflict. I deal with it every day.”
How else does your profession color your perspective on life and everything else?
“I don’t know. Early on, when I finished college from (the University of Central Arkansas), my dad wouldn’t just let us come into the businesses, me and my sister. He always wanted us to have that experience outside of the funeral home business (so) I worked for Acxiom for about five years.
“One thing that I knew early on was that I was put here to serve. I was put here to serve people, families. I’ve always enjoyed serving and taking care of people, and so that’s one of the ways that my job kind of interacts with the school board in terms of taking care of the administrators and the parents and children and things of that nature.”
How does being a funeral home director affect your perspective on death?
“You know, death is one of those things that you just can’t get used to, but it is a part of life. It’s one thing that’s a part of life. We’re not going to stay here, and so my perspective on death is we should just try to do good will and do the best we can and be the best that we can be as citizens and just try to make things better.”
You say that it’s not something that you get used to. You’re not used to it?
“When I say you can’t get used to it, I’m talking about the emotional part of it. I’m used to death, but I don’t get so used to it to where I’m insensitive to
families’ needs. I don’t just get so callous and so insensitive that I’m not able to be touchable and to be – there’s an emotional aspect to it.”
Is there a trick that you play with yourself to make sure that you don’t become cold and accustomed to it?
“No, there’s no trick to it. I think it’s a calling. I think it’s something that you have to be called to do. It’s just kind of like a doctor or somebody. I couldn’t do what a doctor does, but a doctor might not want to do what I do. There’s a little saying that we have, we want to be your personal funeral director. When families come to me, when you lose a loved one, that’s not like shopping for shoes or trying to buy a dress. You’ve lost a loved one. That’s the last thing that you’re going to be able to do for them, so you have to be sensitive to those things.”
As you’re dealing with students or with the school system, do you think about the fact that they have a limited time here on Earth, and it’s your job to help them make the most of it?
“I always wanted to be a teacher and an administrator, and so being a school board member, I’ve always been a part of my kids’ education. One day I was at a track meet, and one of my former coaches, Coach Buzz Bolding, asked me if I would think about running for the school board. It was something I had
One thing that I knew early on was that I was put here to serve. I was put here to serve people, families. I’ve always enjoyed serving and taking care of people. “ ”
never really even considered although I had just finished being a part of the athletic booster club, and so I thought about it, and next thing I knew I was down at the courthouse filling out the paperwork. And so I saw where I could serve. I saw where I could help families.
“But to answer your question, no, I haven’t really thought about the funeral aspect as it relates to our kids in the district. No, I really haven’t thought about it that way. What I try to do with kids is to motivate them to be the best they can be and really to be a resource to them to let them know what’s available to them, the different things that the district offers them.”
Does it affect you in that you might have buried several drug addicts in a certain amount of time, and then the issue comes up before the school board, a program that would affect that issue? Does that color how you vote and how you think about things?
“It does make me think about it. You know, I’ve got a young man right now that is 40 years old. He’s a product of Conway Public Schools. You know, alcoholism. And so there are things that do make me think about that. Had a young lady this weekend that I handled, got hit in Kroger parking lot. So the things like that do sometimes, they do weigh in with different experiences.
“One of the toughest things that I’ve had to deal with probably in the school system is when you have hearings and they involve employees. And so those are some of the tougher things that we as school board members have to deal with.”
You may have served their families?
“They might have been a former teacher. I’m a product of Conway Public Schools. When I first came on the board, my very first week I had a school board
hearing that I had to deal with, and it was a former coach of mine, so yeah, those things are tough.”
What did you decide?
“I just followed the law, followed what we had to go on.”
Was he disciplined?
“He was disciplined, but he was able to maintain his job.”
You were able to divorce yourself from that relationship?
“Yeah, you have to be objective about things. You have to keep things – you have to remember why you’re here.”
You said you had always wanted to be a teacher. Your mother, Ernestine, was an administrator, and your uncle is Bobby Acklin, who’s North Little Rock’s superintendent. How did those relationships affect your viewpoint?
“I came up in a family educators, but the ultimate teacher, and I’m going to talk about my mom and uncle, but the ultimate teacher was my dad, Mr. Larry G. Acklin. My dad stressed to me the importance of education. He’s the one
that planted that seed in me, that ‘André, you’ve got to have an education.’ And so I say he brainwashed me because he told me that if I didn’t have it, I ‘wouldn’t be able to wash dishes.’ That was just his way of expressing to me the importance of it. But my mother, she was an educator here in the school district, special education, and then she went into administration. She was an assistant principal in the district.
“My Uncle Bobby played ball at Hendrix. He was a great influencer. He was from Mayflower. He got a scholarship at Hendrix College, and of course he played ball there on scholarship. And it just so happened, when I would go to the ballgames, Coach Cliff Garrison was the head coach, and his son, Greg, and I were friends. We were classmates. And so at halftime, we would get to go in and set up everything for all the players. Well, to see those guys playing basketball was one thing, but as I got a little older I would see them go on and they would graduate, and I would see them with these starched white shirts on as professionals. ... And those guys became role models for me. If it worked for them, it could work for me. So that’s kind of where I got my spark in education. And so I’ve got other uncles that are college professors and things of that nature. So that’s just kind of where my interest in education comes from.”
You said your coach encouraged you to run for school board, and the next thing you knew, you were doing it. What brought you to that courthouse?
“I just, when I thought about it, it was another way for me to help kids and families, which is what I do as a funeral home director anyway. Serving the community was another way for me to serve. I’d already been a part of my children’s education. I have a son that graduated from here, 2010. My daughter, 2015. I would sit on different
committees … with the schools as a parent representative, and so it was kind of a natural thing for me to do after I really thought about it.”
The same election that you were elected, Conway passed a millage increase. Was there already a good idea of what they were going to do with that money, or did you have to help decide what to do with it?
“It was already decided what would be done with the money. … The election itself, I ran against two other guys. One was my football coach, was a local youth sports coach at that time of 41 years, and then there was another guy that ran. And so my coach and I had a runoff. He came out on top (before) the runoff but we were 15 votes apart, and I won that election in a runoff. But the money that was to be used in that millage was going to build a new high school and a cafeteria and a new elementary school. There was going to be some reconfiguring of the grades and so forth. Conway was going to go to a K-4, and then we were going to have grades 5-7 schools … and then eighth and ninth would be junior high, and then 10th through 12th would be high school.”
Did you have to make sure that money was spent the right way?
“As school board members, we had to make sure that that money was spent the
right way, and it was spent on exactly what the voters and the taxpayers committed to, yes.”
That’s the key, right? If you don’t follow through, that’s when you get distrust.
“Absolutely. And so we’ve got the new high school. All the grades were reconfigured. We built the new high school. We’ve got the new cafeteria. The new elementary school, Carolyn Lewis Elementary, was built. And so since that point in time … all of our older schools have been refurbished inside. We’ve put safe rooms in each one of our school campuses, and so it’s been a very busy, very busy nine, 10 years, yeah.”
You have an academy approach in your high school. How does that work?
“Well, if you want to be part of medical professions, there are different classes that you can take in our career center. You can actually come out of there as a CNA, get hours to become a licensed certified nursing assistant. We also have a culinary arts program where students are able to get hours towards their culinary arts degree, like if they wanted to go to Pulaski Tech or somewhere and pursue culinary arts, and so it’s a really wonderful program. A lot of the kids do an apprenticeship, construction. I think they do that through Nabholz. There’s a cosmetology pro-
gram that’s offered. … Auto body shop is one of them as well. There’s a lot of different trades that kids can take part in besides band and some of the other different athletics.”
So do you plan on being a Conway School Board member for a while longer?
“Well, I’m up for re-election next year, and I do plan to run again. I’m already somewhat campaigning. I do enjoy it. As long as I feel like I can help kids and families and the administrators and so forth, I’m going to continue to serve. Right now, I’m serving in the role as president, and so that’s been very enlightening. I’m still learning. Not only that, but I serve with the Arkansas School Boards Association as the Region 8 director, so I’ve been able to see how things operate on the state level in terms of a lot of the bills that are introduced and legislation, things of that nature, so it’s been very interesting.”
So you know they don’t pay you any more the second 10 years than they do the first, right?
“Absolutely.”
That OK?
“It’s a labor of love. (Laughs.) It’s a labor of love.”
Note: Executive Session is edited for length, style and clarity.
Nabholz company Entegrity saves energy; money goes to teachers
nizations with a design-basis threat plan specific to their mission and assets.
Batesville School District became the first K-12 Arkansas school district to harness solar energy to benefit the district. The school utilized a unique financing method to install solar panels and other upgrades to not only make district-wide improvements, but also give teachers a pay increase.
Batesville partnered with Entegrity Energy Partners, of which Nabholz Construction is the majority owner partnered with Matt Bell and Chris Ladner. The first step was to conduct an energy audit. Under Entegrity’s recommendations, the school installed a 750-kilowatt solar array on campus, replaced windows, installed HVAC controls, switched from fluorescent to LED lighting, and installed more efficient toilets.
With cost savings from these upgrades, the school board approved a 1.25% raise for all contracted employees.
Arkansas legislation allows public entities to pay for energy-saving projects over time, using savings from these upgrades as loan payments. This savings and debt structure allowed the district to implement $5.5 million in upgrades with savings that pay for the project and create positive cash flow.
For more information about Entegrity, go to www.entegritypartners.com or call 800.700.1414.
Ribbons cut for schools designed by Hight Jackson
This year’s Back to School events included ribbon cutting celebrations for three new schools designed by Hight Jackson Associates. Bentonville School District opened the new Evening Star Elementary School for approximately 620 students along with a remodeled and updated facility for the Ignite Professional Studies program that was formerly a corporate headquarters. The Ignite Professional Studies program offers 11th and 12th grade students advanced training in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, construction management, medicine, culinary arts, global business, education, video and digital design.
Fairview Elementary School opened in the Rogers Public School District, welcoming approximately 500 students to the new facility.
Homeland staff trained in school crisis
management
The Homeland Safety Systems, Inc. engineering and sales staff has completed the “Crisis Management for School Based Incidents” course created by FEMA. This course teaches how to prepare for the worst situations in schools.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, risk assessments are the first step in developing a security plan. A risk assessment evaluates credible threats, identifies vulnerabilities, and assesses the consequences. An agency then can accurately determine what security applications are needed. A risk assessment can also provide orga-
Homeland offers free risk assessments for facilities and properties of any size to highlight some of the unrecognizable potential dangers and risks that can occur at any given time. Homeland also helps organizations develop an emergency response plan to help limit liability in a fluid situation.
For more information about Homeland, go to www.homelandsafetysystems.com or call 888.909.2261.
Ground broken at Valley Springs High designed by Modus
The Valley Springs School District, along with Nabholz Construction and the architects at Modus Studio, celebrated the groundbreaking for a new high school facility.
Seated proudly on a prominent corner of campus, the library will have a translucent glow on the exterior, acting as a beacon for the community and representing its commitment to education. New gabion walls will be constructed using the stone remains of Allbright Hall and stone from a local quarry less than a mile from campus.
For more information about Modus Studio, go to modusstudio.com or call 479.455.5577.
Stephens can help board members get training hours
As a reminder, Stephens can assist your board members with obtaining their required professional development hours. As you know, Arkansas law generally requires that school board members obtain up to six hours of certified professional development on topics related to school operations.
The Arkansas School Boards Association has deemed Stephens’ financial advisors as certified ASBA trainers who are able to provide up to three hours of school finance training annually toward ASBA’s Boardsmanship Awards Program. Normally held in the evening or on a weekend, this free training workshop will address topics ranging from state and local funding revenue sources to debt financing of capital projects. Stephens believes this type of workshop can be particularly useful if you and your board are considering how to finance future capital projects.
If you would like to learn more about how Stephens can assist your district, please contact Melissa Walsh of Stephens Public Finance at 501.377.2428.
WD&D Architects designs immersive learning spaces
WD&D Architects is developing immersive learning spaces to deliver project-based learning. The transformative design approach promotes a shift in the instructional mindset and the physical environment to allow for learning to take place anywhere.
The physical transformation includes:
• Visual transparency
• Flexible furniture that allows multiple types of learning
• Collaborative spaces for small group work
• Student presentation areas that facilitate sharing and interacting
• Maker spaces that are interactive and engaging
• Learning Commons that support learning, research and socialization
For more information, visit wddarchitects.com or the firm’s Facebook page, or call 501-376-6681.
McPherson & Jacobson helps two hire superintendents
McPherson & Jacobson recently was contracted to help the McCrory and Valley Springs School Districts with superintendent searches. The lead consultant for McCrory is Dr. Kieth Williams, k_williams@macnjake.com. The closing date for that search is Nov. 5. The lead consultant for Valley Springs is Dr. Megan Slocum, m_slocum@macnjake. com. The closing date for that search is Oct. 31.
Interested applicants should apply to McPherson & Jacobson, L.L.C., at www.macnjake.com. The phone number is 888.375.4814.
Plan carefully before moving to LED lighting, Musco says
School districts considering an LED retrofit for their sports facilities should consider several factors, warns Musco Lighting.
First, simply swapping out old lighting for LED won’t guarantee necessary light levels, so get photometric lighting designs done at the planning phase. Also, utilizing existing poles can keep costs down, but keep in mind that the reliability of electrical components and mounting structures at the pole top is vital. Finally, understand your warranty to avoid surprises. LED sports lighting is not maintenance free.
To learn about how Musco’s TLC for LED® has transformed facilities at Corning High School and Arkansas High School in Texarkana, contact Jeremy Lemons at 501.249.8056 or jeremy. lemons@musco.com.
TIPS purchases uniforms for All-Star Games
TIPS purchased all of the uniforms for the 58th Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star Games held June 21-22 at the University of Central Arkansas. It also provided attire for each coach.
The other sponsors were ASBA, KLC Video Security, Williams’ Sporting Goods, and the Dawson Education Service Copperative in Arkadelphia.
TIPS also furnished fish and prizes for the Arkansas High School Coaches Association Golf Tournament June 1819.
For more information about how TIPS can help your school district save money on its purchases, go to www.tipsusa.com or call 866.839.8477.
Trust
Continued from page 2
direction we intend to go? Or is it just for appearance? The mission should be clear, simple and appropriate for the direction we want to lead. Then we should commit to see that it works for us. When we fail to stick to our mis-
Commercial Affiliates
AETN - Arkansas Ideas Bryan Fields
American Fidelity Tom Sledge
sion, it indicates a lack of commitment and can lead to mistrust. Inconsistency is one of the traits that can really harm our trust factor. We are expected to and should handle each situation in a consistent manner. This is especially so when we’re dealing with students.
One of my favorite quotes about trust comes from Stephen Covey, who authored “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” He wrote, “Contrary
to what most people believe, trust is not some soft, illusive quality that you either have or you don’t; rather, trust is a pragmatic, tangible, actionable asset that you can create.”
When you create a culture of trust in your community, you will be more likely to drive changes that will impact performance and create higher community engagement and a more productive board.
ASBA thanks its premier partners and other commercial affiliates for their support.
bfields@aetn.org www.aetn.org
tom.sledge@americanfidelity.com americanfidelity.com
BXS Insurance Bill Birch 501.614.1170 bill.birch@bxsi.com bxsi.com
First Security Beardsley Scott Beardsley 501.978.6392 scott@fsbeardsley.com fsbeardsley.com
Homeland Safety Systems, Inc. Mike Elliott 318.221.8062 mike@hssems.com www.homelandsafetysystems.com
Lifetouch National School Studios, Inc. Patrick Hand 501.664.5550 phand@lifetouch.com schools.lifetouch.com
Pro Benefits Group, Inc.
Stephens Inc.
Gary Kandlbinder 501.321.0457 pbfsi@sbcglobal.net www.pbfsi.com
Jason Holsclaw 501.377.2474 jason.holsclaw@stephens.com www.stephens.com
The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) Mickey McFatridge 870.926.9250 mickey.mcfatridge@tips-usa.com www.tips-usa.com
A.D.E.M. Federal Surplus Property Brian Jones 501.835.3111 brian.jones@adem.arkansas.gov www.adem.arkansas.gov
All-Clean USA
Architecture Plus, Inc.
C.R. Crawford Construction, LLC
Caddell Construction Co. (DE), LLC
Capital Business Machines, Inc.
Lisa Graham 870.972.7729 lgraham@allcleanusa.com www.allcleanusa.com
Craig Boone 479.783.8395 craig@archplus.net archplusinc.net
Phil Jones 479.251.1161 pjones@crcrawford.com www.crcrawford.com
Ricky Byrd 479.319.3387 ricky.byrd@caddell.com www.caddell.com
Ben Higgs 501.375.1111 bhiggs@capbiz.com www.capbiz.com
Crow Construction and Paving Morgan Zimmerman 479.264.4332 mzimmerman@crowconst.com www.crowconst.com
David H. Frieze and Associates, Inc.
Edgenuity
Entegrity Energy Partners
ESS
JBP Architects
Kinco Constructors
KLC Video Security
Lakeshore Learning Materials
McPherson & Jacobson, LLC
Modus Studio
Musco Sports Lighting, LLC
Nabholz Construction Company
Palomar Modular Buildings
Southern Bleacher Company
Trammell Piazza Law Firm, PLLC
Tri-State Floors, Inc.
Van Horn Construction, Inc.
Paul Frieze 501.922.9704 paulfrieze7@gmail.com
Harry Dickens 501.615.4748 harry.dickens@edgenuity.com www.edgenuity.com
Rick Vance 501.414.0058 rick.vance@entegritypartners.com www.entegritypartners.com
Tammy Winn 870.236.2350 twinn@ess.com ess.com
Randall Palculict 501.664.8700 randy@jbparchitects.com www.jbparchitects.com
Clay Gordon 501.255.7606 cgordon@kinco.net kincoconstructors.com
Bill King 903.792.7262 Billking.klc@gmail.com www.klcvideosecurity.net
Blake Stansbery 310.537.8600 bstansbery@lakeshorelearning.com www.lakeshorelearning.com
Thomas Jacobson 888.375.4814 mail@macnjake.com www.macnjake.com
Josh Siebert 479.455.5577 josh@modusstudio.com www.modusstudio.com
Jeremy Lemons 501.249.8056 jeremy.lemons@musco.com www.musco.com
Jake Nabholz 501.505.5126 jake.nabholz@nabholz.com www.nabholz.com
Jade Pulfer 469.727.0727 jpulfer@palomarmodular.com palomarmodular.com
Carla Herndon 940.549.0733 herndon@southernbleacher.com www.southernbleacher.com
Connie Straw 501.371.9903 connie@trammellpiazza.com trammellpiazza.com
Dean Smith 918.343.2553 dean@tri-statefloors.com www.tri-statefloors.com
Chad Weisler 479.968.2514 cweisler@vanhornconstruction.com
Standard 1: Staff-student boundaries
Code says relationships between educators, students must be professional in, out of classroom
The Arkansas State Board of Education defined eight minimum standards for educators in 2008. School board members should be familiar with these because they might have to decide in a hearing how to handle violations.
I don’t have space to cover all of the Code of Ethics for Arkansas Educators, so let’s focus on the standard that perhaps can be the most embarrassing for a school district when violated.
That would be Standard 1, which says, “An educator maintains a professional relationship with each student, both in and out of the classroom.” That means physical, sexual and verbal abuse are prohibited, and so is harassing behavior on the basis of a protected status, such as race, gender or sexual orientation. So is any inappropriate written, verbal or physical relationship.
That standard covers a wide range of activities. In one case, an educator told his students they were “p—ing him off” and that he felt like “bringing a gun and blowing half the class away.” His license was placed on probation for two years, he was fined $75, and he was required to undergo six hours of anger management training. Another educator publicly told a student with limited English skills that
by Jay Bequette ASBA General Counsel
if he did not speak the language he should go back to Mexico. That educator received only a written reprimand and a $50 fine. Another allowed a student to stay at his house overnight and consume alcohol. His license was suspended for three years, and he was fined $500.
Physical altercations clearly are prohibited. An argument between an educator and a student escalated until the educator restrained the student against a wall. His license was placed on probation for six months, he was fined $150, and he was required to undergo professional development. One educator who hit a student faced a suspended license for three years and 12 hours of professional development. Meanwhile, an educator in a similar case appealed a recommended suspension and was given a one-year probation by the State Board along with professional development.
Obviously, Standard 1 prohibits any sexual involvement between staff and
students. One educator who had sexual intercourse with a student lost their license permanently. Another used a current student to facilitate a consensual sexual relationship with a former, adult student. The educator’s license was put on probation for three years.
Standard 1 sets boundaries between educators and students that protect both, and they apply even when the educator perhaps had good intentions. One educator exchanged personal text messages with a 14-year-old female student experiencing problems at home without notifying her parents or the authorities. There was no suggestion of sexual communication or contact, but the text violated Standard 1. The educator received a written warning that hopefully will prevent a more serious violation down the road.
Social media makes this standard more complicated to enforce, which is why strict boundaries are easier for everyone. Staff should not have direct, personal interaction with students on social media. They can interact on public class pages accessible by all students, but those class pages should be approved by the administration.
I wish I had space to cover the other seven standards. To see them, search online for “Code of Ethics for Arkansas Educators.” It’s on the Department of Education’s website, arkansased.gov.
WE BUILD
SPACES THAT HELP STUDENTS GROW
When Harrison High School was looking to expand, they called us. 96,422 square feet and 670 days later, their students had access to a brand-new gymnasium and performing arts center. During it all, we renovated the kitchen, upgraded the fire alarm system, and transformed the old auditorium into classrooms- ahead of schedule and without disrupting a single class.