Executive Viewpoint

ROLL CALLS & MOTIONS & AMENDMENTS, OH MY!

Dr. Mike Hernandez, AAEA Executive Director

Welcome back to school and the opening of the 94th General Assembly. The session started slower than usual. That is to be expected with a new administration and many new lawmakers. I hope you are getting to know these new leaders and building a relationship that will help us tell our story during this session as well as the future. There have been various organizations around the state that are creating a buzz around education. Some work to give a negative perception of schools in Arkansas to promote their own agendas, and some try to defend public education. I am happy that people are interested in education, but I want to ensure they are genuinely there to help students. That is all a common ground on which we can agree. We know how hard we work for students and parents, but we must ensure the correct story and facts are out there. The facts are not always pretty, but we must discuss them and how we will improve. There will be a lot to like about new policies that are put in place by this legislature and some things that make us cringe. Hopefully, we are all in this together and will do whatever it takes to serve kids and improve educational outcomes.

We have a new Education Secretary/Commissioner. His name is Jacob Oliva. I have spoken with him several times and believe he is knowledgeable and has a heart for students. I could not attend the press conference when it was announced that Secretary Oliva was selected to succeed Secretary Key. I emailed Secretary Oliva with my congratulations and asked about connecting in the future. He called within the hour of me sending my email to introduce himself. That shows the kind of person he is. He also was able to attend our Superintendent Symposium and speak to our attendees. Secretary Oliva shared his contact information and asked our leaders to invite him for a visit. I think he will hit the ground running. I hope that Secretary Oliva keeps the customer service attitude that his predecessor had and listens to the voices of educators. He has no easy task ahead of him, but with you all as partners, many good things for students can happen. Welcome, Secretary Oliva!

We have started our AAEA Legislative Committee meetings. Our committees have met twice to review current bills that have been filed. As of this writing, we are tracking sixty-five bills. One bill that we are following is HB1122 concerning the school start date. This bill will restore the old language of the school start date to what it was before the 2021 session. It has passed both chambers and is awaiting Governor Sanders’s signature. This bill has an emergency clause, so it will be in effect soon as you plan your calendars for the 2023-2024 school year. We thank all who sponsored this bill for addressing this issue. Another bill that we are watching is HB1192. This bill concerns altering the governance structure of our education service cooperatives. The ESCs are a vital part of the education support system governed by a representative from each member district. ESC Directors are taking the lead on working with the bill sponsor to address concerns and provide data regarding their functions. The Governor’s education reform bill is expected in the coming weeks. It will encompass her LEARNS initiative. We eagerly await the bill to be filed so we can review the contents. There have been several Executive Orders that the Governor has signed, and some focus on education. DESE leaders are planning to provide information soon about the impact of the EOs.

We are so thankful for all of our members and what you do for students in Arkansas. We hope you will continue contacting your elected officials on issues factually and positively. We need to remain positive and present information to all parties to help them make decisions based on facts, not untruths, emotions, or biases. We know what we do for students and how special public education is for our state. Supporting students is the main thing, and we must keep that the main thing.