Administrator Spotlight:
Jeremy Lasiter
Director of Legal Affairs, Bryant School District "I have the best job of any attorney in Arkansas," proclaims Jeremy Lasiter, Director of Legal Affairs for the Bryant School District. "I always wanted to use my legal training to serve the public, and education turned out to be the best way to do that." Jeremy previously worked for the United States Air Force and the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office but jumped at the opportunity to use his legal training to work in education. In 2008, he became the General Counsel for the Arkansas Department of Education, serving as chief legal advisor to the Commissioner of Education and the Arkansas State Board of Education. In 2015, he left the ADE to join the administration team at Bryant Public Schools, where he has remained since. Mr. Lasiter says his favorite part of his job is the people he works with. "I am privileged to work with around 1,000 truly dedicated professionals." He says that no day is ever the same - each day brings a new set of issues to address, an aspect of the job that he finds exciting, but also challenging. However, he says if anyone is interested in a similar career, then he wholeheartedly recommends it. "No other field serves the public more effectively and extensively than the field of education. It is truly an honor." His mother once told him, “You can always get there from here,” meaning that "regardless of where you are at the present time, you can always get to where you want to be. There are many routes to your desired destination. Be persistent, never give up and never lose faith even if you feel lost." It is advice he finds has helped him throughout his career, especially considering that he finds education is in a constant state of change. "There’s always a new program, test or approach. It seems the new laws impacting education have increased exponentially over the past few years," he states. "I am troubled by the unwarranted attacks on public education and educators, but I am heartened by the fact that most Arkansans, including those in my school district, are pleased with the quality of their community’s public school system." Mr. Lasiter says he has several personal goals he is still working toward - "Those will always be a work in progress. Professionally, I just try to be better at my job and a better colleague each day, through constant learning, reflection and development." His efforts to that end were recently recognized, and he was named the ArkASPA Administrator of the Year for 2023. "I was extremely honored. I have the privilege of being a part of a network of amazing professionals. For them to choose me for that award was humbling, but much appreciated," he says. For his future plans, he simply hopes his school board allows him to continue to be to be Director of Legal Affairs for Bryant Public Schools, albeit, he says, "a much better, wiser and more experienced one." 7
