Executive Viewpoint

Wow! The school year has officially begun. Thank you so much for your leadership in getting things started on your campuses. It was no easy feat with Covid-19 cases on the rise and the Great Mask Debate. I know that you all have done everything you can to keep your students safe with the tools that make the most sense for your community. We were hoping that the year would not be starting this way again, but here we are, and we have to move forward. We can dwell on all things pandemic, but it seems that we will have to learn to thrive through it. I have no doubts you will make it happen. There are a couple of items that will be important as we move forward throughout this school year. These are redistricting based on the new census data and the Adequacy Review.

Redistricting of school board zones comes every ten years when the census data results are available to districts. We are significantly behind the timeline due to the 2020 census data being delayed. One factor that surprised many districts was the number that grew above a 10% or greater minority population based on the census data. Under A.C.A 6-13-631, districts with a 10% or greater minority population must follow the procedures outlined in law with their school board configurations. This population shift may mean zoning for the first time or moving zone lines. These changes typically result in most or all board members being up for election at the same time. The prospect of having a drastically different board could cause some trepidation in any school community. School boards and school staff have invested many years in building a collective vision and mission that best supports student learning in their community. Boards may have completed extensive work on PLC implementation, facility planning, or salary goals with school staff. Hopefully, any changes will be minimal, and the focus on students can remain moving forward. You must take every opportunity to ensure your greater community knows the school's mission, vision, and goals to help with this continuity of governance and leadership.

With your help, the first part of the adequacy review has been completed, answering the survey that went out from the Bureau of Legislative Research back in May. If you recall, the legislature hired Augenblick, Palaich and Associates to review the adequacy process and provide recommendations last biennium. The full report and recommendations can be found here. Some of the recommendations for the Adequacy Committee consisted of the following:

• Conduct a larger-scale study of public school funding every six to 10 years and develop a legislative task force to investigate and address the out-of-school factors inhibiting performance for high-need students

• Create an incentive structure to increase the number of highly qualified teachers at small and high-need schools

• Consider revising the funding formula for students in high-poverty school districts

• Address discrepancies in teacher quality among schools

• Reconsider current resource levels in several parts of the school-funding formula

• Adopt a new definition of career readiness

• Consider the Professional Learning Communities concept as an integral component of adequacy and that higher education institutions in the state incorporate this into their curriculum for elementary and secondary education degrees

Legislators have many facets of policy that they have to consider in addition to education. However, they must spend ample time studying those policies that affect the education of students. As education leaders, closely following and weighing in on the next steps in this adequacy journey will be extremely important over the next biennium. We understand that the formal adequacy review will start in January 2022, but education meetings have already begun. Our AAEA Legislative committees will continue to meet to review legislative committee reports, rule development, and other topics during this timeframe. As you visit with legislators, share the importance of your work to educate all students in Arkansas. Don't forget - policy changes occur even when the legislature is not in session.

Welcome back to school; we are here to serve you!