FEATURED ARTICLES
AAEA Staff
Dr. Megan Duncan Executive Director m.duncan@theaaea.org
Dr. Karla Neathery
Assistant Executive Director k.neathery@theaaea.org
Lenett Thrasher Assistant Executive Director l.thrasher@theaaea.org
Sharon Chuculate Fiscal Services Coordinator s.chuculate@theaaea.org
Sarah Shamburger Business Manager s.shamburger@theaaea.org
Alyse Mattox Communications & Technology Specialist a.mattox@theaaea.org
Melanie Thrasher Business Analyst m.thrasher@theaaea.org
Lana Webb Membership & Certification Coordinator l.webb@theaaea.org
Mike Mertens Consultant m.mertens@theaaea.org
2025 Calendar of Events
July
CASBO Classes, July 8-9, 2025 Benton Event Center
CFD Classes, July 24, 2025 Trane Fort Smith
AAEA Summer Conference, July 28-30, 2025 Marriott Hotel & Statehouse Convention Center, Little Rock
September
AAFC Fall Conference, September 17-19, 2025 Hot Springs Convention Center
ArkASPA Fall Conference, September 23, 2025 Benton Event Center
ASPMA Conference, September 29-October 1, 2025 Hot Springs Convention Center
October
AAGEA Conference, October 1-2, 2025 Benton Event Center
CASBO Classes, October 29-30, 2025 UCA Brewer Hegeman Conference Center
November
AAEA Fall Conference, November 13, 2025 Benton Event Center
For more information, visit theaaea.org/events.
2025-2026 AAEA Board of Directors
Charles Warren AAEA President Chief Financial Officer, Fort Smith
Dr. Debbie Bruick-Jones AASA President Superintendent, Bentonville
Shavon Jackson AAESP President-Elect Principal, Russellville
Melissa Powell ArkASPA President Assistant Superintendent & Director of HR, El Dorado
Justin Robertson AASBO Past President Chief Financial Officer, Russellville
Molly Davis AAMLA President Principal, Rogers
Dr. Megan Duncan AAEA Executive Director
Dr. Jason Reeves AAEA President-Elect and AASSP Past President Assistant Principal, Alma
Dr. Jeremy Owoh AASA President-Elect Superintendent, Jacksonville/ North Pulaski
Steven Helmick AAESP Past President Principal, Little Rock
Shantele Raper AACTEA President Career & Technical Administrator, Rivercrest
Domonique Alexander AASEA President Special Education Supervisor, Fort Smith
Randall Bolinger ASPMA President (until Oct) Maintenance/Facilities Supervisor, Siloam Springs
Dr. Jared Cleveland AAEA Secretary Superintendent, Springdale
Dr. Karen Walters AASA Secretary Superintendent, Bryant
Jason Selig AASSP President Principal, Lake Hamilton
Lea Metcalf-McDonald AAFC President Director of Federal TexarkanaPrograms,
Dr. Kelli Martin AACIA President DeputyGreenbrierSuperintendent,
Raymond Reynolds ASPMA President (begin Oct) Maintenance/Facilities Supervisor, Searcy
Stacy DeFoor
AAEA Past President Assistant Superintendent, Sheridan
Betsy Laughter AAESP President Principal, Marion
Charles Nelson AASSP President-Elect Principal, Greene County Tech
Pam McCammon AASBO President BusinessGreenbrierManager,
Valerie King AAGEA President Director of Gifted Programs, Siloam Springs
B.J. TEL-ARBurgessPresident Director of GreenbrierTechnology,
2025 AAEA Corporate Sponsors
Presidential
American Fidelity Assurance Co.
Bailey Education Group
Curriculum Associates
Educational Benefits
Lifetouch National School Studios
NIET - National Institute for Excellence in Teaching Solution Tree
Prestigious Cognia
Renaissance Learning
Stephens
Distinguished Apptegy
Arkansas Army National Guard
Capturing Kids’ Hearts
Coryell Roofing and Construction
Lexia Learning
The Kirkland Group
Diamond
Amazon Business
Baldwin & Shell
First Security Beardsley
Imagine Learning
OnToCollege
Phoenix Contractors
Platinum
AAMSCO
Architecture Plus
Arkansas Public Safety Solutions
C.R. Crawford Construction
Energy Systems Group
ESS
Hight Jackson Associates PA
HMH | NWEA
Just Right Reader
Legacy Construction Management
Nabholz | Entegrity Energy Partners
Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects
Powers of Arkansas
Progressive Technologies
Pro Service Builders
TRANE
Gold
CDI Contractors
Cromwell Architects Engineers
Cynergy Rehab Group
Goalbook
IXL Learning
Kinco Constructors
Middleton Heat and Air
Paragon Architecture
Red Comet
TIPS The Interlocal Purchasing System
White River Services and Solutions
WIlson Language Training
Silver
American Bus Sales Correll
French Architects, PA
K12 Tutoring
My Benefits Channel
SEAS
SmartData All-In-One Strategos Group
INTRODUCTION
Dear AAEA Members,
Executive Viewpoint
Dr. Megan Duncan, AAEA Executive Director
It is with deep gratitude and excitement that I begin my role as the next Executive Director of the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators.
I want to sincerely thank Dr. Mike Hernandez for his outstanding leadership and the steady, thoughtful guidance he provided throughout his tenure as Executive Director of AAEA, and for the support he extended during this transition. I am also grateful to the dedicated AAEA team, whose commitment and hard work make everything we do possible. I look forward to continuing our work together to support educational leaders across the state.
Dr. Hernandez, along with Dr. Noggle, Dr. Kimbrell, Dr. Abernathy, and many others, have helped shape AAEA into a strong, respected association that champions school leaders across Arkansas. Their work has left a lasting and meaningful impact on students, educators, and leaders throughout the state.
As we turn this page together, I am proud to serve alongside the exceptional administrators who make up the AAEA community. My journey in education has been fueled by a deep respect for educators, a drive to develop strong leadership, and a central belief in the power of education to change lives.
I come from a family of lifelong educators. My dad, David, was a band director, and my mom, Jane, taught English. Growing up immersed in the school world, I developed a deep appreciation for the dedication and impact educators have on their communities. I’m a proud mom to David, Meredith, and Cole, and feel truly fortunate to be married to my high school sweetheart, Wayne.
I have served as a classroom teacher, principal, superintendent, deputy superintendent, assistant commissioner, and adjunct professor at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Go Hogs! In every role, I’ve seen the difference that strong, connected leadership can provide for our students and communities.
Over the coming months, I look forward to reconnecting with familiar faces and getting to know our new members. I’m eager to listen, learn from your experiences, and explore how AAEA can support you in practical and meaningful ways. This is a time of growth and possibility for our organization, and I am committed to bringing fresh ideas and energy as we move forward.
AAEA’s greatest strength is each of you. The dedication of our board, staff, constituent groups, and members across the state is what makes this association so impactful. Together, we will continue to strengthen our collective voice, elevate leadership at every level, and improve outcomes for all students. In the words of my mentor, “All means All.”
Thank you for your warm welcome and the extraordinary work you do every day. I’m honored to serve Arkansas educators and excited about what we will accomplish together.
With appreciation,
Dr. Megan Slocum Duncan Executive Director
Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators
President’s Perspective
Charles Warren, AAEA Board President
HAPPY FISCAL NEW YEAR!
I’ve used that line for over sixteen years. I even used that line when I was an accountant for a private company that had a fiscal year end of September 30th. It’s funny if you’re an accountant. At least that’s what I tell myself this time of the year.
I’m thrilled to serve as President of the AAEA for the next fiscal year. In July, I will be starting my 17th year as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Fort Smith Public Schools (FSPS). I am a CPA by trade with six years in public accounting and another fifteen years in private accounting. The informal training for my current position began as the treasurer and president of my local PTA, the District’s PTA, and Arkansas PTA. That’s how I got my foot in the door into public school finance.
I believe that I am the first AAEA President to serve that never held a teaching license. That’s an honor and a responsibility that I hold dear. I have deep respect for the role of a superintendent and principal. My dad was my elementary principal and my brother has served as a principal and superintendent.
When you look at the membership roll of AAEA, you see that the “Administrator” in AAEA has expanded to include a number of us “classified employees.” An Arkansas administrator may have a title of facility director, food service director, or transportation director. These directors may have never served in the classroom. For many years now, the school business officials of AAEA make up the largest constituency group. I hope to highlight some of the work done by these operational leaders this fiscal year.
Whether you are in public education or not, we all know what a superintendent does. We all know what a principal does. However, a “general business manager” is not a common job title. Sure, Arkansas law 6-15-2302 uses the term of “general business manager” for the position responsible for the fiscal operations of a school district. Sure, that title is sometimes used on business cards. But I’ve seen many of us with various titles such as CFO, district comptroller, district treasurer, business manager, and even assistant superintendent. Technically, my first job title at FSPS was Director of Financial Services. I like to use the term “school business official” (SBO) and will often refer to that term for the next twelve months.
While almost all superintendents and principals come from the classroom, this is not so for SBOs. There are some that do move from the classroom to the business office. Many come from what I call the “real world.” They have worked in accounting offices for private or public companies. They’ve run payroll or kept the books in the real world and then had an opportunity to move into public education.
At FSPS, our business office administrators come from a variety of backgrounds:
• Angie Davis is a CPA that joined FSPS many years ago. She stopped to raise two daughters, with both becoming physicians. She returned to FSPS and now leads a talented payroll team that ensures we are all paid twice a month. No pressure there.
• Craig Tecmire is a military man. He studied logistics while in the Navy. He briefly moved to the classroom after he retired from the Navy. That combination of classroom experience and procurement expertise keeps our Purchasing Department on course, full steam ahead, pun intended.
• Bryan Hewitt started in the business office with no real accounting background. I admire the fact that he is a self-made accountant. He listened and learned from the great mentors that preceded me. After 25 years at FSPS, he can rattle off budget unit numbers so fast I can’t keep up. He is the model of the SBO that become an expert by just doing it.
All of these SBOs will tell you that closing the books in June and starting a new fiscal year in July is hard work. I was told when I was hired to start July 1, 2009 that the business office is busiest during the summer months when school is out. I was cautioned that vacations must be carefully planned if they are taken at all. Payroll is overwhelming in June and accounting isn’t any easier in July.
Please remember us SBOs this summer and Happy Fiscal New Year!
Administrator Spotlight: Kelsey Bailey
Chief Deputy Finance & Operations Officer, Little Rock School District
Kelsey Bailey, Chief Deputy Finance & Operations Officer for the Little Rock School District, says he discovered his interest in business and accounting in high school after taking an accounting class. "I was fascinated by how tracking revenues and expenses played such a vital role in any organization," he states. He began his career in education with roles in higher education: he served as Project Manager at UAMS, Payroll & Position Control Manager at the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, and Director of Financial Services at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He says, "Once I began working in higher education, I realized that an educational environment was where I wanted to spend my career — combining my passion for finance with a greater purpose of supporting student success." In April 2009, he joined the Little Rock School District as the Chief Financial Officer, transitioning later to his current role.
Kelsey says his favorite thing about his job is being able to help ensure students have the resources they need to succeed in the classroom, in their extracurricular activities, and ultimately in life after graduating. One of the major changes he's seen in education over his career is the increasing number of students coming to school with significant social and emotional challenges. At the same time, there’s been a decline in the number of people choosing to work in public education, making it more difficult to meet student needs. The most challenging part of his job is making major budget reductions. "Since personnel costs make up the largest portion of a school district's budget, these cuts often impact positions and that means some valued team members may lose their jobs. It's a difficult but sometimes necessary responsibility." To those considering the career, he says "it will be demanding at times but it will be very rewarding career, and you will make a difference in the lives of many students, educators, and other team members."
Kelsey believes his greatest professional accomplishment was helping lead the district through the reduction of over $50 million from their budget, a result of the loss of desegregation funding and significant enrollment declines. "Despite these challenges, we managed to navigate the process without falling into fiscal distress, which was a major achievement for the stability of our schools and community." For the future, he says, "My ongoing goal is to drive significant improvements in systems and processes that not only strengthen internal controls but also maximize value for the district. At the same time, I am committed to developing our team’s skills and leadership capacity to ensure we are prepared to meet future challenges and opportunities."
with Kelsey Bailey ? ! Q&A
What is the best advice you have ever received?
The best advice I ever received came from my dad. He taught me to always work hard and give my best in everything I do whether it's work or play. He said, "People should know you were there!"
What might other administrators be surprised to know about you?
Other administrators might be surprised to know that I’m an avid hunter. enjoy hunting deer, ducks, rabbits, squirrels, doves, turkeys, and hogs. And honestly, I’d much rather be in shorts, a t-shirt, and Crocs than all dressed up!
What is the most daring thing you’ve done?
The most daring thing I’ve done was ziplining at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. It was an unforgettable experience soaring 130 feet above the ground, right over lions, elephants, rhinos, and giraffes!
What’s something that amazes you?
What amazes me most is the power of God and how personally He has guided and blessed me throughout my life. Looking back, I see so many moments where His presence gave me strength and direction, and I’m truly grateful.
What do you enjoy doing during your time off?
In my time off, I enjoy a variety of activities like hunting, fishing, traveling, grilling and cooking, tennis, playing pool, and coaching/watching my kids in sports. But most of all, I cherish spending quality time with family and friends.
What is one of the things on your “Bucket List?”
One of the things on my bucket list is to travel to all seven continents. I love experiencing new cultures and landscapes, and I think it would be an incredible way to see the diversity of the world firsthand.
When people look back at your life, how do you want to be remembered?
When people look back at my life, I want to be remembered as a loving father, husband, brother, uncle, friend, and colleague. Someone who cared deeply and genuinely helped others. To me, those personal connections and acts of kindness matter far more than any other accomplishments.
What do you see as the biggest benefit of AAEA membership?
The biggest benefit of AAEA membership is the opportunity to network with educational, financial, and operational leaders from across the state. The organization also provides outstanding professional development through its conferences, as well as valuable support and resources to help us grow in our roles.
LEE VENT
Leading up to the 50th anniversary of the AAEA Summer Conference, which will take place on July 28-30, 2025, at the Statehouse Convention Center and Marriott Hotel, we are interviewing some of the greatest Arkansas education leaders over the past several decades. Our fifth interview features Lee Vent, the oldest continuously serving superintendent in Arkansas.
Mr. Lee Vent has been in education for 56 years and has served as a superintendent continuously for the past 43 years. He loves serving in what he calls “the pure Delta.” He was born in 1944 and lived on a farm all of his childhood. He jokingly says that he and Methuselah went to first grade together. Mr. Vent grew up near Carlisle, Arkansas, in the community of Snake Island. He went to school in a three-room schoolhouse, which had no indoor plumbing, and a wood-burning stove was used for heat. Promotion to the next grade level in grades one through three meant you moved over two rows in the same room. His family highly valued education, which caused him to love learning. The small community schools were consolidated in 1953, and Lee started fourth grade in Carlisle. One day during his fourth-grade year, the principal, who also served as one of the third-grade teachers, asked Lee and a few other boys to help load old, dilapidated textbooks into her car. When he asked where they would be taken, Ms. Martin said they were going to “the colored school.” Mr. Lee could not understand why his school was getting new readers, and the children at the other school were getting old and outdated books. Brown v. The Board of Education took place the following year, and “separate but equal” became unconstitutional.
After graduating from high school, Lee went to visit his brother at the Air Force base in Clovis, New Mexico. While there, he joined the Army and said it was one of the best moves he made because it allowed him to see parts of the world he would never have seen otherwise. The GI Bill of Rights was passed following the Vietnam era, which allowed him to start college at ASU Beebe. Mr. Vent married his wife, Carolyn, attended college, and graduated after his third year. He finished his Master’s degree in his fourth year and had his superintendent credentials by the end of his fifth year. After student teaching in Jonesboro, he was hired at the New Madrid R4 Reorganized School District in Missouri to teach social studies because their teacher had been drafted. This was the first year of total integration there, which led to an interesting year for everyone.
Mr. Vent has spent most of his educational career in schools along the Mississippi Delta. He was hired to oversee the cooperative education program in the Clarendon School District, which led to working at the Phillips County Community College in Helena. At that time, the Delta had great political and financial strength. He states that the pendulum began to swing with the onset of the modernization of agriculture. For example, a modern-day cotton picker picks 6 rows of cotton at one time, replacing 255 workers picking 200 pounds of cotton a day. Mr. Lee remembers the devastation to Helena when they padlocked Mohawk Tire and Rubber one night, and 2,500 people lost their jobs.
After a few years, he returned to Clarendon as the middle school principal and then became the superintendent. One day, Keller Noggle called and asked him to consider helping the Northeast AR School District institute a consolidation plan. He soon became the superintendent there, the largest consolidation of larger schools in Arkansas, excluding Pulaski
County. Mr. Vent has served as superintendent of Paragould, Forrest City, and Barton School Districts as well. Through his extensive tenure in this role, he has experienced huge district growth as well as great loss in school districts as industry moved from the Delta to northwest Arkansas. He stated, “Everywhere I’ve been, regardless of the size of the district, I’ve tried to operate it in a sense that we’re family and we care for each other. When one part hurts, the entire family hurts.” Mr. Vent currently serves as the Superintendent of the Clarendon School District, where he was hired to serve on a “temporary basis” 15 years ago.
In 1992, Mr. Vent learned of a new infant to early childhood program, “Parents as First Teachers.” He brought this concept to his district, and it changed his community for the better. He states, “Kids were coming to school kindergarten-ready.” He presented this concept at a national conference twelve years in a row and was recognized as a Senior Associate in the School of the Twenty-first Century. He was presented the Pioneering Award for his efforts.
Mr. Vent feels the greatest change in education was caused by the Lake View lawsuit because it involved every school, every student, and every taxpayer in Arkansas. In 2002, the State Supreme Court declared the entire operational side, including the academic and facility sides, unconstitutional. This caused an extensive Special Session in 2003. Mr. Vent remembers testifying on the day Katrina hit New Orleans. He describes it as “a day I will never forget. The clouds were flying backward, and I was on the witness stand for six hours.” He continued, “It was a great experience upon reflection, but it was challenging at the time. We lost some political capital, but it was worth it for our kids. Adequacy was finally addressed.”
When asked about advice to new leaders, Mr. Vent said, “You must learn to delegate authority or it will eat you alive. You cannot micro-manage.” Mr. Vent said he is comfortable with delegating authority, but he knows that at the end of the day, he is the one who is responsible. He said it is like a light switch. “The day you become a superintendent, the switch turns on, and it never turns off. In any other position, you can go home at night and turn the switch off. But, I can be on a south sea island, and if something happens in the district, I am ultimately responsible. I have to be able to accept that.” He wants young superintendents to understand this: “You are the CEO of the biggest organization in your community in many instances.” In his situation, he asks what Clarendon, their city council, and quorum court would have to bring in to have an industry bigger than what they already have in the school? Mr. Vent continued, “I can think of no other institution in the history of our great country that we could credit any more in our economic growth, being the number one nation in the world and number one economy in the world, than public education…But, we have become ‘the great proving ground’ for all of society’s experiments…We (public education) are the number one target for all the blame. But we can’t give in to that. We have to continue striving to improve and to do the great work we were put here to do.”
In college, Mr. Vent’s political science professor gave him some of the best advice he’s been given. He stated, “When you move to a new town, the best thing to do to learn who is in charge is to drive through the graveyard. Whoever has the biggest tombstone, you better learn their name because that’s what you are going to be dealing with.”
Mr. Vent lives with his daughter, Jennifer. She and his son, Jeff, live beside each other in Holly Grove. He has six grandchildren. He lost his son, Tim, and his wife of 54 years, Carolyn, in the same year. Mr. Vent said his job as superintendent is the therapy that keeps him going. He lives on East Lake and loves to ease down to the lake when it isn’t hunting season, and he loves to garden. He and his staff are working to get their students more involved in the outdoors, especially those who do not have anyone to take them fishing, hunting, or canoeing. Mr. Vent has had eleven children go through the Clarendon school system, some were his own, and others were family members he helped raise. He said he will continue working until he either rides off into the sunset or is carried off into the sunset. Thank you for the many years of leadership, Mr. Vent!
Click here to watch Mr. Lee Vent’s interview and learn more about this Legacy Leader.
PART 5: CHANGES AND CHALLENGES
Join Mike Mertens for a historic review of the AAEA from founding to today in this monthly Youtube series. Watch Part 5: Changes and Challenges
Also, be sure to visit the AAEA Photo Archive to view photos of AAEA over the past 5 decades!
REGISTER NOW!
Come help us celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the AAEA Summer Conference! The 2025 AAEA Summer Conference will be held on July 28-30, 2025, at the Statehouse Convention Center and Marriott Hotel in Little Rock, AR. The event will feature keynote speakers, over one hundred breakout sessions from inspiring educational leaders, an exhibit hall, and hospitality events. Join administrators from across the state to learn, network, and celebrate with those who love public education!
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
DR. TODD WHITAKER JACK BERCKEMEYER
Asked & Answered
Dr. Karla Neathery, AAEA Assistant Executive Director
Our district would like to hire one of our board members' daughters as a teacher for next school year. Are we allowed to employ her?
No, not unless you have approval from the Commissioner. The district shall not initially employ a present board member’s family member for compensation in excess of five thousand dollars ($5,00) unless the district has received approval from the Commissioner. The employment of a present board member's family member shall only be made in unusual and limited circumstances. The authority to make the determination of what qualifies as “unusual and limited circumstances” rests with the Commissioner whose approval is required before the employment contract is effective, valid, or enforceable.
For additional information on hiring of school board members relatives as school employees see Arkansas Code § 6-24-105.
If you have questions for Dr. Neathery, email her at k.neathery@theaaea.org .
Instructional Insights
Arkansas School Named Finalist in Global Education Competition Vote Today to Help Spotlight Great Work in Arkansas on an International Stage!
Submitted by the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching
Arkansas’ Cross County Elementary Technology Academy (CCETA) has been selected as one of 10 finalists in T4 Education’s World’s Best School Prizes in the Overcoming Adversity category. To have the great work happening in Arkansas celebrated at this global level is no small feat, as the competition highlights outstanding schools worldwide and often includes few, if any, schools from the United States.
CCETA is recognized for its dedication to excellence in teaching and learning, as well as its efforts to build resilience and lifelong skills for success among students despite the economic hardships many face. As a school in a rural area with limited access to resources, CCETA has implemented strategies to ensure that its students and educators can thrive, including its long-standing partnership with the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) to embed instructional excellence and strengthen the collaboration and support for all educators.
CCETA celebrates tangible, lasting improvements for both the school and community. Over the past five years, the school’s teacher retention rate has reached 96%, thanks to structured mentoring and professional development. The school culture that resulted from embedding core values into daily instruction resulted in enrollment increasing by 18.6% over the past three years, making CCETA the only school in a 30-mile radius experiencing consistent growth.
“We are extremely proud of the Cross County Elementary Technology Academy on being named a finalist for this award,” Arkansas Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva said. “The school’s commitment to providing robust professional development for its teachers, focus on teacher retention, and purposeful efforts to enhance character education for students resulted in tangible results that have positively improved student learning.”
What’s next for CCETA? Each finalist will go through a judging process to compete for Top 3 - and the public can vote to help advance their school and represent their state and country on an international stage. To vote for CCETA, visit the World’s Best School Prizes’ page and search for CCETA in the search bar, or scroll through the schools to find them below. Voting ends on July 9, 2025, so be sure to help support this fellow Arkansas school before the window closes!
Publication Sneak Peek: The Cutting Edge
This segment features content from other AAEA publications. The Cutting Edge is a monthly publication available to AACTEA members. The following excerpt comes from the June 2025 issue.
STEM University Planned for Northwest Arkansas
Sam Walton heirs recently announced a plan to launch a private university focused on science and tech, located on the company's old HQ campus near downtown Bentonville. The future STEM university plans to offer innovative, flexible pathways to jobs in automation, logistics, biotech and computing — fields crucial to Northwest Arkansas' future. The school will offer stackable, flexible credentials aligned with fast-moving, in-demand fields such as computing, technical management, automation and logistics, and biomedical technology.
UACC - Batesville Secondary Career Center Geared for High In-Demand Careers
Partnering with seven public school districts, the Secondary Career Center at UACCB offers a wide variety of career and technical education opportunities for high school students. Offerings are specifically designed to prepare students for in-demand careers and give them the skills needed to succeed. Get job-ready and/or receive college credit at the same time. UACCB programs of study include Cybersecurity Fundamentals, Advanced Manufacturing, Health Professions, Heavy/Compact Equipment, and Industrial Technology.
NWACC to Offer Trail Technical Certification
NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) recently selected NOCTI/Nocti Business Solutions as its development and delivery partner for the Trail Technician Level 1 certification. This nationally recognized certification covers the essential skills and techniques required to create and maintain well-designed, safe, and sustainable mountain bike trails and is available for individuals seeking certification. Northwest Arkansas has emerged as a major outdoor hub, with its OZ Trails network attracting cyclists, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts. This certification is a tool to help professionals showcase skills and give employers a trusted benchmark to identify talent in this rapidly growing sector.
Interested in more from The Cutting Edge? Contact our office at 501-372-1691.
The AAEA Job Board is a calendar-year subscription that assists districts with the ever-increasing challenge of recruiting quality staff. It is a significant resource for educators, both in-state and out-of-state, seeking employment in Arkansas schools.
Over 165 school districts are participating in the program, which has been extremely helpful to schools and educators over the years. The site is used year-round and is accessed extensively during the second semester. It is not unusual to see over 400 jobs posted on the Job Board at one time. With an account, school districts may post unlimited job vacancies throughout the year.
To subscribe (by district) or to post job openings, contact Lana Webb, Administrative Specialist, at l.webb@theaaea.org or at 501-372-1691.
Job Openings
CoSN: Support for Technology Administrators
CoSN is a great resource for school technology administrators. Check this page monthly for links to articles to assist technology leaders as they navigate through digital learning transformations.
