LRSD superintendent: Won't be distracted by takeover lawsuit

Little Rock School District Superintendent Baker Kurrus said Thursday during a meeting of the Arkansas Board of Education that he is letting lawyers handle a pending federal lawsuit seeking to reverse the state takeover of the district.

"I'll get served today with a lawsuit. That's part of the job, but we're not going to be distracted in the least by any of this stuff," he said. "Every day, I'm going to get up and sit in that chair, and I'm going to give you everything I've got."

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that the 71-page lawsuit filed against Little Rock School District leaders on behalf of a group of parents, students and two displaced district board members also is an attempt to end "unconstitutional policies and practices."

Arkansas Education Commissioner Johnny Key also read a statement regarding the lawsuit during Thursday's meeting, saying that the state Department of Education's legal team is reviewing the filing.

"Student learning occurs in the classroom, not in the courtroom. To that end, this agency will remain focused on supporting Baker Kurrus and his team in improving the delivery of education to all the students of the Little Rock School District," the statement reads in part.

Kurrus also spoke at Thursday's meeting on findings from efforts to revitalize six schools in academic distress within the district, saying data have proved to be "very, very troubling."

"We have many, many students who were substantially behind where they should be in our distressed schools," he said. "These students have long way to go. We knew this was a challenging task. It's more daunting than I had anticipated."

Deputy Superintendent Marvin Burton outlined a new district organizational structure that will focus on placing students and teachers as the top priority.

Read Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.