Outgoing Little Rock School District Superintendent Baker Kurrus bid a tearful goodbye Thursday after a year leading the district.
At a meeting of the State Board of Education, which took over the district and appointed Kurrus last year, and in front of Education Commission Johnny Key, who decided to replace him earlier this year, Kurrus said the district had made improvements in student achievement.
"We're just in the woods; we're not out of the woods yet," Kurrus said.
He presented first- and second-grade test scores that showed improvement for both grades in math, reading and language when compared with national averages.
According to the figures Kurrus presented, Little Rock first-graders scored in the 44th percentile nationally, an increase of more than 15 percent from the year before, while second-graders scored in 49th percentile, an increase of 13 percent.
During a public comment period, state Sen. Joyce Elliot, D-Little Rock, said the scores were encouraging but continued her call for the district to be returned to local control.
"Think about school districts as more than just data," Elliot said. "Data points are perfect for business, but they are imperfect for teaching."
Kurrus promised he would "have skin in the game" after he finishes his contract at the end of this month.
Kurrus became emotional as he presented a picture of himself posing with a 4-year-old he nicknamed Spider-Man.
"He's the reason why this is important," Kurrus said.
Read Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.