2 candidates vie to head up union
Two Little Rock School District educators are candidates for president of the Arkansas Education Association, which is the state's largest teacher and educational support staff union.
Carol Fleming, a s̶p̶e̶e̶c̶h̶-̶l̶a̶n̶g̶u̶a̶g̶e̶ ̶s̶p̶e̶c̶i̶a̶l̶i̶s̶t̶ speech-language pathologist* at Pulaski Heights Middle School, and Cathy Koehler, a library media specialist most recently at Baseline Elementary School, are vying for the position held by Brenda Robinson, whose term in the statewide office will expire later this year.
Koehler is president of the Little Rock Education Association, a post she has held since 2007. She is the elected vice president of the Arkansas Education Association.
Fleming has held multiple positions within the state association and is now the state association's elected representative to the National Education Association board of directors.
The election for president of the Arkansas association is set for the period March 27 through April 10.
Education Board plans Dermott stop
The Arkansas Board of Education, which typically meets for two days a month in Little Rock, is making a one-day change in location this month to Dermott.
The board will meet at its usual location at the Arkansas Department of Education in Little Rock at 10 a.m. Thursday.
On Friday, however, after convening at 9 a.m. to honor nationally certified teachers, the Education Board will adjourn and travel to Dermott School District for an afternoon work session that will include a school tour, meetings with the district's staff members and a community meeting. That community meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. in the district's administration building.
NLR district chief gets new job goals
Newly approved job goals for North Little Rock Superintendent of Schools Kelly Rodgers call for a 10 percent gain in student achievement on state-required tests in this 2016-17 school year.
The North Little Rock School Board on Thursday approved a superintendent's professional growth plan for Rodgers that is comprised of three goals and accompanying strategies and timelines for accomplishing them.
In addition to improvements in student achievement, the job goals call for a balanced budget for the district that reflects the loss of state desegregation aid, and for the development of a strategic action plan for the school system.
The School Board in January did not take the typical step of extending Rodgers' contract by a year so that he would have the maximum three-year contract allowed by state law. Some board members said at the time that a desire to use the professional growth plan was a reason for withholding the contract extension. As it stands, Rodgers' contract will expire in June 2019.
Bill in Legislature bans study of Zinn
Arkansas lawmakers are considering a bill that would prohibit the state's public schools from using books and related materials by or about the late Howard Zinn.
House Bill 1834, introduced by Rep. Kim Hendren of Gravette, prohibits a public school district or open enrollment public charter school from including in its curriculum or course materials anything to do with Zinn, a historian, social activist and author best known for his 1980 book, A People's History of the United States.
The book offers another interpretation of U.S. history. While highly regarded by some and frequently revised, the work also has been subject to criticism for omissions.
The bill has been referred to the House Education Committee.
Cycle Kids reaches 2 Helena schools
Cycle Kids, a program that provides schools with bikes, helmets, textbooks and teacher training, is now being used at KIPP Delta Elementary Literacy Academy and Eliza Miller Elementary School, both in Helena-West Helena.
The national program, first developed in 2004 in consultation with partners at Boston University, includes both building and learning to ride bicycles. The program is intended to help students make healthier food choices, develop confidence and self-esteem, improve academic achievement, and positively influence their families and communities.
The program in Helena-West Helena is made possible by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation of Bentonville.
School calendars alike for 4 districts
Pulaski County's four school districts have set or recommended nearly identical school calendars for the 2017-18 academic year.
The North Little Rock School Board on Thursday approved the 2017-18 school year calendar that sets Aug. 14 as the first day of school for students.
The calendar continues the district's recent practice of closing schools to students for the entire week of Thanksgiving, Nov. 20 through 24.
The winter break for the Christmas and New Year's Day holidays for students begins Dec. 18. Students resume classes on Jan. 3. The last day of class for students is sent for May 25.
Classes will also start on Aug. 14 in the Little Rock, Pulaski County Special and Jacksonville/North Pulaski school districts.
Pulaski County Special and Jacksonville /North Pulaski students will begin the second semester on Jan. 2, a day earlier than students in Little Rock and North Little Rock.
The last day of school in Jacksonville is recommended to be May 24.
The last day in Pulaski County Special will be May 25.
The last day of school in Little Rock is May 29.
Metro on 03/04/2017
*CORRECTION: Carol Fleming, a speech-language pathologist, and Cathy Koehler, a local education employee association president, are candidates for president of the Arkansas Education Association. Fleming’s job title was incorrect in a previous version of this story.