Representatives from the city of Little Rock, the Little Rock School District and the state have begun meeting to chart a path forward in preparation for the district moving to limited control by a locally elected school board in November 2020.
Mayor Frank Scott Jr., his Chief of Staff Charles Blake and his senior adviser Kendra Pruitt attended an Oct. 18 meeting that included school district Superintendent Mike Poore, assistant superintendents for the district's secondary and elementary schools, Assistant State Superintendent Sheila Whitlow and Reginald Ballard, who is serving as a liaison for the state Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, the city and the school district.
Nearly five years after taking control of the school district because of chronically low test scores, the state Education Board on Oct. 10 approved a plan that will give the district limited authority to govern itself after school board elections in November.
Since that approval, the debate has grown fierce and talk has swirled of a possible teacher strike in light of the state's decision to end recognition of the teachers union after this Thursday.
Poore said Friday in a letter to parents within the district that Little Rock public schools will remain open if teachers strike.
Stephanie Jackson, communications director for the mayor, said the group plans to continue meeting, but a date for its next meeting hasn't been set. A news release Tuesday from the city and school district listed their action items, which include creating a student needs assessment, holding community engagement meetings and performing data analysis in neighborhoods with struggling schools.
In response to an email from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette seeking additional information about Ballard's role, as well as multiple calls to Ballard seeking comment, the Arkansas Department of Education Communications Director Kimberly Mundell said Ballard "was going to pass on an interview."
Mundell wrote that Ballard's position, in addition to being a liaison for the three entities, would entail working with the community to improve stakeholder engagement and community relations regarding the next steps for the district. Ballard previously headed the state's charter school unit.
"He is adjusting to his new role and is diligently working to strengthen partnerships between all stakeholders committed to ensuring the Little Rock School District meets the needs of all students," Mundell said.
Poore said the Oct. 18 meeting was a starting point.
"It was just an initial meeting to understand some of the things we're going to need to do, what would need to be in place to create a discourse with the larger community," Poore said Friday. "We do not have a concrete action plan."
Poore said creating a plan will require participation from more people, site by site throughout the district, to assess what services students and families have access to and what is needed. He said he hoped to have the first meetings at each of the schools before Christmas.
Melanie Fox, a member of the district's community advisory board, said she thought the cooperation among the three entities marked progress, recalling her time on the district's locally elected board from 2006-12.
"There were a lot of great efforts within the community, but it was disjointed," Fox said. "I think a concrete effort to bring everything together would be beneficial."
Information for this article was contributed by Dale Ellis of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Metro on 10/27/2019