Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed an executive order Wednesday intended to serve as a blueprint for her education priorities, including expanding early childhood education, improving literacy and reevaluating school accountability metrics.
During a news conference, Sanders said she expected her eighth executive order to “run parallel” with a single education bill she hoped lawmakers would pass during the legislative session.
“We are going to have a laser like focus on improving education in the state,” Sanders said.
In recent months, Sanders has repeatedly cited education as a top priority of her administration. During her inaugural address Tuesday, she said she aimed to become “Arkansas’s education governor.”
Part of the order directs the state Department of Education to study the availability of early learning programs for Arkansas students.
