Who:
For AR Kids is a coalition of community groups, educators, parents, students, and other education advocates who came together to make sure every Arkansas student has access to the high-quality education they deserve. Some of the organizations working on the ballot measure include the Arkansas Public Policy Panel, the Arkansas Conference of the NAACP, the Arkansas Education Association, the Arkansas Retired Teachers Association, Arkansans for a World-Class Education, and the Citizens First Congress.
What:
The Arkansas Educational Rights Amendment is a ballot measure that will ensure all Arkansas students have access to a high-quality education. It strengthens opportunities for students in 3 ways:
Guarantee voluntary universal access to 4 of the most powerful, proven boosts to student success: pre-K for 3-4 year olds, afterschool & summertime programming, quality special education, and extra educational support for low-income children;
Establish the minimum quality standards in the Arkansas Constitution; and
Create a level playing field for all schools that receive taxpayer funds by requiring them to meet the same high-quality standards that traditional public schools are required to follow.
When:
The Arkansas Educational Rights Amendment will appear on your November 5th General Election ballot if we collect 91,000 valid signatures from Arkansas voters before July 5th. Signing the petition is not a vote for the measure, it simply allows us to place the measure on the ballot so you and other Arkansas voters have the chance to decide whether to approve it or not. Once the measure passes in November, it will take effect in January 2025, but it will take lawmakers and the Department of Education some time to implement it.
Where:
The Arkansas Educational Rights Amendment adds language to improve educational opportunities for all students to the existing education clause of the Arkansas State Constitution.
Why is the Arkansas Educational Rights Amendment necessary?
Arkansas students are not getting the support they need to reach their full potential. Arkansas ranks near last in educational performance. Lawmakers have neglected the most effective programs to boost learning. They have diverted public taxpayer funds to charter and private schools that don’t have to play by the same rules or meet the same standards. Some examples of misplaced priorities are:
Pre-K is one of the most effective boosts to student learning but it’s not accessible to many Arkansas children because lawmakers haven’t increased funding for pre-K programs in over 15 years.
Afterschool and summer programs are also proven, powerful tools to boost student learning, but Arkansas lawmakers have NEVER invested state dollars in these programs.
Poverty is the biggest negative impact on student learning and Arkansas ranks at the bottom of child poverty rates. Arkansas has some resources dedicated to helping children in poverty, but lawmakers have not invested what they should in one of the most effective ways to help struggling students.
Special education is underfunded by over $100 million according to Arkansas’ own report from 2016 – but the state ignored the findings and is not adequately meeting the needs of special needs students.
Does the measure create unfunded burdens on local school districts?
No, the Arkansas Educational Rights Amendment makes it a state obligation to support the proven reforms that will boost student performance. Local schools will receive more state resources to meet those needs after the measure passes.
How do we know the reforms in the Arkansas Educational Rights Amendment will help students?
There is clear consensus among educators and education researchers that 4 of the most powerful strategies available to boost student learning are pre-k, afterschool, and summer programs, support for children in poverty, and quality special education. You can find links to some of the research at ForARKids.org
How much will it cost to implement the programs in the measure?
We are working on a cost estimate but don’t have it yet. For pre-k, special education, and support for children in poverty we will be expanding to make them more accessible to all children who want them instead of just the lucky few. Afterschool and summer programs currently receive no state funds, but a framework for the program was passed in 2009 called the Positive Youth Development Act that can be built upon. The minimum quality standards in the measure should not cost the state more to meet since they are identical to the ones ordered by the Arkansas Supreme Court in the 2002 Lakeview decision that the state is already under a court order to meet.
How will we pay for the programs in the measure?
The Arkansas Educational Rights Amendment sets out what quality education in Arkansas includes, just like the existing education clause of the Constitution – it does not mandate how they are funded. That is left up to lawmakers to decide.
Arkansas lawmakers just passed a sweeping education restructuring with the LEARNS Act, shouldn’t we give it more time to see how it impacts the state?
The LEARNS Act contained some good ideas, like raising minimum teacher pay and creating more focus on literacy. However, it failed to invest in the most effective reforms to boost student learning. LEARNS also created a new tier of taxpayer-funded schools – private schools that receive vouchers – making the education system even more uneven. We have traditional public schools that must meet the highest standards, then we have charter schools that are publicly funded but have lower standards on things like curriculum and teacher quality, and now we have publicly funded private schools that have even lower minimum standards. The Arkansas Educational Rights Amendment levels that playing field by requiring ALL schools that receive taxpayer, and public funding to meet the same high standards.
What schools will be impacted by the measure?
All schools that receive taxpayer funded support – traditional public, charter, and private schools that accept vouchers will all be on a level playing field and need to meet the same standards. Private schools and homeschoolers who do not accept taxpayer funded vouchers will continue to be exempt.
How can I help?
You can sign the petition to give Arkansas voters the chance to vote on the measure. You can volunteer to help us collect signatures – we are a grassroots campaign dependent on volunteers. We are collecting individual and organizational endorsements on our website - we’d love to have yours! And you can donate to help the campaign - we don’t have high-dollar special interests funding our campaign, we need grassroots donors like you to help.