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Axios
4 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
Arkansas schools must offer paid maternity leave
Public schools in Arkansas are now required to offer paid maternity leave, Arkansas Department of Education spokesperson Kimberly Mundell confirmed to Axios. State of play: Act 904 of 2025 removed language from the law that said employees of school districts and public charter schools "that elect to participate" are eligible for paid maternity leave. Flashback: Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' sweeping education law, the LEARNS Act of 2023, allowed schools to offer up to 12 weeks of paid maternity leave with the state covering half of the "incurred costs." The state education board later interpreted "incurred costs" to mean the substitute pay during the time a teacher is out on leave, given that the school district would have budgeted to pay the teacher's salary regardless. By the numbers: Of more than 220 districts in the state, 22 districts offered any paid maternity leave during the 2023-24 school year. None were in Northwest Arkansas, and school leaders told Axios the costs were still too much for districts and that increased teacher absences would exacerbate a struggle to find qualified substitutes. The latest: The law is now amended so that the state will pay all "incurred costs" or 100% of the substitute pay. The state estimates the revised program could cost up to about $3.4 million a year, according to a fiscal impact statement. The state paid $136,394 of its $3 million budget for the school maternity leave program during the 2023-24 school year.
Axios
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Court upholds Arkansas' school indoctrination bans
Arkansas' bans on critical race theory instruction and "indoctrination" in schools held up in court this week. The big picture: A three-judge panel from the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the bans do not violate students' free speech rights because the government can lawfully dictate what is taught in schools, the Arkansas Advocate reported. Zoom in: Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' sweeping education law, the LEARNS Act of 2023, includes a section on "prohibited indoctrination." It's defined as communication by a public school employee or guest speaker that compels a person to adopt, affirm or profess an idea that people of a legally protected group like race, sex or religion are inherently superior or inferior or that people of a protected group should be discriminated against. The law specifically calls critical race theory "prohibited indoctrination." Context: Critical race theory holds that racism is baked into the formation of the nation and ingrained in the U.S. legal, financial and education systems, Axios' Russell Contreras writes. It was developed in law schools in the late 1970s and early 1980s and does not teach that members of any race, group, religion or nationality are superior. Some scholars argue that race-based policies, like affirmative action, or those that take race into account, like redistricting protections, are needed to address racial inequity. Flashback: U.S. District Court Judge Lee Rudofsky temporarily halted implementation of the indoctrination section of LEARNS from going into effect in May 2024. What they're saying: The First Amendment right to receive information doesn't authorize a court to require the state to retain curriculum materials or instruction, even if information was removed for political reasons the Arkansas Advocate reported.
Axios
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Gov. Sanders shifts her attention from acts to action
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said her administration will save Arkansas about $1 million by eliminating unused phone and fax lines. "I think there were north of like, 20 lines being run just into this physical office," she told Axios in a recent interview. She reached behind a couch and pulled out a bundle of cords. "I use my cell phone exclusively." The cut is part of the promised $300 million in savings from the Arkansas Forward initiative and emblematic of her approach to state government. The big picture: Arkansas' first female governor and the youngest in the U.S. is more than halfway through her first term. There've been a few clouds — Podiumgate, struggles to fund a new prison, critiques of the education voucher program. Still, she counts the LEARNS Act of 2023 — including school vouchers — income and grocery tax cuts, a higher education reform package and the Healthy Moms Healthy Babies Act as wins. State of play: The conversation was before the final passage of the federal "big, beautiful bill" this month, so not all impacts to the state were yet known. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. How did the legislative session go? It had a different feel than the first one, but a similar focus on education, public safety, economic development, tourism. Passing the legislation is the easy part, implementation is the hard part. That's what we're doing now, not just from this session, but also the session from two years ago. What's the status of the Arkansas Forward initiative? We were able to identify at least $300 million in savings or cost avoidance, and those things are going into effect. We're going to electronic payments for our vendors. We have over 20,000 vendors … it will save about $1.5 million just on printing and postage. The elimination of unused phone lines was another example. A public dashboard is expected this summer from the Department of Shared Administrative Services so Arkansans can track progress. What if there are cuts to Medicaid funding in the reconciliation bill? The goal of a program like that is never to keep people on it. Unfortunately, there are going to be people who always likely need assistance, and we want those people to be covered, but that's not the priority. We'll continue to look at reforms like the workforce requirement program waiver that we're seeking … that's where the state really can make changes. What's on your agenda now? Until everyone is thriving, until we have zero kids in foster care, until we have no one dependent on the government for their food, their health care, their housing and everyone has access to and is taking advantage of a quality education, until every student graduates and is either enrolled, enlisted or employed, we still have work to do. The same priorities I laid out when I ran for governor are going to continue to be what I focus on, hopefully for the next five and a half years. Any aspirations to run for president? This is home for me. My kids are happy. I have spent time in Washington — I couldn't get out of there fast enough and get home. I want to support and help President Trump be really successful, and I think I can do that best by being a great governor of our state. What we're watching: Sanders attended the Paris Air Show in June. A spokesperson told us last week she had several productive conversations there and that they expect developments related to the visit to be announced in the coming days.
Axios
25-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
Most NWA teachers get raises, but state still loses teachers
Arkansas teacher pay continues to rise, especially in NWA's largest districts, but keeping teachers in the classroom across the state is still a bigger challenge than it was before the pandemic. The big picture: The state's teacher retention rate remained below pre-pandemic levels in the 2024-2025 school year, with about 87% sticking around compared to 90% before the pandemic, according to a report from the University of Arkansas Office for Education Policy. The nearly 13% leaving includes teachers departing public education, retiring or moving to a non-teaching role. Yes, but: Retention rates are a hyper-local issue, ranging anywhere from 55% to 95% depending on the district, according to the report. Most of the lowest rates are in southern and eastern Arkansas. In Benton and Washington counties, Pea Ridge had the lowest retention rate during the 2024-25 school year at 68.3%, while Bentonville had the highest at 85.8% with Springdale just behind at 85.7%. Flashback: The LEARNS Act of 2023 raised the state's minimum teacher salary from $36,000 to $50,000 and removed a requirement for teachers to be paid more based on education and experience. The large school districts in NWA, which already paid a minimum of around $50,000 or more, kept salary schedules guaranteeing that teachers with master's degrees would be paid more and each year of additional experience would result in higher pay. Some of the smaller districts that had to offer significant salary bumps under LEARNS went to hybrid models, like offering more money after five years experience, while a few paid the minimum $50,000 to everyone. By the numbers: Starting in the 2025-26 school year, new teachers with a bachelor's degree will earn $56,326 in Bentonville, $54,100 in Springdale, $54,000 in Fayetteville and $53,250 in Rogers, according to data from the school districts. All are increases from what the four largest districts offered in the 2024-25 school year. Other districts like Siloam Springs, Prairie Grove and Elkins are bumping their minimum pay, while some of the smaller districts like Gravette, Greenland and Decatur will keep the starting pay of $50,000. The latest: Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced this week that the state will award merit bonuses of up to $10,000 to about 4,300 educators, more than 800 of whom will receive $5,000 or more. Last year, the state awarded bonuses to about 3,000 educators. The bonuses are another provision of the LEARNS Act and can be given based on factors like teaching in a critical needs area, mentoring new teachers or improvements on students' academic assessments. What they're saying: While the state has made meaningful strides for strengthening its teacher pipeline, continued progress will require "strengthening support for early-career teachers, improving working conditions and addressing the specific needs of high-turnover districts," according to the Office for Education Policy report.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arkansas afterschool programming appropriation targets DEI policies
Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, asks a question about House Bill 1489 on the Senate floor Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) Youth organizations that promote diversity initiatives would be prohibited from receiving state grants under an appropriation bill approved by a legislative subcommittee Tuesday. Senate Bill 362 states that grant money will not be awarded to an organization that 'compels' a person to subscribe to an idea 'in violation of Title IV and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.' This would include any requirement that an individual is 'inherently superior or inferior' depending on their race, sex, age, religion, national origin, or 'other characteristic protected by federal or state law.' Bill sponsor Sen. Kim Hammer, a Benton Republican, said during the Joint Budget Committee's Special Language subcommittee meeting that it was important the grant funding goes to groups 'that align with the educational goals of the governor and General Assembly.' 'Some of this language is borrowed … out of Senator Petty's bill, because I think it's good language that kinda identifies that we want youth organizations that are meeting in the afterschool setting to align with the educational goals of the state of Arkansas with any of the programs that they may initiate,' Hammer said. The bill also lifts some language from the LEARNS Act of 2023, Hammer said, as far as 'what's allowable.' Nonprofits affiliated with a broader, national organization that wish to receive youth organization funds must submit a memorandum of understanding signed by both that acknowledges the state-level organization intends to comply with the law's provisions prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Legislators both in Arkansas and across the country have taken aim at DEI in public education in recent years. In a Joint Performance Review Committee meeting in 2023, Hammer questioned representatives of Arkansas Boys and Girls Club affiliates about the national organization's directives on the use of pronouns and other DEI issues. 'The Boys and Girls Club has a longstanding tradition of being built on traditional values. We'd hate to see that lost to any 'wokeism,'' he said in that meeting. The LEARNS Act, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' signature education law, prohibited 'indoctrination' by the Arkansas Department of Education or state public schools, while explicitly stating that the law did not ban the discussion of the ideas and history of the ideas otherwise banned or public policy issues that some might find disagreeable or offensive. SB 362 would appropriate $4 million for youth organizations. Appropriation measures specify funding amounts but no money becomes available until approved by the Legislature through the Revenue Stabilization Act. Only 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) organizations that have operated for at least five years, with 'a record of financial stability,' can qualify for the grants, according to the bill. Those operating for less than five years can still qualify for the grants if they provide a financial plan and are in good standing with the Arkansas Secretary of State's office. Regular afterschool programming and educational activities in specific categories would also be needed to qualify an organization for the grant funding; an organization would need to provide programming for four days a week, with a total of 12 hours, during the school year. The organization would need to provide regular programming in two out of five categories to qualify for the grants as well: STEM (science, technology, engineering and math); academic support; goal setting and leadership activities; career exposure and workforce readiness; and community service opportunities. The bill was accepted by the subcommittee with no audible dissents, and will go to the Joint Budget Committee next. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
