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Arkansas is known for its agricultural industry, transportation and logistics sector and steel manufacturers, among other economic strengths. Is our pre-K-12 system next on the list?
Education has become a top priority for our state. We’ve seen a growing commitment to enacting bold changes, including through legislation aimed at better preparing students for college, career and community success.
Why is Arkansas hyperfocused on education, especially in the face of what some may consider more urgent issues, such as labor shortages? Improving outcomes for all students is essential for addressing these challenges and ensuring our state’s broader economic growth and prosperity. As the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation succinctly states, “America’s workforce starts with a strong pre-K-12 education system.”
We can compare our state’s actions to a large-scale construction project. The transformative policies are the architectural blueprint. Next comes the longer, more nuanced part — the build-out. Our ability to create a safe, stable structure — in this case, a robust education system — depends on how those on the ground tailor and execute the designs. Every community is different, and so too are students’ unique needs. Teachers have the classroom insight and the skills needed to make design modifications to keep the project on target and ensure education improvement policies meet their local context.
A Teaching and Teacher Education study emphasizes teachers as “crucial change agents” whose “impact on school improvement differs in degree and quality of their active participation.” At Forward, we’ve seen the pivotal role educators can play in the educational enhancement process. Through the LeARner Collective, we provide participating school teams with the time, support and autonomy to develop innovative solutions. In phase 2, we’ve witnessed their success in creating replicable best practices for deploying new state standards.
Another example of teacher-led innovation is Forward’s Educator Preparation Program (EPP) Design Collaborative. This initiative supports participating universities in developing plans to enhance teacher recruitment, preparation and retention. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock, an implementation grant recipient, found requiring more robust student teaching without compensation could deter those facing financial constraints from pursuing a degree. So it developed partnerships with local districts to fund candidates’ yearlong residencies. By removing this barrier, UA Little Rock attracted more individuals to the field and enhanced access to a vital preparation experience.
The LeARner Collective and EPP Design Collaborative are just two case studies showing how teachers consistently step up when invited to participate in the educational change process. Our state’s leadership prioritized what will be a landscape-shifting undertaking. Now we must support educators in adapting the plans to their communities’ needs. As we’ve witnessed at Forward, empowering those in the classroom to play a role in improving student outcomes is key. With their support, we will move closer to cutting the ribbon on a transformed pre-K-12 system that will equip the next generation for workforce success.
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