Arkansas
Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Governor of Arkansas
Jacob Oliva
Secretary, Arkansas Department of Education
Commissioner, ADE Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
Transportation Modernization Grant Program
The Initiative
The Arkansas LEARNS Act, enacted in 2023, introduced the Transportation Modernization Grant Program to enhance student access to diverse educational opportunities. This initiative provides grants to public schools, childcare providers, cities, towns, and other entities, enabling them to develop innovative transportation solutions that facilitate student mobility across different educational settings.
The Program
The program aims to support the state's school choice efforts by ensuring that transportation barriers do not impede students from attending schools that best meet their needs. By distributing grants based on specific criteria, the program seeks to make all educational options more accessible, regardless of a student's geographic location.
The Interim
Full implementation of the Transportation Modernization Grant Program is scheduled to begin in Fiscal Year 2025. In the interim, the Division of Academic Facilities and Transportation is tasked with initiating the program and fulfilling reporting requirements as outlined in Act 237 of 2023.
School Readiness Assistance | SRA Portal "Go-Live"
2024-2025 Back to School: L.E.A.R.N.S. Transformational Changes
Starting Teacher Salary
Teacher Salary National Ranking
*Every AR teacher got at least a $2,000 raise
*In Collaboration with AR Dept. of Human Services
*To earn a certificate or license in at least one of 18 high-wage & high-growth career-areas.
Education Freedom Account System 2024-2025
The 2024 – 2025 Student EFA Application Portal is now open.
New applicants can log into efa.ade.arkansas.gov, create an account, and begin a new application.
The Education Freedom Account program is a school choice initiative that empowers parents by providing funding for students in private or home school.
Merit Incentive Map
New Program Passed Through AR LEARNS
New Program Passed Through AR LEARNS Gives $10 Million Dollars in Bonuses to Arkansas Educators.
Merit Teacher Incentive Fund Program
L.E.A.R.N.S. delivers another promise with the Merit Teacher Incentive Fund | 2023-2024.
Digital Locker
Office of Early Childhood
Pathway to Licensure
Words from our leaders
"Education is the foundation for success, and, with Secretary of Education and Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Jacob Oliva, we are ready to transform Arkansas education with bold reforms that will empower every kid to succeed. Jacob’s proven success increasing student achievement and his experience serving in many educational roles will make him an asset to my administration.
Through my Arkansas L.E.A.R.N.S. plan, we will expand access to quality education for every kid growing up in our state, empower parents, not government bureaucrats, and prepare students for the workforce, not government dependency, so everyone has a shot at a better life right here in Arkansas.”
“Governor Sanders has the right vision to unleash Arkansas education, and I’m excited to get to work on day one to enact it. Education is the key to the future, creating opportunity for all, which is why I’ve spent my career implementing successful early learning programs, empowering parents with choices, and investing in career readiness. I am ready to continue that work here in Arkansas and look forward to working with Governor Sanders to build a bright future for our students.”
The Executive Order
Executive Order to prioritize L.E.A.R.N.S. (Literacy, Empowerment, Accountability, Readiness, Networking, and School Safety)
SB294 / ACT 237
TO CREATE THE LEARNS ACT; TO AMEND VARIOUS PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE AS THEY RELATE TO EARLY CHILDHOOD THROUGH GRADE TWELVE EDUCATION IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY
ADE Transparency Dashboards
Student Statistics
Public Schools
Staff Members
LEARNS Overview
- The state will improve access to quality pre-K and make reading coaches available for at-risk children.
- Empower parents with more choices, so no child is ever trapped in a failing school and lifetime in poverty, and curriculum transparency through innovation and online resources.
- Reward good teachers with smart incentives, like higher pay.
- Create a strong pipeline by allowing soon-to-be teachers to spend their entire last year in the classroom, offer alternative certification improvements, and better leadership trainings.
- Create flexibility for students to pursue internships and apprenticeships while in school and align career and technical programs with jobs that are in high demand.
- Establish a workforce cabinet to execute a clear vision with better coordination.
- Launch a statewide campaign to support the work of technical and trade schools and opportunities that exist for the future workforce.
- Expand high-speed internet to make educational and career opportunities accessible.
- Prioritize school safety by focusing on physical security, additional resource officers, mental health, and training to implement best practices.
Myth
"Educational Freedom Accounts will hurt public education & close rural schools."
Fact
Actually, the opposite is true. Research shows that Educational Freedom Accounts lead to better outcomes in traditional public schools. That's because they empower parents of all income to customize their child's education; if the local school district is the best option, it won't lose any kids. Data from other states show that the large majority of families, when given the choice, continue to send their kids to traditional public schools and charter schools - but families deserve to have that choice.
Myth
"School choice programs give money to unaccountable private schools."
Fact
Here in Arkansas, it's not school choice; it's parental empowerment. Ultimately, parents make the best decisions for their child and know when a school is right or wrong. Often that means sending kids to their local school district, but a child's ZIP code shouldn't be the only thing determining the type of education they receive. And any private school or student that opts into this program will be held accountable and required to participate in year-end assessments, just like students in traditional public schools.
Myth
"Critical Race Theory isn't being taught anywhere in Arkansas."
Fact
President Biden's Department of Education is using nationwide guidelines and grant programs to force school districts to adopt key tenants of Critical Race Theory. That includes work from the "Abolitionist Teaching Network" and parts of the newly proposed "American History and Civics Education" priorities. The Governor's Executive Order directed the Secretary to comb through those DOE materials to ensure Washington bureaucrats can't bully Arkansas schools into teaching racist indoctrination. As Governor Sanders and Secretary Oliva have said, Arkansas will teach students how to think, not what to think.
Myth
"This gets rid of the teacher pay scale & discourages teachers from pursuing further education."
Fact
This bill simply puts salary schedule decisions back in the hands of districts and won't reduce any teacher's pay one bit. The current statewide, one-size-fits-all approach doesn't let administrators tailor their salary schedules to do what's best for students.
Myth
"This will cost taxpayers far too much."
Fact
This bill uses a mixture of existing state funds and federal grants to fund the price tag. In fact, Arkansas is still on track to enact another tax cut. And of course, quality education systems pay for themselves many times over in the long run. Every kid deserves the opportunity for a quality education that sets them up for a lifetime of success.
Myth
"This bill forces every kid to go to government-run pre-K."
Fact
This bill does not mandate pre-K or government-run childcare. We simply want those programs to exist for the families who want and need them.
Myth
"Holding kids back won't solve the problem and hurts low-income and minority children."
Fact
When only 35% of Arkansas third graders can read at grade level, we are doing struggling kids a disservice by allowing them to go to 4th grade without the tools to be successful. This bill gives them the resources to succeed, including reading coaches, tutoring grants, improved pre-k, better learning measurements, and parental notification systems.
Myth
"Community service requirements hurt low-income kids who work to help their families."
Fact
Education isn't just about what you learn in the classroom; it's also about preparing the next generation to contribute positively to their community. In certain circumstances, this plan also allows waivers in cases of family illness, homelessness, or when a child contributes to their family's income.
Myth
"Your School Safety Plan contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline."
Fact
Parents know that putting law enforcement in schools makes kids safer, no matter what the Defund the Police crowd claims. This School Safety Plan pulls directly from the Arkansas School Safety Commission's expertly crafted recommendations and puts student safety over partisan politics.
Myth
"This bill mimics Florida's Don't Say Gay Bill and discriminates against sexual minorities."
Fact
Most Americans agree that young children shouldn't be exposed to obscene sexual content in the classroom. Clearly, you haven't read Florida's bill, and you have not read this one. This bill isn't radical or discriminatory - it's about protecting kids.
Myth
"This plan unfairly gives new teachers a bigger pay bump than veteran teachers."
Fact
This plan gives districts enough money to raise every teacher's pay. It's up to administrators to take steps to retain their employees.
Myth
"Paid maternity leave will cost the taxpayers too much."
Fact
Districts can either opt into this program - and cover half of the cost - or opt out. When teachers have to quit their job just to have a family, it hurts both school performance and the taxpayer.
Myth
"Without protection, teachers will be fired unjustly."
Fact
Nothing in this plan denies teachers access to due process if they have been terminated. This simply allows districts to terminate teachers who do not perform up to reasonable standards.
- Welcome
- Transportation Modernization Grant Program
- School Readiness Assistance | SRA Portal "Go-Live"
- 2024-2025 Back to School: L.E.A.R.N.S. Transformational Changes
- Education Freedom Accounts 2024-2025
- Merit Teacher Map
- Merit Teacher Incentive Fund Program
- Digital Locker
- Office of Early Childhood
- Pathway to Licensure
- Words from our leaders
- The Executive Order and Act
- ADE Transparency Dashboards
- Statistics
- LEARNS Overview
- Myth vs Facts