Wynne School District is requesting a Standards for Accreditation 1-A.4 waiver of 178 instructional days due to the tornado, which devastated the community on March 31, 2023. 

Woodlawn School District is requesting a one (1) year 1-A.5 Class Size Standards for Accreditation waiver for the 2022-2023 school year. The waiver is for a second-grade class that exceeds the maximum class size by one (1) student.    

The Brinkley School District is seeking waivers of Educator Licensure and Library Media Specialist Licensure.   The District is seeking the waivers for a three-year period (through the end of the 2025-26 school year).  

Under Ark. Code Ann. § 6-17-422 members of the PLSB serve rotating terms and are appointed by the State Board from nominations made by professional education associations. Ms. Melissa Speers, Superintendent of Jessieville School District, has been nominated by the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators (AAEA) to represent public school superintendents and the AAEA membership. This position is being vacated by Dr. Andrea Martin whose term expires June 30, 2023. The term of this member is to begin immediately upon appointment and end on June 30, 2026.
 

The Rules Governing School Counseling Programs were released by the State Board for public comment and approved by the Governor's Office.  Following public comment, non-substantive changes were made.  The rules are before the Board for final approval.  

Arkansas Code Annotated §6-17-309 requires local school districts to secure a waiver when classrooms are staffed with unlicensed teachers for longer than 30 days. Requests were received from  school  8 districts for a total of 10 waivers. There were also requests for long-term substitutes from 36 school districts requesting a total of 88 waivers for long-term substitutes. These requests have been reviewed, were either approved or denied by Department staff, and are consistent with program guidelines.

Pursuant to the authority granted to the State Board of Education, the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) - Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) respectfully requests approval of the Arkansas Better Chance Program Renewal Grants for the 2023-2024 school year in the total amount of $105,490,468.

The requested funds for the ABC renewal grants will provide early childhood services for children birth to 5 through 230 agencies that oversee 528 sites, serving 23,414 children in both center-based and home visiting settings.  These programs employ 3,529 early childhood teachers, paraprofessionals, and coordinators.

ABC is also requesting to support foster children, as well as homeless/displaced children as the need arises. ABC will provide waivers for identified children to receive immediate services.  The placement of a displaced child in an ABC program would add an additional child to the total awarded number of slots for that program.

A request for the Board to approve the Arkansas Better Chance Program Renewal Grants for the 2023-24 school year in the total amount of $105,490,468.    
 

Pursuant to the authority granted to the State Board of Education, the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) - Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) respectfully requests approval of the Arkansas Better Chance Professional Service Grants for the 2023-2024 school year in the total amount of $6,564,230.

These ABC Professional Service Grants support 3,529 ABC Early Childhood teachers, paraprofessionals, coordinators, and school administrators with training, coaching, technical assistance, and services in order to provide high quality early learning environments.  ABC EC staff are required to complete 30 hours annually of Early Childhood Professional Development in the areas of Trauma Informed Care, Child Growth and Development, Social Emotional Learning, Mental Health, Health and Wellness, Emergent Literacy, Learning Experiences in the area Math & Science, Serving Children with Special Needs, Family Engagement, AR Child Development and Early Learning Standards to support Continuous Quality Improvement.

A request for the Board to approve the Arkansas Better Chance Professional Service Grants for the 2023-24 school year in the total amount of $6,564,230.
 

These waivers are being requested to fully effectuate existing waivers for Exalt Academy of Southwest Little Rock, Hope Academy of Northwest Arkansas, and Premier High School of North Little Rock, open-enrollment charters, and The Excel Center, an adult education charter. These schools have the statute and accompanying rules, but lack the appropriate standard waiver, which is what is being requested. 

Fort Smith Virtual Academy is requesting to change the grade levels served from K-8 to K-12 and waive Ark. Code Ann. § 6-16-143.  The enrollment cap is 500.  

Mountainburg Middle School Brain Academy is requesting to change the grade levels served from Grades 5-8 to Grades 6-8.  The enrollment cap is 400.  

Arkansas Military First Responders is requesting to transfer the charter from American Quality Schools (AQS sponsoring entity) to Arkansas Military and First Responders Academy (local 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization) and rescind its waiver of Ark. Code Ann.§6-17-2403. 

Responsive Education Solutions is requesting to transfer the Arkansas charters schools granted to the Texas-based Responsive Education Solutions to Responsive Ed Arkansas. 
The request would apply to the following charter schools:

• Founders Classical Academies of Arkansas
• Premier High Schools of Arkansas
• Premier High School Springdale
• Premier High School North Little Rock  

Rescind its waiver of Ark. Code Ann. § 6-17-2403.

Arkansas Lighthouse Charter School is requesting:

• District name change to  Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools, Inc. (6050700); 
• Operate all of the Jacksonville Lighthouse Charter School campuses and request that the enrollment cap of 1,019 be incrementally met over the course of the next 5 years;
• Amend the traditional calender of 178 instructional days to a twelve month/year-round calendar beginning in the school year 2023-2024.  
• Rescind its waiver of  Ark. Code Ann. § 6-17-2403.    

Violation of Standard 1. An educator maintains a professional relationship with each student, both in and outside the classroom. Violation of Standard 2. an educator maintains competence regarding his or her professional practice, inclusive of professional and ethical behavior, skills, knowledge, dispositions, and responsibilities relating to his or her organizational position. The Professional Licensure Standards Board requests the State Board of Education order a Permanent Revocation.
 

Violation of Standard 1. An educator maintains a professional relationship with each student, both in and outside the classroom. Violation of Standard 2. an educator maintains competence regarding his or her professional practice, inclusive of professional and ethical behavior, skills, knowledge, dispositions, and responsibilities relating to his or her organizational position. The Professional Licensure Standards Board requests the State Board of Education order a Written Reprimand and assess a $100 fine. (All cost paid by Educator Fulmer) Require Educator to complete the following coursework/readings: ERC23006: Code of Ethics Part Three: Social Media (1 Credit Hour), Title: The 85% Solution: How Personal Accountability Guarantees Success -- No Nonsense, No Excuses (256p) Author: Linda Galindo ISBN 10: ISBN 13: 9780470500163, and Title: Flipping the Switch: Unleash the Power of Personal Accountability Using the QBQ! (144 p) Author: John G. Miller ISBN 10: 0399152334 ISBN 13: 978-0399152337. Require Educator to provide written reflection for each training/book on how they will impact the educator’s interactions with students in the future due to the PLSB for approval within 90 days of the State Board Order.
 

Violation of Standard 1. An educator maintains a professional relationship with each student, both in and outside the classroom. Violation of Standard 2. an educator maintains competence regarding his or her professional practice, inclusive of professional and ethical behavior, skills, knowledge, dispositions, and responsibilities relating to his or her organizational position. The Professional Licensure Standards Board requests the State Board of Education order a Written Reprimand and assess a $100 fine. (All cost paid by Educator Lamb) Require Educator to complete the following coursework/readings: ERC23006: Code of Ethics Part Three: Social Media (1 Credit Hour), Title: The 85% Solution: How Personal Accountability Guarantees Success -- No Nonsense, No Excuses (256p) Author: Linda Galindo ISBN 10: ISBN 13: 9780470500163, and Title: Flipping the Switch: Unleash the Power of Personal Accountability Using the QBQ! (144 p) Author: John G. Miller ISBN 10: 0399152334 ISBN 13: 978-0399152337. Require Educator to provide written reflection for each training/book on how they will impact the educator’s interactions with students in the future due to the PLSB for approval within 90 days of the State Board Order.
 

Violation of Standard 1. An educator maintains a professional relationship with each student, both in and outside the classroom. Violation of Standard 2. an educator maintains competence regarding his or her professional practice, inclusive of professional and ethical behavior, skills, knowledge, dispositions, and responsibilities relating to his or her organizational position. The Professional Licensure Standards Board requests the State Board of Education order a Permanent Revocation.
 

Overview of the timeline and progress of the Earle School District classified in Need of Level 5 Support and Fiscal Distress.