AEA in the News
June 2, 2026 - Arkansas teacher pay increasingly lags nationally despite LEARNS Act, report finds
Batesville, AR - A new report from legislative staff reveals that Arkansas teacher pay is increasingly lagging behind dozens of other states when adjusted for the cost of living, complicating the positive narrative state leaders have presented since the passage of the 2023 LEARNS Act.
June 6, 2026 - Arkansas lags in average teacher pay despite LEARNS bump to starting salaries
Little Rock, AR - Teacher pay in Arkansas is increasingly lagging behind dozens of other states when taking the cost of living into account, legislative staff told state lawmakers Monday.
The report by the Bureau of Legislative Research, which scrutinized teacher recruitment and retention in Arkansas, complicates the rosy picture state leaders have painted regarding teacher pay and morale since the LEARNS Act was signed in 2023. The law, which was championed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, touches everything in K-12 education from school choice to teacher salaries.
May 29, 2026 - Arkansas groups push ballot measures on voting, education
Little Rock, AR - A coalition of grassroots organizations came together at the headquarters of the Arkansas Education Association in Little Rock to discuss the progress of two ballot measure campaigns.
April Reisma is the president of the Arkansas Education Association. She says they are launching their statewide push to collect the nearly 91,000 signatures needed to get their measures on the ballot this November.
May 28, 2026 - Education, ballot rights amendments draw support, opposition before petition deadline
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. —Supporters of two Arkansas proposed amendments are racing to collect nearly 91,000 signatures by July 3 to qualify for the November 2026 ballot."I will not have my grandchildren remember me as somebody that did not stand up for them, for other students, for the future of Arkansas," said April Reisma, president of the Arkansas Education Association.
May 28, 2026 - Backers of Arkansas ballot initiatives on education, direct democracy seeking tens of thousands of signatures
Little Rock - July 3 is the deadline to turn in the required 90,704 signatures of registered voters in Arkansas on petitions for a proposed constitutional amendment to the secretary of state's office, according to the secretary of state's office.
May 28, 2026 - Arkansas submits requests to loosen federal requirements on public schools
Little Rock, AR - Arkansas has submitted plans to the U.S. Department of Education to loosen federal requirements that state education officials say are hindering student success.
Executive Director Renee Johnson and President April Reisma went on Good Morning Arkansas to promote public education.
Executive Director Renee Johnson and President April Reisma went on The Vine to promote public education.
Executive Director Renee Johnson and President April Reisma were on Arkansas Style to talk about the For AR Kids Ballot Measure.
May 5, 2026 - Arkansas educators talk teacher pay struggles
Fayetteville - Tuesday was National Teachers Day, a day to celebrate the lifelong impact that teachers have on their students. However, new polling shows it's becoming harder for some teachers to live off the salary they're paid.
May 4, 2026 - Coalition forms to oppose state constitutional amendment on private schools
Little Rock, AR - Three groups favoring school choice have come together to again oppose a proposed constitutional amendment they said is an attack on educational freedom in Arkansas.
The conservative think tank Opportunity Arkansas and the nonprofits Reform Alliance and Arkansas Learns have announced the formation of a new group -- For AR Families -- opposed to the Educational Rights Amendment.
May 3, 2026 - Arkansas workers, educators rally at state Capitol for May Day labor rights, wages
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — May Day rallies returned to the Arkansas State Capitol, with dozens gathering on the Capitol steps to push for labor rights, fair wages and working conditions, including for workers in education.
May 3, 2026 - Democratic Senate candidate Shoffner attends May Day rally in Little Rock, pledges support for unions
Little Rock, AR - U.S. Senate candidate Hallie Shoffner stressed affordability concerns and support for unions in her remarks at a May Day rally in Little Rock on Saturday, but she also took direct aim at her Republican opponent.
April 26, 2026 - Report ranks Arkansas’ teacher retention rate ‘high,’ but still below pre-covid levels
Little Rock, AR - The rates at which Arkansas teachers are staying in the classroom held steady for the second school year in a row but remain below pre-covid pandemic levels, according to researchers.
April 13, 2026 - Arkansas pursues waivers to cut back federal oversight of public education
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — Arkansas is asking the U.S. Department of Education to waive certain federal requirements for the state's public education system, joining other states that are pursuing independence from federal education strictures under an administration that encourages it.
April 8, 2026 - Educators weigh in on Arkansas' school voucher program
Little Rock, AR - Arkansas lawmakers returned to the Capitol Wednesday to begin the 2026 Fiscal Session, with Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ proposed $6.7 billion budget on the table. It includes hundreds of millions of dollars for the state’s school voucher program.
March 29, 2026 - Vote for democracy and education
In 2026, voters are being asked to make two decisions that go to the heart of our democracy and our future: whether to strengthen educational opportunity through the Educational Rights Amendment, and whether to protect the people's voice through the Arkansas Ballot Measure Rights Amendment.
March 22, 2026- Teachers union gives $68,000 to campaign for amendment
Little Rock, AR - The National Education Association(NEA) - the country's largest teachers union- has entered Arkansas' political fray, after making a $68,000 donation to the Educational Rights Amendment campaign.
February 2, 2026- Arkansas lawmakers, teacher advocacy group talk additional EFA funding
ROGERS, Ark. —We are getting new insight into some recently approved funding for education in Arkansas.
Feb 2, 2026 - Arkansas Legislative Council OKs $32M more for EFA program as debate grows
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — The Educational Freedom Accounts (EFA) through Arkansas' LEARNS Act have seen another funding increase. This time, the Arkansas Legislative Council has approved an additional $32 million.
January 9, 2026 - Arkansas Department of Education requests $32M for Educational Freedom Accounts
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) is requesting $32 million to fund the Education Freedom Accounts (EFA) program for the 2025-26 school year.
However, some critics have often referred to the program as "vouchers."
“They like to call them education freedom accounts,” said April Reisma, who is the president of the Arkansas Education Association. “But we know what they really are. They're vouchers.”
January 6, 2025 - Arkansas public school enrollment falls as vouchers are available to all
Public school enrollment in Arkansas is experiencing a decline, due in part to the state’s school voucher program.
Money from the LEARNS Act was made available to all students across Arkansas for the 2025-2026 school year. Families can use the funds to pay for private school or homeschooling.
January 2, 2026 - Arkansas public schools face steepest enrollment drop in 20 years amid voucher rollout
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — Public school enrollment in Arkansas has seen a significant decline this school year- the first for which school choice vouchers established by the LEARNS Act have been made universally available to Arkansas students.
Jan 2, 2026 - Public school enrollment tumbles after Educational Freedom Account program becomes available to all
Little Rock, AR - Arkansas’ public school enrollment saw its sharpest decline in at least a decade this school year, the first in which the state’s taxpayer-funded school choice program opened to every student.
December 8, 2025 - OPINION | JULIA TAYLOR: Arkansas education funds being misused, wasted
(Little Rock, AR) - Ask an educator in public schools what an "ordinary and necessary" expense for their classroom is, and you will get a variety of answers. I recently did so, and here are some of the most common answers: Kleenex, pencils, books or book sets, headphones/AirPods, sanitizer and wipes, electric pencil sharpener, paper, Expo markers, highlighters, a stapler that works.
A "Shaq gaming chair" was not on the list.
Nov 19, 2025 - Judge issues injunction against Arkansas direct democracy laws
A federal judge on Wednesday issued a preliminary injunction that blocks the enforcement of several direct democracy-related laws against Arkansas groups collecting signatures to qualify proposed ballot measures for the 2026 ballot.
October 6, 2025 - Critics question findings in new report on Arkansas EFA school choice vouchers
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — This is the third year that Arkansans have access to the Education Freedom Account school choice voucher program, created by the LEARNS Act, which provides state funding for eligible families to send their children to private schools or homeschool.
Has the program been a success? KATV looked at the state's report for the EFA program last school year, published this month.
October 4, 2025 - Report: Arkansas Education Freedom Accounts students test well in ‘fiscally modest’ program
Little Rock, AR - Arkansas students who participated in the Educational Freedom Accounts program last school year outperformed on average 57% of students nationwide in math and 59% of students in English language arts on nationally norm-referenced exams, a new report indicates.
September 30, 2025 - Judge delays decision in lawsuit affecting Arkansas direct democracy
FAYETTEVILLE — A federal judge delayed ruling Tuesday in a case challenging new state laws that plaintiffs argue violate the First Amendment and hinder their ability to collect signatures for citizen-initiated ballot measures.
September 3, 2025 - Arkansas third graders face retention risk under new reading standards, sparking debate
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — Thousands of third graders are at risk of retention due to reading insufficiency, as revealed in a House and Senate Education Committee meeting Tuesday.
September 2, 2025 - Arkansas Education Association speaks about reasons for teacher shortage
Sept 1, 2025 - Picnic held in Fayetteville to celebrate Labor Day
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — There was a community gathering on Sept. 1 to share a meal and talk about and advocate for the meaning of Labor Day at Veteran Memorial Park in Fayetteville.
Hershel Hartford, the president of the University of Arkansas Fayetteville Education Association co co-sponsors the annual Labor Day Picnic.
August 11, 2025 - Back-to-school tips for parents as the school year begins
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — As schools across the state prepare to welcome students back, the Arkansas Education Association is offering parents some additional tips to ensure a productive school year. April Reisma, president of the association, emphasized the importance of rest and nutrition for students.
August 9, 2025 - LEARNS reviews mixed as education overhaul enters its 3rd year
Little Rock - As Arkansas parents, educators and officials prepare for the third school year under the LEARNS Act, many see both benefits and challenges associated with one of the broadest education overhauls in the state's history.
August 9, 2025 - US education secretary to visit state next week
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon is scheduled to visit Arkansas next week as part of the "Returning Education to the States" tour, according to a news release Friday from the U.S. Department of Education.
August 6, 2025 - Arkansas needs teachers in certain areas, according to state data
GREEN FOREST, Ark. (KY3) - While ensuring that students’ needs are met in the classroom is the first step, it all comes down to having enough teachers in the classroom, and Arkansas Schools are still looking for educators in certain subjects.
August 7, 2025 - When you find your purpose, it’s not a job’ Pine Bluff High School teacher speaks on life changing opportunity through Arkansas Teacher Corps
PINE BLUFF, Ark.- The Arkansas Teacher Corps has opened up its application process once again for people passionate about education and devoted to students.
It’s something that Tykesha Cross says she became a part of 7 years ago, and her life has transformed tremendously since then. For her, it’s a different feeling to walk the hallways and teach in a classroom at Pine Bluff High School.
July 23, 2025 - 4-Day School Weeks May Have Diminishing Returns for Teacher Recruitment
Little Rock - A rising number of districts are shortening their school weeks to attract and keep teachers. But a new study suggests four-day schedules might become a victim of their own popularity.
July 23, 2025 - Federal court lets two groups intervene in challenge to state’s new ballot measure restrictions
Fayetteville - A federal court in Fayetteville on Wednesday ruled two grassroots ballot question committees hoping to place measures on the 2026 ballot can intervene in a federal lawsuit challenging several laws passed by the Arkansas Legislature to restrict the initiative process.
July 15, 2025 - Arkansas educators react to Supreme Court allowing Department of Education dismantling
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — On Monday, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to lay off nearly half of the U.S. Department of Education. As President Trump takes steps toward eliminating the department, much of the responsibility to uphold students' public education will fall to individual states.
June 27, 2025 - 4,200 Arkansas Teachers Will Get Up to $10K for High Performance, Student Scores
State-funded merit pay program is in its second year, but teachers union says it's unfair to certain hardworking educators who can't qualify.
June 25, 2025 - Teacher retention remains challenge
The two years since the LEARNS Act raised the minimum salary for public school teachers to $50,000 and provided $2,000 bonuses, many administrators and public school advocates agree those efforts have proved a boon to recruiting new teachers for the classroom.
However, many were quick to add that challenges remain when it comes to keeping teachers within their schools.
June 6, 2025 - Arkansas Education Association holding career expo in Little Rock
The Arkansas Education Association is holding its career expo next week in Little Rock. April Reisma joined FOX 16 Good Day with more details on the event.
June 3, 2025 - Legislative town hall to keep Texarkana citizens engaged in state politics
TEXARKANA, Ark. (KTAL/KMSS) — A political advocacy group invited the community to a legislative town hall on Monday. “We’re doing town halls across the state to help educate people about the Arkansas Legislature, which just adjourned, about all the new laws that they passed and educating people about how their legislators voted on some of those key bills that came up,” said Bill Kopsky, Executive Director of the Arkansas Public Policy Panel, who organized the event along with Citizens First Congress.
They are applauding legislation passed concerning maternal health and childhood nutrition.
“We’re excited about students getting free breakfast, and now we’re saying, how about lunch?” said April Reisma, President of the Arkansas Education Association.
May 7, 2025 - AR to potentially face worsened teacher shortage amid widespread burnout
(Little Rock, KATV) — As Teacher Appreciation Week unfolds, a troubling trend looms over Arkansas: a significant teacher shortage that experts predict will worsen in the coming years.
According to the Bureau of Legislative Research's 2024 adequacy study, at least 33% of Arkansas teachers are contemplating leaving the profession.
The reasons cited include a lack of respect for their work and high stress levels.
April Reisma, president of the Arkansas Education Association, highlighted the overwhelming workloads as a primary concern.
April 23, 2025 -Union president talks impact of increase in starting pay for Arkansas teachers
ROGERS, Ark. —This week marks exactly one year since Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders announced the state ranks highest in the nation for starting teacher pay.
"We're still facing a teacher shortage and with less people going into the teaching profession," Arkansas Education Association president April Reisma said. "And, that is something we've got to take care of."
April 16, 2025 - University of Arkansas professor speaks out about revocation of student visas
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A University of Arkansas professor is speaking out after the visas of five international students were revoked.
April 15, 2025 -University of Arkansas workers' union condemns visa revocations of international students
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — After the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revoked the visas of five University of Arkansas students last week, the university's workers' union is speaking out against the decision.
April 10, 2025 - State Department of Education proposes new grading formula for public schools
By late summer, Arkansas public schools, districts and education service cooperatives will be assigned official letter grades for the current school year based on a new grading formula.
March 30, 2025 - A dangerous dismantling decision
The decision to dismantle the US Department of Education is a misguided and dangerous path that undermines the fundamental values of public education in our country.
March 24, 2025 - Arkansas community leaders discuss Dept. of Education lawsuits
Several national groups, including the NAACP and National Education Association, are filing lawsuits against the Trump administration in response to the president signing an executive order to end the Department of Education.
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March 21, 2025 - How dismantling the Department of Education affects Arkansas
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday aimed at dismantling the Department of Education.
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March 20, 2025 - Oliva endorses Trump’s executive order ending the U.S. Department of Education
Responding to a request to weigh in, Arkansas Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva told legislators Thursday he supports President Donald Trump's decision to shutter the U.S. Department of Education.
February 24, 2025 - The Arkansas Access Act will soon be heard by lawmakers and the public
The Arkansas Access Act is a comprehensive higher education reform bill that consists of 122 pages and more than 36,000 words, and nearly half of the bill applies to public schools.
February 18, 2025 - House committee approves two of Hammer’s ballot initiative bills after more than five hours of debate
The Arkansas House of Representatives Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs met on Monday, February 17, and approved two of three bills filed by Republican State Senator Kim Hammer (Benton), which add more requirements to the petitioning process of ballot initiatives. The State Senate passed five bills, but Hammer held Senate Bills 209 and 210 in the Senate because they did not receive enough votes to enact the emergency clauses.
February 18, 2025 - Arkansas Advocate: Direct democracy bills stir passion, hours of discussion in Arkansas House committee
A divided House committee on Monday, February 17, 2025, advanced two bills to regulate how signatures are gathered in Arkansas for citizen-led ballot initiatives after nearly six hours of debate that included at-times passionate testimony and bipartisan opposition.
February 18, 2025 - State House committee discusses three of Senator Hammer's ballot initiative bills
The Arkansas House of Representatives Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs met on Monday, February 17, and considered three bills filed by Republican State Senator Kim Hammer (Benton), which add more requirements to the petitioning process of ballot initiatives.
February 14, 2025 - Arkansas education advocates resubmit ballot measure amid legislative threats
On Friday, a coalition that includes the Arkansas Education Association and the Arkansas Conference of the NAACP resubmitted their ballot initiative to Attorney General Tim Griffin after proposed legislation could threaten its validity.
February 5, 2025 - HEA hosts Chamber Community Coffee
The Hope Education Association hosted this morning’s Hempstead County Chamber Community Coffee at Yerger School. Refreshments were served in the library, and many locals, staff, students, and school board members came out to show their support and learn about HEA’s mission and programs.
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December 3, 2024- Hope's Born Receives NEA Foundation Grant
Hope Academy of Public Service (HAPS) teacher Hosea Born is the recipient of a $5000 grant from the NEA Foundation.
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November 14, 2024 - Arkansas could benefit from potential elimination of federal Department of Education, according to Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva
Arkansas Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva spoke Tuesday on the possibility of the U.S. Department of Education being shut down by the forthcoming presidential administration.
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Mar 6, 2024 - Arkansas schools implementing new ‘Science of Reading’ curriculum (ualrpublicradio.org)
AEA was asked to weigh in on privatizing reading instruction. We need public money to stay in public schools so that students can get quality education from qualified educators.
Read the entire Little Rock Public Radio article here.
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Mar 5, 2024 - Arkansas charter schools ‘raise some red flags’, after getting D and F grades (katv.com)
There is a growing issue of charter schools in Arkansas receiving D and F grades. Poverty is a real issue here in Arkansas, and that certainly leads to poor performance at school. Kids need to have their basics taken care of like food, safety, shelter, and love, before they can even think about learning. We need to have some sort of measuring tool for school performance, but it cannot only be based on a final test at the end of the year.
Read the entire KATV article here.
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Mar 3, 2024 - Arkansas group pushes for a constitutional amendment to boost Arkansas education (katv.com)
As part of the ForARKids Coalition, AEA is all in on making sure our students and staff have all they need to grow and thrive.
Read the entire KATV article here.
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Dec 12, 2023 - New poll shows favorability for Arkansas LEARNS Act as education association calls foul
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — A new statewide poll on education in Arkansas shows a majority of parents polled are in support of key elements of the LEARNS Act but some in educational leadership roles are calling foul.
Robert Coon, managing partner at Impact Management Group, a public affairs and public research firm in Little Rock, said ExcelinEd, a nonprofit organization out of Florida asked his group to conduct the survey.
The poll, conducted between Aug. 24 and Sept. 8, surveyed 800 registered voters who have children in K-12 grades.
“We tested a couple of different components of the LEARNS Act,” Coon said. “One dealt with Education Freedom Accounts (EFA’s), one dealt with teacher salaries, but we wanted to make sure that we were looking at what are the viewpoints of folks in various demographics.”
Read the entire KATV article here.
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Dec 11, 2023 - Gov. Lee looks at Arkansas program to create Tennessee’s private school voucher proposal
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – Gov. Bill Lee was joined by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders as Tennessee proposed a statewide school voucher program in Tennessee.
Arkansas families were already using tax dollars for private schooling.
“The voucher program is something we’ve been fighting for a long, long time,” Arkansas Education Association president April Reisma said.
Reisma was against the program in Arkansas and Tennessee. She said she wants to keep this money for public schools.
“Taking that money away from public education and taking it away from students; don’t do it. It’s a horrible, horrible hole going down,” Reisma said.
Read the entire WVLT article here.
October 9, 2023 - Arkansas education officials release first annual school voucher report
Little Rock, AR - Roughly 4,800 students are participating in the first semester of Arkansas’ new K-12 voucher program.
A bulk of those kids are attending the largest, mostly-religious private schools in the state. Of the 94 participating private schools, there are also a number focused on students with special needs.
The new data was reported in the Arkansas Department of Education’s first annual Education Freedom Account report to the state Legislature.
October 7, 2023 - Report: 4,796 in state using school vouchers
Little Rock, AR - The families of 324 kindergarten through 12th grade students at Little Rock Christian Academy are accessing public Taxpayer funds to pay tuition at the 1,665-student private school, according to a new state Department of Education report to lawmakers.
September 26, 2023 - A ‘political issue’: Arkansas becomes the latest state to target AP African American Studies
Little Rock, AR - Two days before the first day of school, the Arkansas Department of Education sent the state’s educators into a scramble with a last-minute decision that Advanced Placement African American Studies would not count towards graduation credit.
September 19, 2023 - White House hosts Arkansas political leaders for discussion on Biden agenda
WASHINGTON -- Arkansas political and community leaders met with White House officials last week to discuss President Joe Biden's agenda and the relationship between federal agencies and state issues.
August 17, 2026 - Little Rock Will Offer A.P. African American Studies Despite State Objections
The Little Rock School District in Arkansas said on Wednesday that it would continue to offer Advanced Placement African American studies, over the objections of the administration of Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a Republican who has limited instruction on race.
August 16, 2023 - Arkansas' education department accused of being racist after denying credit for AP African American Studies
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) announced Friday that students enrolled in Advanced Placement African American Studies will only be able to receive credit for the pilot course through elective credit.
August 15, 2023 - Outrage as Arkansas tells high schools to drop AP African American course
Little Rock, AR - Advocacy groups are outraged after the Arkansas department of education warned state high schools not to offer an advanced placement course on African American history.
The admonition from Arkansas education officials is the latest example of conservative lawmakers limiting education on racial history, sexual orientation and other topics they label as “indoctrination”.
August 15, 2023 - AP African American studies canceled by Arkansas officials just before school begins
The Arkansas Department of Education has removed the AP African American Studies course from its schools in what the state's professional organization of educators called a “last-minute” decision.
The Arkansas Education Association told ABC News the move came "at 4:02 on Friday before schools start on the following Monday."
August 15, 2023 - Oliva defends removing code for African American studies
Little Rock, AR - Arkansas Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva said Monday that the agency removed an African American studies class from its course code listings because it didn't meet "rules that have long been in place."
The Education Department's decision, which affects six schools that planned to offer the pilot course, met with criticism from the national College Board that produced the class, as well as groups that included the NAACP, Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus and the Arkansas Education Association.
August 15, 2023 - CNN - Arkansas: AP African American Studies Pilot Won't Count Toward Graduation
August 13, 2023 - 2023-24 school year kicks off Monday amid changes, innovations in Arkansas education
Little Rock, AR - The 2023-24 school year that begins Monday for most kindergarten-through-12th grade students will be a baseline year for myriad changes and innovations in Arkansas education, both public and private.
July 21, 2023 - Arkansas education leaders voice concerns over declining ACT Aspire scores: A call for targeted support and teacher retention
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — Education leaders in Arkansas shared their thoughts on the preliminary scores of the ACT Aspire test.
The ACT Aspire is a comprehensive assessment for 3rd through 10th grade that evaluates a student's college and career readiness.
