Goal is to keep parents informed
by Cynthia Howell
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Formed last year to advocate for legislative changes in the operation of public schools, the Arkansans for Education Reform organization has morphed into a nonprofit foundation to educate parents and others about accountability, school choice and other measures intended to improve public education.
Luke Gordy, 58, most recently a northwest Arkansas banker and a former nine-year member of the Arkansas Board of Education, is the new full-time executive director of the 501(c)3 organization that will open its downtown Little Rock headquarters on Monday.
"One of the things we want to do," Gordy said Wednesday at a news conference announcing the foundation and his appointment, "is try to take the mystery out of public education for parents who would like to become involved but feel uncomfortable because they don't know enough to get involved, or for people who just want to know more about public education generally."
The foundation will publish position papers on education issues and innovations, drawing in part of national research.
A foundation Web site, and electronic and printed newsletter will be used to distribute the information, said Gordy, who also intends to make himself available to speak about the issues at civic clubs and other venues.
"The foundation plans to influence public policy and public opinion through development of the organization as a comprehensive resource for the public and businesses,"Gordy said.
The organizers of the new foundation are Arkansas business leaders Claiborne Deming, president and chief executive officer of the Murphy Oil Corp., of El Dorado; Walter E. Hussman Jr., publisher of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Jackson T. "Steve" Stephens Jr., chairman of Exoxemis Inc. in Little Rock; and Jim Walton, chairman of Arvest Bank in Bentonville.
"I became aware of how little the public really understands about the real detailed information about our public education system - how much money we are spending, the results we are getting," Hussman said Wednesday about the formation of the foundation.
The original Arkansans for Education Reform group was organized by some of the state's prominent business leaders to advocate a more rigorous system of holding schools and school districts responsible for student achievement.
The resulting law, Act 35, the Arkansas Student Assessment and Educational Accountability Act of 2004, calls for measuring the annual learning gains of students and reporting the performance of schools to the public. That will ultimately be done by a school rating system to be phased in over several years.
Gordy said that the foundation will support the exisiting accountability system and encourage additional accountability. One of the goals is to make the system understandable to the public.
"It's just a proven fact that these school districts that have consistent educational excellence do so by having parental involvement," he said. "The more parental involvement, the better the school system."
He said the organization won't take any one position on an issue. But it will examine a multitude of issues, including vouchers that provide taxpayer money for children to attend private schools.
"We'll be sharing information that we think is important to help the public discourse," he said. "Across the country there are a lot of different mechanisms that public schools are utilizing, particularly for those trapped in failing school systems, to give them an opportunity to get out and be served more appropriately."
