The Arkansans For Education Reform Foundation, as part of its comprehensive education reform effort, has established The Education Reform Advisory Council.
This outstanding and diverse group of community, civic and business leaders from across the state has been assembled to support and advance meaningful education reform...and are a part of an effort that we think can be an important part of our state's educational future. These leaders were invited to participate because they share a passion for advancing substantive reform to improve the educational outcomes for Arkansas children.
The Foundation hopes to both collectively learn from and mobilize a cadre of leaders, in order to make a positive difference. The primary purpose of the Advisory Council is to develop a "critical mass" of community leaders that can fundamentally reform our current educational delivery system, in order to prepare our kids for a brighter future. We also think that it is extremely beneficial for all concerned to broaden the perspective of the challenges involved. In the end, we all want the same thing and we have so much more in common than we have differences. We are convinced this effort will pay dividends for all involved.
The Council serves the Foundation as a combination "advisory board/focus group" to offer input and assist in advancing the mission of improving our educational delivery system.
As part of this outreach, the Council participants come together on a semi-annual basis to meet personally with our founding organizers...Claiborne Deming, President and Chief Executive Officer of Murphy Oil Corporation of El Dorado; Walter 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...to discuss the education issues of the day.
The Council shares information with the Board of Directors of our Foundation and receives information regarding the reforms being advanced.
They hear from education leaders on the local, state and national levels regarding both "best practices" and are kept abreast of the challenges and opportunities facing the public education enterprise.
The Arkansans For Education Reform Foundation is excited about the potential of real, meaningful reform, as a result of this coalition.
We are extremely pleased to share with you the initial...and impressive...list of individuals from across Arkansas who have agreed to participate as members of our Education Reform Advisory Council.
Jerry Adams, Acxiom Corp., Conway
Senator Jim Argue, President Pro Tem, Arkansas State Senate, Little Rock
Phil Baldwin, President and CEO, Southern Development Bancorp, Arkadelphia
Lisa Black, Executive Director, Public Education Foundation of Little Rock, Little Rock
John Brown, III, Executive Director, Wingate Foundation, Siloam Springs
Senator Steve Bryles, State Senator, Blytheville
Dr. Tim Cloyd, President, Hendrix College, Conway
Tom Courtway, General Counsel, University of Central Arkansas, Former Interim Director of the Arkansas Department of Education, Conway
Dr. Woody Cummins, Past Deputy Director, Arkansas Department of Education, Conway
Dr. Beverly Divers-White, Vice President and Director, Foundation For The Mid South, Little Rock
Eddie Drilling, President, SBC Arkansas, Little Rock
Karen D. Endel, M. Ed., Nationally Board Certified Teacher, Assistant Principal, Van Buren School District, Van Buren
Dr. Jay Greene, Ph.D., Endowed Chair and Head of the Department of Education Reform, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Dr. Mary B. Gunter, Head, Center for Leadership and Learning and Associate Professor of Educational Leadership, Arkansas Tech University, Russellville
Lu Hardin, President, University of Central Arkansas, Conway
Dr. Terri Hardy, Governor's Educational Liaison, Little Rock
Dr. Ron Hart, Scientist, Ph.D. and former Director of NCTR, Little Rock
Dr. Ken James, Commissioner, Arkansas Department of Education
Dr. Tom Kimbrell, Executive Director, Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators, Little Rock
Randy Lawson, Arkansas State Board of Education, Bentonville
Uvalde Lindsey, Immediate Past Executive Director, Northwest Arkansas Council, Fayetteville
Dr. Larry Long, Ph.D., P.E., Partner, Long and Associates, Fayetteville
Tim Martin, Ed.D., Director of Institutional Effectiveness, University of Arkansas - Fort Smith
Tim McFarland, Arkansas Capital Corporation, Chair-Accelerate Arkansas, Fayetteville
Paula Oliver, Executive Director, Main Street Helena, Member: Helena/West Helena School Board, Helena
Stacy Pittman, Past Chair, Arkansas Blue Ribbon Commission, Little Rock
Dr. Gary Ritter, Director, Office of Education Policy, Fayetteville
Phillip Sorrell, President, West Memphis School Board, West Memphis
Mary Lynn Van Wyck, Van Wyck & Van Wyck, Tuckerman
Dr. Jeanna Westmoreland, Dean-College of Education, Ouchita Baptist University, Chair-Arkansas State Board of Education, Arkadelphia
Larry Wilson, Chairman, First Arkansas Bank; Chairman, Arkansas Bankers Association, Jacksonville
