Why

In 2003, a lawsuit filed by the Lakeview School District in Phillips County, prompted the Arkansas Supreme Court to declare the state’s educational delivery system unconstitutional. This, combined with federal studies that ranked Arkansas public schools among the lowest in the country in educational attainment, made it clear change was necessary.

We believe Arkansans deserve a public school system that is both transparent and accountable. Clear information about the quality and offering of schools should be available to all parents, enabling them to make well-informed choices regarding their child’s education. The schools and teachers responsible for these students should be held to high standards, just as the students themselves.

AERF has and continues to play a significant role in:

• Involvement and influence in every aspect of educational policy
• Expansion of the cap on open-enrollment charter schools allowed in Arkansas
• Development of the Arkansas Public School Resource Center
• Policy improvements in Arkansas’ assessment system
• Passage of a pilot program that pays Arkansas educators based on performance
• Advancement of legislation to provide high-stakes exit examinations
• Advisory to the governor and attorney general on a variety of education issues