- MIREYA REITH
Gov. Mike Beebe announced a slew of appointments today, including the naming of Mireya Reith of Fayetteville to the state Board of Education.
She replaces Naccaman Williams of Springdale, an employee of the Walton Family Foundation, who mirrored his employer’s advocacy for charter schools over his tenure on the board.
Reith has an interesting resume, here on her Facebook page. Fayetteville High, Williams College, Columbia University. She’s bilingual, a consultant to the United Nations Development Programme and worked in Hispanic outreach for Democrats in the 2010 election. She’s also been involved in discussions about whether a Hispanic majority legislative district could be created in Northwest Arkansas and will be a leader of a new group now forming to work on immigrants’ rights.
The Board of Education has been increasingly vigilant on accountability for both charter schools and conventional school districts. Reith’s development in her new appointment will be interesting. A replacement also is to come for the expired term of Sherry Burrow of Jonesboro.