Six Little Rock legislators have filed a bill that would provide a pathway to return of local control of the Little Rock School District, taken over by the state more than four years ago for low test scores in six of four dozen schools.
Under control of state Education Commissioner Johnny
The legislation by Sens. Will Bond, Joyce Elliott
The bill says that the state “may” rather than “shall” annex, consolidate or reconstitute a district that hasn’t met criteria for
The legislation says a district could regain local control if it has demonstrated any of the following criteria: “substantial improvement” in the district; the state Board of Education has approved a plan to address deficiencies; schools at Level 5 have demonstrated progress, or the number of schools that have been judged at Level 5 has INCREASED under state control. That
WillLittle Rock School District taxpayers see their democratically controlled school district taken away forever forJohnny Key’s failure to improve it? That is the question. The new legislation would give the state another path. The bill’s success may depend on just how badly other forces want to see the district (and its teachers’ union) permanently destroyed and its property tax riches and profit opportunities given to the mixed abilities of unaccountable and often secretive private school management corporations.