Keep In Mind the Lake View decision establishing that all children in Arkansas have a constitutional right to a equivalent and adequate education?

The primary message from Lake View is that the state of Arkansas is responsible for supplying that constitutional right to every kid in our state. The state of Arkansas might delegate the work to others, like regional school districts, however the state might not prevent its constitutional responsibility by doing so. The state is both accountable, and accountable, for supplying quality education to children in Arkansas.

A parent might not choose to take away the right of a kid to a appropriate and equivalent education. All this talk of "adult option" started after the charterizers gave up on the initial incorrect property, which was that charter schools would offer competition and thus improve education for everyone.

This failure caused lawmakers and guvs to trumpet "parental choice" as a fundamental right. There is no such right in our constitution, although under our LEARNS Act there will be an expansion of uncontrolled educational environments, many of which will not fulfill the state curriculum requirements, will not have qualified instructors, and will not admit kids on a non-discriminatory basis.
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Denying a kid of an appropriate education is among the even worse type of abuse, and one which must not be tolerated.
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Why are we heading down this course? Pure politics. LEARNS was never ever about education. It has some "sweeteners" that are developed to negate the unfair and bitter main coupon subsidy for independent schools, but LEARNS will not advance the general instructional achievement of our Arkansas children. It will take us in reverse.
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That is why we need to sign the petitions and put the Educational Rights Amendment on the ballot. Its primary objectives are to need all state-funded schools to satisfy the very same standards, and to attend to universal pre-kindergarten education for all kids in Arkansas.

If the Legislature will not defend all children, then individuals need to do so.
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The analysis is easy: If public schools must supply a basic, appropriate and fair education, then why exempt everybody else? If the state is going to invest its money funding independent school educations, then why not require every recipient of state money to follow the exact same guidelines that apply to traditional public schools? It just makes good sense.

The Amendment holds individuals accountable.
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It takes a few of the politics out of education.

It gives our state's expert teachers at the State Department of Education their tasks back. Right now they are political pawns intending to hang on till retirement or another regime can be found in and stops the madness.
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And it makes it more difficult to discriminate against kids who don't have the benefits that some have.

Level the playing field. We have to do it if the Legislature won't do it.

And what is incorrect with universal pre-K education? It is the single crucial driver of early success for children with greatest requirement, yet our Legislature, with all of its surpluses, would rather cut taxes than provide bad kids a possibility.

My next column will offer Arkansans some insight on why our state policies are triggering us to fall further and further behind our peers when it pertains to education, healthcare, economic growth and quality of life in basic.
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Let's sign the petitions, and let's start to get our state back on track.

Learn where and when you can sign here.

Public school supporter Baker Kurrus is a previous superintendent for the Little Rock School District.