Katie Fite

Director of Communications

Arkansas Public School Resource Center

501-492-4300 | kfite@apsrc.net

Arkansas State Board of Education's September Meeting: Important Updates and Decisions

LITTLE ROCK, AR - On Thursday, September 12th, 2024, the Arkansas State Board of Education convened to address crucial items on the published agenda. The meeting, accessible through this link, featured various agenda items, with input from representatives and public commentators.

As the policy-making body for Arkansas's education system, the State Board of Education diligently considered and acted upon several essential agenda items during the meeting:

V. Action Agenda 

V.1. Consideration of a Public School Waiver Request by the Osceola School District

The board tabled Osceola School District requests for a period of one (1) year, waivers of the following laws, rules, and standards, pertaining to teacher licensure, class size, and teaching load:

Teacher Licensure:

Ark. Code Ann. §§ 6-15-1004, 6-17-309, 6-17-401, 6-17-418, 6-17-902, 6-17-908, 6-17-919

DESE Rule Governing Educator Licensure - Section 7

Standard for Accreditation 4-D.1

Class Size and Teaching Load:

Ark. Code Ann. § 6-17-812

DESE Rule Governing Class Size and Teaching Load

Standard for Accreditation 1-A.5, 1-A.6

V.2. Consideration of Request for Final Approval of Administrative Rules

V.2.a. DESE Rule Governing Braille and Large Textbook Appropriation

V.2.b. DESE Rule Governing Public School Choice

The board approved the rules.

V.3. Consideration of the Recommendation of the Professional Licensure Standards Board for Case 23-113 - Dexter Dumas

The board approved the PLSB recommendations for the violations, sanctions, and rationale. 

V.4. Consideration of the Recommendation of the Professional Licensure Standards Board for Case 24-111 - Chase Utley

The board approved the PLSB recommendations for violations. The board modified the PLSB recommendations for sanctions to revocation with a $500 fine. The board modified the PLSB recommendations for the subcommittee rationale, but approved the rest of the rationale.

V.5. Consideration of the Recommendation of the Professional Licensure Standards Board for Case 24-204 - Hannah Fulmer

The board approved the PLSB recommendations for violations. The board modified the PLSB recommendations for sanctions to revocation with a $500 fine. The board approved the PLSB recommendations for the rationale.

V.6. Consideration of the Recommendation of the Professional Licensure Standards Board for Case 24-152 - Tirrell Brown

The board approved the PLSB recommendations for violations. The board modified the PLSB recommendations for sanctions to revocation with a $500 fine. The board modified the PLSB recommendations for the rationale.

V.7. Request for Waiver - LA-25-001 - Brandon Marks

The board denied the educator's request for a waiver. The Arkansas Department of Education received information that the educator has a true report in the Child Maltreatment Central Registry. Per Ark. Code Ann. § 6-17-410, the state board shall not issue a first-time license and shall revoke any existing license not up for renewal of any person who has a true report in the Child Maltreatment Central Registry. 

V.8. Education Service Cooperative Annual Reports

The board approved the annual reports. Ark. Code Ann. § 6-13-1020 requires Education Service Cooperatives to submit an annual report to the State Board of Education and outlines the content that must be included in each report. The reports can be reviewed here.

VII. Consent Agenda 

The board approved the consent agenda. Items included:

VI.1. 08-08-2024 State Board Minutes - Draft

VI.2. Report on Waivers to School Districts for Teachers Teaching Out of Area for Longer than Sixty (60) Days, Ark. Code Ann. § 6-17-309

VI.3. Review of Loan and Bond Applications

VI.4. Consideration of Garfield Scholars' Academy's Amendment Request

VI.6. Consideration of the Recommendation of the Professional Licensure Standards Board for Case 24-197 Adrienne Durham

VI.7. Consideration of the Recommendation of the Professional Licensure Standards Board for Case 24-213 Jimmy Wilkett

VI.8. Consideration of the Recommendation of the Professional Licensure Standards Board for Case 24-205 Dennis Sanders

VI.9. PLSB Case 24-075 Tyler Scott - Written Reflections

VI.10. Request for Approval of an Association to Accredit Private Schools Participating in the Educational Freedom Account Program

VI.11. Embedded Courses

The following item was pulled from the Consent Agenda to be added to the October Action agenda:

VI.5. Consideration of the Recommendation of the Professional Licensure Standards Board for Case 24-199 James Wilson

VIII. Reports

VIII.1. Prairie Grove-Lincoln Boundary Petition

Andres Rhodes and both superintendents provided an update. No action was taken.

VIII.2. Blytheville School District Update

Sheila Whitlow, ADE, Interim Superintendent, Jennifer Blankenship, and Board President, Desmond Hammett, provided an update. No action was taken.

VIII.3. Board Liaison Reports 

No reports were provided.

VIII.4. ATOY Report 

ATOY, Beau McCastlain, provided an update.

VIII.5. Commissioner's Report 

Deputy Commissioner, Stacy Smith, provided an update.

As part of its regular schedule, the State Board generally convenes on the second Thursday and Friday of each month to address issues impacting the educational landscape. Each meeting aims to consider, vote on, or generate orders related to agenda items.

For more information and to access the agenda and documents for this meeting, please click here.

State Board of Education

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