News and Updates | September 2021
LISA Academy introduces new hybrid education option
LISA Academy Arkansas Hybrid School is more than just virtual learning. Students can also meet in person every other week for enrichment activities and interventions, and they can play sports and join various clubs from robotics and creative writing to community service and more.

It’s also more than just a temporary pandemic precaution. The faculty and staff are trained and prepared to meet both educational and social emotional needs year-round, with flexible schedules and both synchronous and asynchronous learning.

It’s also more than just another free public-school option for families.

It’s an opportunity.
A kindergartner at LISA Academy Arkansas Hybrid School and her mother visits the learning center in Little Rock to greet her teacher, Tennille Winston, and Principal Ayogdan Altun.
Did you know the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks has been designated as a National Day of Service? In remembrance of the event, The Reform Alliance is volunteering at Washington Elementary by reading to students on Friday, Sept. 10. Follow us on our social media channels photos and live videos!
The Reform Alliance kicks off school year
The Reform Alliance team members provided school supplies for students in Blytheville, Pine Bluff and Fort Smith.
The TRA team also participated in the Home Educators of Greater Little Rock Kick Off Conference and Activity Fair on Aug. 16.
TRA also joined other community organizations in the first Therapeutic Day Give-Away event in Faulkner County.
Don't miss Student Focused Teacher Led!
As an educator, I am interested in learning new tools and techniques on how to:

✅ Create a safer school environment
✅ Reduce episodes of anger, anxiety and violence in the classroom
✅ Promote diversity, equity and inclusion
✅ Uncover the hidden potential of under-resourced students
If you agree, then click the button below to register for the 2021 Student Focused Teacher Led conference, which will be held in Little Rock Sept. 30-Oct. 1. Some of the nation's leading educators, researchers and practitioners will address all these topics and more.
Education News and Headlines
OPINION |STEVE DAVIS: Key to Succeed
When my wife and I decided to adopt our youngest son almost five years ago, we knew there would be significant challenges. A history of drug use by his birth mother before birth, and significant neglect for the first year after his birth, contributed to very late speech development and a multitude of cognitive delays.
The Overlooked: a new research study from Bellwether Education
Over the last 18 months, the parents of 10.8 million did not get what they wanted from their child’s school — representing nearly one in five U.S. schoolchildren. Many families’ early concerns over access to in-person, virtual, and hybrid forms of instruction persist with the start of the 2021-22 school year.
An Arkansas mom's story about the power of education choice
Like many parents of a child with special needs, Erica Boucher was frustrated at the lack of educational options available for her son Hayden. Diagnosed with autism, Hayden was labeled a “bad child” by school administrators who concluded that his difficulty in the classroom stemmed from Boucher not disciplining him enough.
Disagreements between schools and parents over issues like mask mandates and curriculum have dominated the headlines across the state — and across the nation — in recent months.

The Reform Alliance’s position is to remain steadfast on what we have always said: Parents should have the right to choose the schools that best meet the needs of their children, regardless of the family’s zip code, income or any other demographic. 
Faces of Freedom
These are the voices of Arkansas families who have benefited from Arkansas’s Succeed Scholarship Program:

"My son Asa is a recipient of the Succeed Scholarship. The Succeed Scholarship has allowed us the opportunity to put him in a private school that can meet his needs on a level that our local public school could not. My son has Autism Spectrum Disorder, Developmental Delay, Sensory Processing Disorder, Anxiety and other issues, but is incredibly intelligent. Our zoned elementary school failed him miserably, and I felt completely lost at what to do. Then, our therapist recommended we apply for the Succeed Scholarship … and it has changed our lives.

The Succeed Scholarship allowed us to truly find the best place for our son, without worrying about how we would pay for it. It gave us peace of mind knowing our son is being cared for daily by people who truly love him and want to see him THRIVE.

Because of this scholarship, my son is a straight A student and still loves school. Because of this scholarship we were able to access a school with small class sizes and individualized plans for helping every child learn and grow!

Please do not defund this scholarship… it has changed our lives and so many other families like ours for the better. Thank you!!!!" - Chalsie, Succeed Scholarship parent
The Reform Alliance is proud to manage the Succeed Scholarship at no cost to the State of Arkansas. Even small expenses like the cost of mailing checks to schools are paid for by a private foundation grant. 
We are a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring every K-12 student in Arkansas has equal access to a world class education. Our mission is to create a network of parent and community leaders so every policy decision and every conversation about education starts and ends with how it impacts our kids.