Education – Page 2 – Family Council

Arkansas House Passes Measure Promoting Transparency in Public Education

Apr 5, 2023Jerry CoxEducationArkansas Legislature, Education

On Tuesday the Arkansas House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a measure promoting transparency in public education.

H.B. 1738, the Parents’ Bill of Rights by Rep. Mindy McAlindon (R – Centerton) and Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R – Branch), lets parents review any public school teaching materials, instructional materials, required textbooks, lesson plans, and other teaching aids used in their child’s classes.

The bill also lets parents temporarily withdraw their child from an objectionable lesson or activity.

H.B. 1738 is a good bill that helps ensure parents have a say in their child’s education.

The bill now goes to the Arkansas Senate for consideration.

The Following Representatives Voted For H.B. 1738

Achor
Andrews
Barker
Beaty Jr.
Beck
Bentley
M. Berry
S. Berry
Breaux
K. Brown
M. Brown
Burkes
Joey Carr
John Carr
Cavenaugh
C. Cooper
Cozart
Crawford
Dalby
Duffield
Duke
Eaves
Eubanks
Evans
D. Ferguson
C. Fite
L. Fite
Fortner
Furman
Gazaway
Gonzales
Gramlich
Haak
Hawk
D. Hodges
G. Hodges
Holcomb
Hollowell
Jean
L. Johnson
Ladyman
Long
Lundstrum
Lynch
Maddox
J. Mayberry
McAlindon
McClure
McCollum
McGrew
B. McKenzie
McNair
S. Meeks
Miller
Milligan
J. Moore
K. Moore
Painter
Pearce
Pilkington
Puryear
Ray
Richmond
Rose
Rye
Schulz
R. Scott Richardson
Steimel
Tosh
Underwood
Unger
Vaught
Walker
Wardlaw
Warren
Watson
Wing
Womack
Wooldridge
Wooten

The Following Representatives Voted Against H.B. 1738

lowney
A. Collins
Ennett
D. Garner
Hudson
McCullough
J. Richardson
Scott
T. Shephard
Springer
D. Whitaker

The Following Representative Voted “Present”

Magie

The Following Representatives Did Not Vote

F. Allen
Brooks
K. Ferguson
V. Flowers
M. McElroy
Nicks
Perry
Mr. Speaker

Education Committee Passes Bill Addressing Implicit Bias Training in Public Schools

Mar 29, 2023Jerry CoxEducationArkansas Legislature, Critical Theory, Education

On Wednesday the Senate Education Committee passed a bill addressing implicit bias training in public education.

In recent years, some educators around the country have expressed concerns about employee training programs that presume educators are unconsciously biased or prejudiced.

H.B. 1559 by Rep. Mindy McAlindon (R – Centerton) prohibits public schools in Arkansas from mandating implicit bias training for their employees.

It is a good bill that will help complement the LEARNS Act’s provisions that prohibit critical race theory in public schools.

H.B. 1559 passed with overwhelming support in the Arkansas House of Representatives on Monday, and the Senate Education Committee passed it on Wednesday.

The bill now goes to the entire Arkansas Senate for a vote.

Arkansas House Passes Bill to Protect Teachers Who Decline to Use Students’ Preferred Pronouns

Mar 28, 2023Jerry CoxEducationArkansas Legislature, Education

On Monday the Arkansas House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill to help protect students and teachers who decline to use a person’s preferred pronouns at school.

H.B. 1468 by Rep. Wayne Long (R – Bradford) and Sen. Mark Johnson (R – Little Rock) says that a student or teacher cannot not be penalized for declining to address a person by a pronoun that is inconsistent with the person’s biological sex.

As we have reported before, educators in other states have been fired and suspended for declining to use students’ chosen pronouns.

H.B. 1468 would help prevent that from happening in Arkansas.

The bill now goes to the Arkansas Senate for consideration.