Campus Talk: Three Questions With Dr. Laura Bednar

Editor’s note: Talk Business Arkansas contributor Steve Brawner today offers another installment of “Three Questions,” a recurring feature for our education and public policy readers.

As the Arkansas Department of Education’s assistant commissioner over the Division of Learning Services, Dr. Laura Bednar has been in charge of a wide ranging list of responsibilities from charter schools to special education to Advanced Placement classes.

Her biggest job has been implementing the Common Core State Standards. Arkansas is one of 45 states moving toward a common set of standards where students will learn roughly the same material in English, language arts and math.

She recently announced that she is taking a job as an assistant superintendent with the Pulaski County Special School District.

BRAWNER: You’ve been the point person on the state’s transition to the Common Core State Standards. What’s left to do?

BEDNAR: We must continue to listen to teachers and school leaders about their professional learning needs and plan for the new assessments; maintain close partnership with higher education, educational cooperatives, professional education associations and other stakeholders; and help educators make the connection with new learning standards, new assessments, new system for measuring educator effectiveness, and ultimately preparing students for college and careers.

BRAWNER: You’ve talked about the expectation that the state will experience an implementation dip during the first year or two of testing – meaning that student performance will decline in the short-term simply because of the disruptive effects of change. What is the state doing to reduce the depth of that dip?

BEDNAR: Whenever you implement something new, you can expect a period of adjustment. Common Core State Standards are new learning for our students. New skills and understanding have a learning curve. The state will continue to provide guidance regarding infrastructure to support the change, and continue providing professional learning for teachers and school leaders. Change requires collaboration at every level.

BRAWNER: You’re leaving the Department of Education to become a deputy superintendent at Pulaski County. The district is shaped like a doughnut around Little Rock and North Little Rock, and there is a serious effort by Jacksonville to separate and form its own district. Do you support that separation?

BEDNAR: Yes, I do support Jacksonville’s effort to form its own district. The community has been working on this for over 30 years, and I believe this is the best decision for the Jacksonville community, as well as the Pulaski County Special School District.