Asa Hutchinson Advocates For Computer Science Emphasis In Education

It is a notion he has talked about repeatedly in the past, but today Republican gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson released a white paper calling for more computer science education in public schools.

Hutchinson said Arkansas could become a national leader in education by adding “coding and programming” courses to its curricula. He said his plan was crucial to “creating the job skills used in an information-based economy.”

Hutchinson’s plan contains the following key elements:

• Computer science courses will be made available in every high school in Arkansas.  Hutchinson said currently only a small number of high schools in Arkansas offer computer science and nationally less than 1 in 10 schools offer the curriculum. Computer science courses would include topics such as coding and programming.
• Computer science classes will be a fundamental part of standard curriculum and will count toward core graduation requirements. This is a shift from current state law which does not give math or science credit for computer science. Hutchinson said he will work with the legislature to make this law change.
• Technical training in high schools will be reinforced by enhancing the curriculum in both two-year and four-year colleges.

“Arkansas should lead the nation in producing students with the knowledge and technology skills demanded by our current economy. The high demand for these skills will translate to more jobs, more entrepreneurs and ultimately greater sustained economic growth for Arkansas,” Hutchinson said at a Springdale press conference on Monday (Jan. 13).

“Through encouraging computer science and technology as a meaningful career path, we will produce more graduates prepared for the information-based economy that represents a wide open job market for our young people. Arkansas will also educate entrepreneurs who create and grow new technology businesses. All Arkansans will benefit from a growth of our technology fueled economy. Computer science will no longer be neglected in the State of Arkansas but it will be embraced,” he added.

You can read more aspects of his push for computer science teaching in this release.

Hutchinson has also advocated for reducing income taxes for a range of wage earners. In November, he laid out a first-year plan as Governor to reduce the income tax rate from 7% to 6% for Arkansans earning between $34,000 to $75,000 a year, and from 6% to 5% for those earning between $20,400 to $33,999 annually.

Hutchinson faces Republicans Curtis Coleman and Rep. Debra Hobbs in the GOP primary for Arkansas Governor. Former Congressman Mike Ross is the only announced Democratic candidate.

In a statement Monday, Coleman called Hutchinson’s proposal “inadequate and out of touch.”

“While the computer science initiative he’s advocating will be beneficial, Mr. Hutchinson’s proposal as a comprehensive educational policy for Arkansas is distressingly lacking in vision and leadership,” Coleman said.

Also, he said, the plan does not address local control of schools, government-mandated standards and programs that he said hinder teachers, or the need to put vocational education back in schools and “more fully tune” community colleges to equipping graduates with skills Arkansas employers need.

The Democratic Party of Arkansas released a statement listing votes it said Hutchinson made in Congress to curb education funding and deter higher standards in math and science.