Common Core Task Force To Hold First Meeting Thursday

The first hearing and listening tour session for the Governor’s Council on Common Core Review will take place on Thursday.

The hearing will be held from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Old Supreme Court chamber in the capitol, while a listening tour session will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Community Room at the Pulaski Technical College-South Transportation Technology Center in Little Rock.

The task force is chaired by Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin and the group will hear from several witnesses. They include:

Panel #1:
1. Deborah Jones, Ed.D.: Assistant Commissioner, Learning Services, Arkansas Department of Education
2. Stacy Smith: Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Learning Services, Arkansas Department of Education
3. Tom Kimbrell, Ed.D.: Superintendent, Bryant School District

Panel #2:
1. Clara Carroll, Ed.D., NBCT: Professor of Education, Assistant Dean, College of Education, Chair of Graduate Studies in Education, Harding University
2. Jason Endacott, Ph.D.: Assistant Professor of Secondary Social Studies Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Arkansas
3. Chasidy White: 2015 State of Alabama History Teacher of the Year, Brookwood Middle School, Alabama

Panel #3:
1. Michele Linch, Ph.D.: Executive Director, Arkansas State Teachers Association
2. Ouida Newton: 2015 Arkansas Teacher of the Year, Poyen High School
3. Ken James, Ed.D.: President, Arkansas Advanced Initiative for Math and Science

Panel #4:
1. Sarah McKenzie, Ph.D.: Executive Director, Office of Education Policy, University of Arkansas
2. Gary Ritter, Ph.D.: Endowed Chair in Education Policy, University of Arkansas

The hearing will be live streamed at the lieutenant governor’s website or by clicking on the Video Gallery at the bottom or by visiting the lieutenant governor’s YouTube page.

All listening tour sessions will be lived streamed via Google+ here.

Each of the hearings will be video recorded, with plans in place to post the video on the lieutenant governor’s website.