Author: Steve Brawner

Steve Brawner

Tracing The Early Rise Of College Football

College football came to prominence in the early 1900’s as a means to teach young men morality and to serve as a public relations tool, but today it can serve…

Speaker: Teachers Should Be Leaders, Policymakers

Education should be led by a new generation of “teacherpreneurs” who not only teach in the classroom but also set public policy and are held accountable by remaking teacher unions…

Seven Districts Apply To Open Charter Schools

Seven Arkansas school districts have submitted applications to open charter schools, including three that would be New Tech schools. Blytheville High School and South Pike County School District in Murfreesboro…

Little Rock Teacher Wins $25,000 Award

Zsuzsanna Diamond, 37, of Little Rock, a fourth grade teacher at Otter Creek Elementary, received the 2012 Milken Educator award and its accompanying $25,000 check Monday during a ceremony at…

New Math Course Takes Place Of College Algebra

College students who don’t need college algebra in their fields of study can instead take another math course starting next fall. Act 1197 of 2009 requires the state’s public colleges…

Students Voting In National Mock Election

Voting has begun in this year’s election – the National Student Mock Election.

New Algebra Course To Aid Common Core Transition

Educators in Arkansas are developing a Bridge to Algebra II course to help high school students caught in the transition to the Common Core curriculum, but they may need legislative…

School Districts Prepare For Funding Cuts

Arkansas school districts are being encouraged to set back 10-12 percent of federal funds in preparation for automatic spending cuts that might occur as a result of sequestration – the…

Grant To Help Transfer Students Earn Associate’s Degrees

A $500,000 “reverse transfer” grant will make it possible for the state to award associate’s degrees to qualifying Arkansas students who have transferred from community colleges to four-year universities. The…

Gillett School To Stay Open

Gillett Elementary School will remain open after the State Board of Education voted Monday to reject a petition by its school board to close it. The school has been part…

Numbers Mixed On College Enrollments In Arkansas

Arkansas’ 33 public colleges and universities showed a decrease in head counts of 0.8 percent and an increase in full-time equivalent enrollments of 0.8 percent compared to fall 2011, according…

Arkansas Advanced Placement Scores Rise

More Arkansas students took Advanced Placement (AP) courses in the 2011-12 school year than in the previous year, and they performed better on the test. According to the Arkansas Department…

Tyson Gift Creates Art Scholars Program

A $5 million gift from the Tyson family and Tyson Foods will establish a research and residency program at Bentonville’s Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The Tyson Scholars of…

School Districts Seeking Rate Hikes Win Two, Lose Three

Voters in Arkansas school elections said yes to two school districts requesting millage increases Tuesday and no to three others. Stuttgart voters approved a five-mill increase, 464-269, that would raise…

Conway’s Murry Named Top School Chief

Dr. Greg Murry, Superintendent of the Conway School District, received the 2013 Arkansas Superintendent of the Year Award during a surprise announcement at a dedication of the new Conway High…

Program ‘AIMS’ At Advanced Placement Test Success

A program that offers financial incentives to both high school students and teachers to pass Advanced Placement tests produced 43 percent of successful test-takers in Arkansas last year, despite existing…

House GOP Aiming For School Reforms

Republicans in the Arkansas House of Representatives are considering legislation that could empower an entity other than the state Board of Education to authorize charter schools. Other possible legislation would create a tax credit scholarship program that would enable students to attend private schools.