For AR Kids kicks off effort to gather signatures for education amendment
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A group hoping to change the educational system throughout the Natural State kicked off its efforts to get their measure in front of voters.
After Attorney General Tim Griffin approved their ballot title last week, the group For AR Kids got to work, starting with a rally Thursday. However, not everyone agrees with the measure.
Kymara Seals, the policy director at the Arkansas Public Policy Panel said the ballot measure aims to provide access to Pre-K for 3 and 4-year-olds, after-school and summertime programs, quality special education, services for children in poverty and more.
“It’s going to literally change the constitution in Arkansas, when it comes to education,” Seals said.
The group will be gathering signatures over the next four months.
“We can get their signatures, and if we get the signatures, which we will, the people can vote, the people can decide,” Seals said.
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin approves Arkansas Education Amendment for November ballot
With people lining up to sign, April Reisma, President of the Arkansas Education Association and Vice President of For AR Kids said that the measure also would require any school receiving any amount of public funds to follow the same standards that traditional public school are required to follow.
“I’m ready to hit the ground running to get these signatures on the petition,” Reisma said.
FOX 16 News reached out to the Arkansas Department of Education who shared a statement in response.
“The governor is proud to have enacted transformational reforms to give every kid in Arkansas access to a quality education and a lifetime of opportunity,” the statement read. “It’s sad that there are some who do not want to give our kids every opportunity to succeed.”
The group will need to gather just under 91,000 signatures over the next four months to have the amendment go on the November 2024 ballot.
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