News and Updates | November 2021
As Thanksgiving approaches, we want to take a moment to thank you for your support this year! We appreciate all you do - sharing your educational experiences, advocating for students and supporting education options.

Our hearts are full, and so on Nov. 24, we are going as a team to volunteer at the Little Rock Compassion Center. We can't wait for a chance to pass along our gratitude!
Thankful for legislators that supported choice

On our social media, we are showing appreciation for Arkansas legislators who have demonstrated that they are dedicated to improving educational opportunity for Arkansas students!

We reviewed how legislators voted on education-related legislation and are excited to announce that 67 legislators (about half) received A+ marks!
We also wanted to give our Succeed Scholarship families and microschool families an opportunity to show how the education options have benefitted them. If you haven't had the chance to share your story yet (or if you have and you just want to update it), click the appropriate button.
In celebration of Military Family Appreciation Month, we are honoring active duty military, veterans and their families with free tickets to the Little Rock Zoo on Saturday, Nov. 13.

The zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., but tickets needs to be picked up at our table in the front by 1 p.m. Proof of military service, like a military ID, may be required so that we can make sure that as many military families as possible are able to enjoy the tickets. Military families, click the button below to reserve your spots!
The Reform Alliance out in the community!
Kashana Milton, community engagement associate, met parents (and pawrents) at Pine Bluff Bark in the Park.
In Star City, Kashana enjoyed spending the day at Battle of the Bayou, a pre-game community event and pep rally.
Emmy Henley, our managing director, also handed out goodies at the Jacksonville Trunk or Treat on Halloween!
Want to know more about advocating for your child's needs?
Parent Action Networks connect parents, neighbors and educators to implement local solutions to local challenges with local resources to improve education. Parent Action Networks in Arkansas have tackled issues like summer learning loss and reading proficiency.

If you would like to get involved in your community, please contact us at (501) 244-9028 or via email.
Education News and Headlines
Image Source: Politico
Lawmakers embrace classroom politics, taking cues from Youngkin
Glenn "Youngkin started out as an underdog in a state where the GOP hasn't won statewide for nearly a decade. But Republicans say his frequent messaging on education, stoking parental worries about progressivism in the classroom while urging them to play a greater role in schools, helped him pull ahead ..."
Fayetteville School Board approves minor zone changes
The total population of the district's school zones increased from 78,448 as they were zoned following the 2010 census to 100,091 in 2020, an increase of about 27.5%, according to district documents.
Image Source: Arkansas Online
Image Source: NWA Democrat-Gazette
Fort Smith School Board approves district rezoning
The School Board unanimously passed a resolution approving a plan and map establishing five single-member zones and two at-large zones in the district during its regular meeting Monday. This resolution was required as part of the district's ongoing rezoning process, which originated with the 2020 census.
Faces of Freedom
These are the voices of Arkansas families who have benefited from Arkansas’s Succeed Scholarship Program:

" ... At the end of the 2017 school year, I was to my wits end with public school and them not taking into consideration of my child’s disability. Also in 2017 I received information about a school in Conway that focuses on the needs of special children. It’s a nonprofit school, which usually means it’s kind of costly.

Being a single mother of two kids one having autism, without the scholarship I would not be able to afford the proper learning environment that my son needs to be able to succeed. We have been with the Compass Academy for three years now, and each year my son improves more and more — whether it be people skills, motor skills. Without the scholarship that wouldn’t be possible. Thank you for your time."– Emily, parent Click here for the full story!
The Reform Alliance is proud to manage the Succeed Scholarship at no cost to the State of Arkansas. Even small expenses like the cost of mailing checks to schools are paid for by a private foundation grant. 
We are a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring every K-12 student in Arkansas has equal access to a world class education. Our mission is to create a network of parent and community leaders so every policy decision and every conversation about education starts and ends with how it impacts our kids.