Under Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Arkansas is taking control of failing public schools away from left-wing teachers unions in a bid to bolster academic performance.
Liberal activists are protesting the move, which is authorized by the Arkansas LEARNS Act, a law designed to raise the quality of education in underperforming school districts.
In April, the state Board of Education took control of the Marvell-Elaine School District and directed Education Secretary Jacob Oliva to enter a “transformation contract” that would enable a qualified third-party entity — such as a charter school management company — to operate the district, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.
The purpose is to boost academic performance since the current scheme is failing.
The rural Marvell-Elaine School District has 306 students, 92 percent of whom are black, according to the Arkansas Department of Education.
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Both Marvell Elementary School and Marvell High School are “F”-rated because their students received the lowest scores for academic achievement