Steve Grappe States LEARNS Act Moved Forward Secretly

The LEARNS Act was secretly moved forward, according to Steve Grappe.

Grappe is the executive director of Citizens for Arkansas Public Education and Students. He and Katie Deakins appeared on KHOZ's "Around The Table" to discuss the act. "On this bill, it was kept completely in secret," Grappe said. He added that the LEARNS Act proponents wanted to keep challenges to it at bay.

Deakins said the multi-faceted "145-page omnibus law" was "put through very quickly." She later highlighted the "Education Freedom Accounts." These are vouchers, according to Deakins, that allow for public school money to be used in home, private and parochial schools.

Deakins explained the consequence of this is that tax money goes to help things for which taxpayers have zero representation. Taxpayers have representation in the public school setting through the school board's elected representatives.

She listed a list of her concerns. She said that private schools don't work under the same expectations and rules, and they don't have to enroll every child.

Deakins also stated that many public schools don't provide transportation.

Earlier, Grappe stated that the bill wasn't known "until like 40 hours before it hit committee." On the other hand, he said the bill isn't "all bad."

One of the positive points that Grappe pointed out is that the bill gives "a minimum $50,000 salary to all public school teachers across the state." The caveat is that the increased salary is for new teachers.

Deakins and Grappe said teachers already at $50,000 received $2,000. Though the two guests admitted that the bill has positive elements, they emphasized their concerns about the negative impacts of the LEARNS Act.

However, Grappe conceded that the school system is in need of change. At the same time, the change that occurred under this bill didn't involve teachers and other education professionals. Additional information is online, and more was discussed on the broadcast.

The full interview with Grappe and Deakins is on the "Around The Table" Facebook Page.