EDUCATION NOTEBOOK: Academic bowl team advances | Ireland to head virtual academy | State joins drive to tout teaching

Academic bowl team advances

The Marine JROTC Academic Team at Little Rock Catholic High School has advanced to the 2021 National Academic Bowl Championship set for July 23-27 at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

The championship academic and leadership competition is conducted by the College Options Foundation and sponsored by the U.S. Marines JROTC.

Students Chad M. Greenway Jr., Clarence A. Matthews IV, Charles P. Timmis and Andrew S. Dillman make up the Catholic High team that earned top scores out of the 91 Marine Corps JROTC academic teams that competed from around the world. The Catholic High team is one of eight teams to advance to the final competition.

During the two fast-paced preliminary rounds, cadets were tested on their knowledge of core curriculum such as math, science and language arts, as well as current events, citizenship and leadership skills.

"Covid-19 has presented many challenges to students and schools over the past year," Catholic High Principal Steve Straessle said. "Throughout it all, our Marine Corps JROTC cadets have risen to the challenge through their participation in the 2020-2021 JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl. These cadets from Catholic High school have proven their ability to overcome and succeed despite the obstacles."

Ireland to head virtual academy

Leslie Ireland has been approved by the School Board to be the administrator of the Driven Virtual Academy/Center of Innovation in the Pulaski County Special School District.

Ireland has worked in the Pulaski County Special district since 2008, first as a literacy instruction facilitator and, since 2016, as assistant principal at the Sylvan Hills High School's ninth-grade campus.

She started her education career as an early childhood special education teacher for the Southeast Arkansas Education Service Cooperative.

Driven Virtual Academy is a new state-approved conversion charter school. Instruction will be delivered to a student in the student's home via a district-issued Chromebook device, with guidance from a parent, and support and mentoring from district staff members at a distant location.

The academy is the 26th school in the 11,700-student system.

State joins drive to tout teaching

Arkansas and most other states in the country have joined with Teach.org for "The Future Depends on Teachers" public awareness campaign that promotes the teaching profession.

There was no charge to states for the campaign.

Teach.org developed a commercial and reached out to news media outlets in all participating states asking them to air the public service announcement.

Arkansans who go to the teach.org website will have access to Arkansas-specific information, said Kimberly Mundell, a spokeswoman for the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The goal is to raise awareness about the importance of the teaching profession, especially during the covid-19 pandemic, she said.

More information is available at the following links:

https://www.teach.org/media#psa

https://www.teach.org/arkansas

Search firm hired by Hope district

The School Board for the Hope School District is employing the McPherson & Jacobson executive search firm of Omaha, Neb., to aid the board in recruiting and employing a new superintendent.

Bobby Hart, the district's current superintendent, was named earlier this year to be the superintendent of the Searcy School District, effective July 1.

Upcoming Events