Key chosen for seat on council's board
Arkansas Education Secretary Johnny Key has been appointed to the board of directors for the Council of Chief State School Officers.
The council's board president, Molly Spearman, who is the superintendent of schools in South Carolina, appointed Key to fill the seat vacated by former Virginia Superintendent of Public Education James Lane.
The board of directors manages the overall business affairs of the council and is the governing body of the organization. The board is made up of the president, the president-elect, the past president, and six directors elected by members.
Key, who has been Arkansas' chief education officer since his 2015 appointment by Gov. Asa Hutchinson, said he is honored to represent Arkansas by serving on the national board.
"The collaboration, insight and support I have received over the years from my CCSSO counterparts in other states has been invaluable, especially as we navigate these highly uncharted times in education," Key said.
"I look forward to providing a unique perspective on the board, as well as learning, growing, and partnering with my colleagues. Our collective goal is to provide the best education opportunities for all students, and by coming together to shape education on a national level, we will set our students up for success on the local level," he said.
Carissa Moffat Miller, chief executive officer of the organization, said Key's years of experience and "particularly his long-time focus on literacy and the science of reading" will be assets to the board.
The Council of Chief State School Officers is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who lead departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, the Bureau of Indian Education, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions.
LRSD holding last 'Poore Man' effort
The Little Rock School District has initiated its final Poore Man on the Roof campaign for donations of money, nonperishable foods and toiletries to support those in need in the district.
Superintendent Mike Poore, who has said he will retire at the end of the school year, has annually called for donations to fill up his office at 810 W. Markham St. in Little Rock.
This year's donations will benefit Life Line Baptist Church's Pantry as well as the district's Bright Futures program and Volunteers in Public Schools.
In return for the full office, Poore will work Jan. 31 from the roof of the administration building.
Students at Baseline Elementary School did research to determine that Jan. 31 will be the coldest day for Poore to work from the roof.
Donations can be delivered to the administration building. The district's website, lrsd.org, includes information on how to donate cash.
Kroger for a second year will contribute $10,000 in gift cards to the campaign, and new partner Riggs Caterpillar will make a $7,000 cash contribution.
School praised for girls' course access
Sylvan Hills High School in the Pulaski County Special School District is a recipient of the College Board's Advanced Placement Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in its AP Computer Science Principles course.
James Pruitt teaches the course and works to expand girls' access in AP computer science courses, the Pulaski County Special district said in announcing the award.
More than 1,000 institutions achieved either 50% or higher female representation in one of the two AP computer science courses, or a percentage of the female computer science exam-takers meeting or exceeding that of the school's female population during the 2020-21 school year.
In 2021, Sylvan Hills High was one of 760 recognized in the category of AP Computer Science Principles across the country and one of 12 in Arkansas.
"By encouraging young women to study advanced computer science coursework, Sylvan Hills High School is closing the gap in computer science education and empowering young women to access the opportunities available in STEM career fields," said Stefanie Sanford, College Board chief of global policy and external relations. "Computer science is the foundation of many 21st-century career options, and young women deserve equal opportunities to pursue computer science education and drive technological innovation."
The median annual wage for computer and information technology occupations was $91,250 in May 2020. However, a code.org analysis of 2017 Bureau of Labor Statistics data found that women represent just 24% of the 5 million people in the field.