The Department of Education Reform will hold a virtual town hall from 5-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1. The purpose of this event is to introduce the department's doctoral program in education policy, as well as the application process, to prospective students. This event is open to the public and free to attend. Any and all individuals with an interest in public policy and a passion about education are welcome. Upon registration, you will receive a link to join via Zoom.

The College of Education and Health Professions has 20 full scholarships available to cover tuition, books and fees for certified practicing Arkansas teachers who want to expand their skills to meet the diverse needs of pre-K students with disabilities by earning an Arkansas endorsement in Early Childhood Pre-K Special Education. Scholarships are funded by an Arkansas Department of Education grant. Interested teachers should complete a DESE Teacher Academy interest form by Nov. 8. After being selected, candidates must apply to the U of A Graduate School as a non-degree seeking student to complete their application. Candidates will be able to complete all requirements within one year. Online academy courses will begin in January 2023. Arkansas classroom teachers licensed in early childhood pre-K, childhood preschool-4 or elementary education K-6 are eligible to apply for the scholarships, which will include support from faculty with expertise in early childhood special education. Teachers can use the 12 credit hours earned in this program toward the 36 hours required for an M.Ed. in special education.

The Arkansas Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is accepting applications from school districts for Cohort 2 and 3 of the THRIVE AR Leadership Academy. The THRIVE AR Leadership Academy is an intensive, hands on, multi-day training for school leaders in positive behavior and mental health supports.  The goal is to equip building leaders to support behavior and mental health in their schools both reactively and proactively.   Successful completion of the academy will result in an endorsement added to the participant's teaching license and a $2500 stipend.    Space is limited, so you must submit your application by 4:30 PM on Friday November 11, 2022. Accepted applicants will be notified by Friday, November 18, 2022, with next steps and additional details.

The need to support students socially and emotionally, as well as cognitively, has become evident as the result of the COVID pandemic. Lack of such support leaves students unprepared for school and life and contributes to the higher burnout rates of teachers. In their new brief, Strategically Addressing Student Mental Health in Our Schools: Recommendations from Teach Plus Arkansas Policy Fellows, Teach Plus teacher leaders set forth a series of recommendations for state leaders on closing the gaps of social, emotional, and mental health education and support in the state. Surveying 247 Arkansas teachers about how their schools are supporting students’ social and emotional needs, they found that schools and educators are committed to their students’ social-emotional learning. Educators try their best to embed some form of SEL strategies into the daily academic day, but they need support in the form of professional development focused on mental health, trauma-informed instruction and the social-emotional learning of students.