Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has signed into law a controversial education bill that restricts classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, and creates a new school voucher program. The bill also raises minimum teacher salaries by 39% to $50,000 and places restrictions on classroom instruction on critical race theory.
The three-year plan will introduce an “education freedom account” to pay for private- and home-schooling costs equivalent to 90% of the state’s per-student funding for public schools. However, the voucher program has been strongly opposed by Democrats and teachers’ groups who say it will undermine support for public schools and create disparities across the state. The Arkansas Education Association President has expressed concern that schools face uncertainty about their budgets and operations for the coming year without many of the details of the vouchers and other parts of the bill in place.
Critics of the bill say the restrictions on classroom instruction regarding sexual orientation and gender identity create confusion for teachers on what topics are allowed and how far the prohibition goes. They also argue that these restrictions marginalize LGBTQ people. The education department plans to hold webinars and meetings with school officials to clarify what the restrictions entail, along with other aspects of the legislation.
The new education bill in Arkansas is part of a renewed push for school voucher programs following the COVID-19 pandemic that has been fueled in part by fights over school curriculum. As officials write the rules for the voucher program and other aspects of the bill, many details still need to be worked out in the coming months.
In addition to the controversy surrounding the restrictions on LGBTQ topics, opponents of the bill have also criticized it for eliminating the state-mandated salary schedule that sets pay ranges based on education and years of service. Removing that mandate could penalize veteran teachers, opponents said.
Despite opposition, Governor Sanders called the bill her priority in this year’s legislative session, saying that “we’ve seen how the status quo condemns Arkansans to a lifetime of poverty. We’re tired of sitting at the bottom of national education rankings.”
