Arkansas Teacher of the Year candidates asked to reply to the LEARNS Act

Little Rock, Arkansas – A recently approved education law in Arkansas, which you may have heard about for months, is facing new opposition from educators.

The dispute stems from the questions that applicants for Arkansas Teacher of the Year must answer in their applications.

How will you incorporate the LEARNS Act into your teaching practice? What kind of good impact do you anticipate LEARNS will have on Arkansas students?

Candidates must also explain their proposed platform and how it pertains to the Arkansas LEARNS Act.

Stacey McAdoo, the 2019 Arkansas Teacher of the Year, noted that political convictions aside, this is a little different than when she applied four years ago. McAdoo claims she did not answer any questions about legislation, policies, or the law when she applied for the position.

“I do not know if it is a sign that it’s becoming political or not,” McAdoo said. “What I do know is the Teacher of the Year program, the National Teacher of the Year program, these are nonpartisan programs.”

McAdoo said the job was an honor for her and one she hopes will continue even under changing governments.

“It is not about politics,” she said. “It is about teaching. It is about the love and the art of teaching.”

“The LEARNS Act is law, and the ATOY serves as an ambassador for education,” the spokesperson for Governor Sarah Sanders, Alexa Henning responded. “Asking applicants to explain how they will implement the law in their classrooms and how their platform will align with the LEARNS law is well within the expectations of the role of the Arkansas Teacher of the Year.”