Learning begins way before kindergarten. The experts agree that high-quality pre-k gives kids a strong start toward success in school. But the Arkansas Better Chance pre-K program hasn’t seen a dime of new funding since 2008, which means that pre-K centers...
Have you ever wondered how budget makers and policy wonks are able to come up with how much money it takes to pay for something? A key part of understanding the value of goods is connected to our use of...
Remarks by AACF Executive Director Rich Huddleston at the Kids Count Day press conference: The state budget is a moral document. It represents Arkansas’s commitment to investing in the future of our children and families and ensuring that all...
The governor’s new tax cut plan is a step in the right direction for tax fairness, but leaves out the poorest 20 percent of Arkansans and raises concerns about how the lost revenue will impact vital programs for children...
Arkansas ranks high in a national pre-K study but the state is falling behind in enrollment and equal access for poor students. Education Week’s annual “Quality Counts” report explores the complex landscape that defines early-childhood services in the U.S....
Over the past five years, we’ve heard lots of discussion about the Common Core State Standards. There is even some confusion about what the standards are, who made the standards, and what they do for students. So, it’s important...
2014 was a year of progress that led to renewed efforts to inform lawmakers, engage parents, and connect with communities and their leaders about education in Arkansas. As always, AACF worked hard to improve access to high-quality education for all...
Imagine you’re exhausted. You’ve worked for the past 20 hours straight, your son has a cold that has gotten worse over the last week and your daycare won’t let him come back until he’s fever-free. You have to take...
The Joint Budget Committee of the Arkansas General Assembly recently rejected an increase in state funding for the Arkansas Better Chance pre-K program for fiscal year 2016. This marks the eighth straight year without an increase, a cut once...
The wisest investment Arkansas can make in its people is to provide quality pre-K. Arkansas is a poor state where almost one-third of our children live in poverty and more than 60 percent are eligible for free and reduced...