Students And Teachers Gather At State Capitol Against Consolidation
By: Import User
Updated: January 7, 2009
Teachers and schoolchildren from across the
state gathered at the state Capitol this morning. They were there against school consolidation before Governor Huckabee`s 12:30 pm speech to a joint session of the Legislature.
State Senator Jimmy Jeffress threw down the gauntlet. The
Democrat from Crossett told teachers and schoolchildren that "the fight has just begun."
Today is the opening day of a special legislative session on
school reform. Arkansas is under a court order to reform its
unconstitutionally poor public school system. The court has given
legislators until January first to come up with a plan for change.
Huckabee favors consolidating small, inefficient high schools to
save money and increase course high school course offerings.
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Among those gathered to protest consolidation is 11th grader
Brittney Hanson of the Humphrey School District. Hanson made a
sign, which reads "Let Us Be Huckabee." The Bearden School
District brought more than 60 children to attend the
anti-consolidation rally. Teacher Debbie Bowen said the event is a
civics lesson for the children.
