Education Rally and Summit to Support School Choice: Jeb Bush Keynote Speaker

A rally at the Capitol Rotunda Tuesday morning aimed at bringing more awareness to what some are calling an education crisis in the State of Arkansas.

The rally was to express the need for expanding charter schools in the state of Arkansas.

Some like Laurie Lee with the Arkansas Reform Alliance feel the State of Arkansas is facing an educational crisis.

"We're talking about literacy rates, we're talking about achievement rates," says Lee.

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush brought in, because of his work to change his state's education system, by pushing for more school choice.

"The idea that we have 13,000 government run monopolies as the organizing model for educating millions of kids in America, I think may have worked a hundred years ago. It is increasingly less relevant in the world that we are in," explained Bush.

Later an Educational Summit at the Doubletree, where dozens of panelists were brought in, Senator Joyce Elliott on hand, she says she's not against charter schools, however:

"We've heard from this group about how awful the schools are and yet we are ranked number five in the country by quality counts, we do have issues with academic achievement there's no question about that and we do need to do better, but to act as if Arkansas on its own has not made great strides is irresponsible," said Elliott.

Laurie sees numbers differently.

"Our chance for success according to the educational choice study they're reporting we're number 5, we're actually 42 at chance for success."

Tomorrow Senator Elliott and a group of others will hold a meeting in response to the rally today, in the old Supreme Court building here at the Capitol at 1pm.